Giving Thanks

 11/23 Sunday

It's snowing again! I'm glad I took advantage of yesterday's upper 40's temps to get in another bike ride. I couldn't entice any of my friends to go - they thought it was too cold. Ha! I did use toe warmers in my shoes and that kept me very comfortable for the 19 mile trip.

Biking does make me happy!

So dismayed to see this display of over-consumerism.
Most cars were of this design and it was a  very long train.

A much nicer train at the depot park, marking the far end of the bike path.

 There were plenty of other bikers out there, though they were going faster than me! My top split speed was 17mph and I did that for two of the miles - going down slope and with the wind. Average speed for the whole ride was 11 mph as there was a head wind for the first half. I am going to try to ride all winter, even though that means it will likely be a solo endeavor. 

I'm going to spend Thanksgiving with my sister's family in Corning. I'm sure we'll have a nice time. I do get melancholy thinking about that long drive and all the memories, but it's time to embrace newer happier times. 

The US Post Office lost some important paperwork I needed to roll over my 403b into my IRA. I have Informed Delivery, in which I get an email with pictures of my incoming mail to be delivered that day. The delivery never happened, so I'm guessing the mail went to the wrong house and got thrown away. I have gotten my neighbors mail often enough, but I just walk it to the correct mailbox. No such luck for me. Frustrating! 
I went on a 5 mile walk with AnnMarie today at the Pine Bush Preserve where we caught up on each other's lives. I didn't take a single picture. 

11/27 Thanksgiving!

Making the long drive to my sister’s home.



The weather was fine for most of the trip. This storm front welcomed me to town with a 10 minute downpour and a 19 degree temperature drop.



Callum is in love, based on the furious tail wagging !

My sister, brother in law, nephew and nieces and I cooked for a few hours, chatted and laughed. The cemetery my parents are buried in is through the gate in my sister's back yard, so I took a walk there. It was quite a walk through the town's history with parents of my childhood friends, neighbors, and relatives, all buried there. I'm not sure it was a good idea, but it certainly helped my gratitude for being alive spike up a notch. 

My sister and nieces at the Glass Museum store.



Me and my sister in front of the glass bulb tree.

I drove home today and all went well until I ran into a 'lake effect' snow band. It was a near white out and my speed dropped to about 30 mph. The last 35 miles of the trip took over an hour and most of my nerves.  A dip in the hot tub was all I wanted to relax my muscles which were completely tense for that last hour of driving. 
I cancelled my Lake Placid volunteer shift tomorrow s there is more snow forecast and I'd have been driving up alone. I'm happy to have a quiet day on my own.

Comments

  1. MargaretNovember 28, 2025 at 10:56 PM

    Until the snowstorm, what a great trip! I have mixed feelings about going to the cemetery although I do recognize a few holidays and birthdays with real (or artificial) flowers. It's sobering to see so many names I know at the cemetery these days and also makes me grateful to still be here. Biking riding in very cold weather takes dedication. I don't have it!

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