Monday, November 20, 2017

Just Priceless

A good friend of mine and frequent geocaching partner is an Assistant Scoutmaster.  He had to pass the Boy Scouts’ Wilderness First Aid training course in order to qualify to go on some crazy hiking trip or other next summer, so he spent the weekend up north freezing his butt off and learning what to do in case of various medical emergencies on the trail.  As he put it, if the parents knew all the scenarios they train for, they'd never let their kids go on these hikes.

At any rate, one of the potential injury types they discussed was bites from poisonous snakes (my personal worst hiking fear, so I’m glad my usual hiking partner now knows what to do if it happens.) The EMTs who teach this course told the group that women are generally bitten on the feet and legs, while men are more frequently bitten on the hands, arms and face.  When my friend told me this, I burst out laughing.  Of course, it’s because women have the sense to leave the snakes alone and try to get away, while men lean over them and poke them and try to grab them!!  Too funny.


Friday, November 17, 2017

Some Things Never Change

When my children were young, my mother, who is very good with a needle, got tired of seeing them freezing on the sidelines of soccer and baseball games and made the three of them an enormous blanket of heavyweight flannel for outdoor use that is affectionately known to one and all as the “Nana blanket.”  Two layers thick, one printed with soccer balls and the other with a space motif; it’s a good solid armload to carry but it has lived in the trunk of my car during cold weather sports seasons (and seen a whole lot of use) for the better part of seven or eight years now.

Thing One had a soccer game tonight starting at 8PM.  Outside.  I would guess the gametime temperature was hovering around 30, but at least it wasn’t windy.  Because I am still a mother no matter HOW big my kids get, I quietly walked over to his team’s bench at the beginning of the game and placed the folded Nana blanket on one end.  Sure as hell, by halftime there were half a dozen fourteen-year old boys huddled together under it!

Thanks again, Mom.  :)


Yeah, It's Been A While

These days, a lot of what happens in my life relates to my kids, and as they get older I am less comfortable sharing their stories.  I will ...