Hockey Time in Canada by Susan L.

  It was a great weekend visit with my family. It was busy, noisy, and a whole lot of fun! We spent time reading stories, playing with Play Doh, and had a shopping trip to the toy store for a birthday gift.
  My granddaughter has definitely warmed up to me and no longer makes strange. I'm glad that phase is over. It did take some time for me to understand what she was saying but by the end of the first day, we were able to have a decent conversation.
  My grandson had hockey practice on Saturday so I was able to watch him learn some of the basics like how to stand up when he fell down. Within an hour the coach had him doing that with ease. He is still unsteady on skates but seeing as he is a child, that shouldn't last too long. It won't take much time before he is whipping around the ice.
  Watching the other three to six year olds learn how to handle their narrow skates, the cumbersome protective equipment, their hockey stick, the treacherous ice, and wayward pucks was most enjoyable. They were like puppies, wobbly and unsteady, with limbs flying everywhere. A short burst of speed ended up with them splayed flat on their backs.  A swing at the puck would throw them off balance as well. So did trying to stop. It didn't take much to have their feet in the air. I couldn't help but smile.
  Some of them were surprisingly good, these three foot potential NHL stars. Their only downfall? They were way too cute!
  I'm thankful that on Friday I took the back roads to get to Sarnia. If I'd chosen the highway route, I wouldn't have got there. There's a notoriously lethal stretch of about sixteen kilometers on the 402 that was closed due to white outs and blizzard conditions. My slower, meandering northern route drove through everything from sunshine, rain, and flurries but nothing like that.
  I came home the same way and was blessed with another first. A rare, white squirrel ran across the road in front of me. I'm not sure if they are albino or if a different genetic fluke gives them their white fur. It took a moment to figure out what it was as I braked to avoid hitting it. Glad I did. He or she made it safely to the other side.
  It's good to be home but I'll be heading back shortly. My services as a painter are required.
  "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Ps 121:1-2