Little Happy Moments

Mostly I use this blog to reflect and recollect about things that I have experienced. A great deal of my focus for these pieces comes from looking backward. Wistfulness, bitterness, gauzy memories these are the things that I set down in what I write. Today I want to look sideways.

Good things have happened of late. I have reason for joy in my life. Joy no matter how small must be savored and celebrated.

For whatever reason my oldest son, the one that is ASD is doing well in school. The first marking period has passed and he has an A – average. I understand this could be better, but it is far better than what it was last year. It makes me really, really happy to see him excel. He also seems to be getting into the rhythm of dealing with other people. He still does not want to look people in the eyes but he can make some small talk working off a rudimentary script he has internalized.

These are good things, real good things.

Last night I received my election certificate in the mail. An election certificate comes in the mail to verify that the post you sought has been obtained. Why I ran is God’s own mystery but run I did. To come out on top is really a unique feeling. It wasn’t like I got a mandate I won my less than 2% of the vote but I won. This too is good.

While the giddiness over each of these things will not last, I am happy for now.

Winter Photo as Poetry

 

Winter light poured over a cold landscape as I walked home this night. Silently the trees around me reached up against the darkening sky. As I glance skyward through these bare branches I was adrift in memory. Stopping I set my camera on the ground and I snapped the picture above.

When I was eighteen I loved an album cover with one bare tree upon it. While I never bought the album the band who made it became one of my favorites. The title was From the Witchwood. For years I assumed the title was From the Winterwood. My guess as the why of this has to do with my myopia and because of the bareness tree on the spare two tone album jacket. Only recently was I disabused of that notion when I decided to look the disk up and give it a listen. To me the Winterwood will always remain part of the title. It was apt to my mindset at the time. Michigan was the Winterwood.

The album cover’s fascination for me had more to do with my arriving in this north country inexperienced in the ways of winter as opposed to anything else. To me winter started in mid to late December and was done mostly by mid March or April 1 at the latest. That year, my first year here the time was not long before the autumn of late September turned into the Winterwood of late, late November. Golden leaves gone the spidery fingers of the trees reached up into the dark sky. They looked a great deal like the image on that LP.

No fear rose in me when I looked at those webs of wood woven skyward. Instead I saw the art of life. It was not long before I saw the beauty of black and grey branches coated with white crisp snow. The Winterwood was not something troubling or scary. It was instead part of life’s gallery of beauty.

East Lansing's Response to WBC

C3173@aos-sharp.com_20101117_091134[1]

Tournament Helpful Info

I looked up the rink based on the pamphlet for the tournament.

Here is the link and here are directions to the rink from the hotel.

http://www.arcticicearena.com/



Country Inn & Suites Edit

18315 la Grange Rd, Tinley Park, IL 60487 - (708) 444-4384

United States



1. Start out going NORTH on LA GRANGE RD/US-45 N toward 183RD ST/ORLAND PKWY. 2.9 mi

2. Turn LEFT onto W 159TH ST/US-6. 1.5 mi

3. Turn LEFT onto 108TH AVE. 0.1 mi

4. Turn LEFT onto 160TH ST. 0.2 mi

5. 10700 160TH ST is on the LEFT.


Arctic Ice Arena 10700 160th St, Orland Park, IL 60467 - (708) 403-4231