Good evening,
It is a beautiful but bitter cold evening tonight. The snowy sidewalks and roads with icicles growing from gutters, remind me of a similar Christmas break as a kid growing up in Puyallup.
I believe the year was around 1970 or 1971. We had just moved to my grandmother's house permanently at 1335 W. Pioneer.
Over the entire two week break, one day it would snow and the next day the sun would blind us from above, eventually pinching a few trickles that soon formed colossal stalactites from most every gutter in front of Aylen and up and down West Pioneer.
Some grew to be 4 feet long.
My friends and I slipped and skated our way through the main streets of 14th and Pioneer. I remember the knitted scarf I had on, olive green and gold, my regular school coat and a pair of jeans. There was nothing out of the ordinary in our wear. No snow boots, snow pants or waterproof gloves.
Based on our clothing we owned we went out when it was sunny, stayed in when it was stormy and cold.
Life is like that. You go out when it's sunny and hunker down when it's stormy and cold. Back then, it didn't matter if it was a winter skiff, a squall, or a pandemic. You just rolled with you had and most importantly learned to cope with change.
Change is a big deal. All through our life we try to mitigate it. We do all kinds of things... dye our hair, mow our lawn (many times and repeatedly), shovel snow, clip the trees, the list goes on and on.
Over the past several years, if anything we have become reacquainted with embracing the fact that change can and will happen no matter what we do to stop it from happening.
Yes, my parents still live in that little house at 1335 W. Pioneer but the kids are gone and no longer play in the streets. Some things have changed but when I go to the little house it still looks the same.
Mostly I am thankful for weathering through life with all of you!
Whatever you do, do it with positivity, style and grace even if you don't have good boots or a down coat.
Wishing your family and friends health and happiness.
Happy New Year 2022
Lisa
