Maura's Hard Work Pays Off

Maura has been working hard at her skating all season and it shows in her performance. She skates an extra session every Wednesday after her team practice and though she has doesn’t have a coach to work with her then she uses the time well, practicing what she’s been learning in her Monday lessons and team practices. Off the ice she stretches every morning to improve her flexibility and extension. She does it without any prompting from me.

The hard work is clearly doing some good. Even with my uneducated eyes I can see that she is skating more confidently and smoothly. Her chin is up, her arms are out and her rhythm and timing improve week by week.

We saw the proof of Maura’s improvement last Saturday when she skated in the Skate for the Love of It event at the Asiaf Arena in Brockton, Massachusetts. She tied for first in her individual event. It was her first first place finish ever against competition. Her mother and I are very proud of her and she’s justifiably proud of herself. I got her medal engraved with her name and the date so she can always remember her first victory.

Maura also competed in the stroking competition in which she came in last. I thought she’d done better than that but I’m hardly qualified to judge. Her glasses had slipped down her nose and it looked like she was looking down when she wasn’t. Next time we’ll remind her to push them up before she gets on the ice. We can take this as a lesson in paying attention to the little things. It’s not just on the ice that they make a difference.

After the competition Maura called her grandparents to share the news and her mother and I took her out to lunch to celebrate. It wasn’t an over-the-top celebration but it is what we could afford. Perhaps I can take a reminder from my daughter’s success about the value of hard work. I’ve been working hard on my Web Design Certificate classes but I need to be confident that the work has been worth it if I’m to turn the course of study into a good job. Someday we’ll be able to celebrate Maura’s wins in style.

A New Addition

The Ellett household gained a new four-footed member of the family last week. We adopted a friendly black tom kitten we have named Prospero.

Prospero came to us from a school friend of Maura’s whose cat had kittens in September. On Tuesday night we went to his home to meet his family and the kittens and to choose one. Prospero chose himself. We had brought along our cat carrier and left it in the middle of the floor. Prospero was more outgoing than his twin brother and explored the cat carrier first. We made our choice by shutting the door.

Prospero wasn’t happy to be carried off but he has adapted very well to his new home and family. For a few days we kept him closed up in the den to give our established cat Houdini a chance to get used to the idea of a kitten in the house and let Prospero establish a small territory of his own. Once we had taken Prospero to see the vet and the kitten had been given a clean bill of help and a flea treatment we let the two of them meet. Houdini wasn’t bothered at all by the new kitten and it didn’t take long for Prospero to begin to warm up to Houdini. Now we’ve seen them playing together, not quite like old friends but without any unwanted aggression.

A very calm and affectionate kitten, Prospero often purrs when he is held and petted. He has even been known to climb into laps without any prompting, which is not something that every cat will do. Because he is a kitten it is no surprise that he likes to play but he doesn’t play rough. Other kittens I have known have trouble learning not to use their claws and teeth when they are playing but Prospero already keeps his claws in when he’s playing with us.

It is good that Prospero fits in here so well. He is likely to be a member of the household for many years, until long after Maura has left home and gone away to college. We’ll do everything we can to make sure he has a long and happy life. Like Houdini he will be an indoor cat and like Houdini he will soon be neutered. While he is unlikely to enjoy the experience we know (and our vet agrees) that it is better for him in the long run. It will help keep him healthy and comfortable in his home and will also keep him from adding to the number of stray and homeless cats. As much as we love our cats, old and new, I’m certain in my opinion that two cats is enough for this house and would not want to feel responsible for more.

Maura Skates at the Colonials

Maura’s Synchronized skating team skated last Sunday in the Colonials at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was the largest meet she’s yet been in and unlike at the others her team had competition. They skated very well but Maura's team placed third in a field of three. The Tsongas Center was by far the most comfortable venue I’ve watched figure skating in. Though a third of the stands were blocked off there were still plenty of seats and it was comfortably warm. I wish all the competitions were held in places so nice. On the downside tickets cost $22.00 each.

Maura’s team skated about as well as they ever have despite one of her teammates skating on a possibly broken toe. They came in third partly because they had only eight girls on their team and the other teams were larger.  Larger teams get the benefit of the doubt because more skaters make errors more likely. I’m not sure they would have won even if they had been equal in size. I could see a few spots in their routine where they were just a little out of synch and I’m sure the judges could see mistakes I could not. Unlike me, they know what they are looking for.

Maura was upset when she found out that her team had come in last but she got over it eventually. I’m glad Maura cares a little about winning now. It will help motivate her to work a bit harder to improve.  Despite the loss it was a good experience for Maura. She had been talking about dropping out of synchronized skating but now she has decided to stick with it. I’m glad that she has. I think she will enjoy it more as she gets more experienced and develops her skills. She will also not always the youngest person on her team. She would miss out if she quit now. If keeps on with synchronized skating I expect that some day she will find a place on a more advanced team and get to compete in some of the larger and more prestigious competitions. That will be an experience she'll tell her children and grandchildren about some day.

Holidays at Home and Away

For the first time in many years we spent Christmas away from home this year. Jennifer had vacation she needed to use up this year and, somewhat to her surprise, when she requested the week of Christmas off she got it. She didn’t have the 31^st of December off so we were back in Weymouth for New Year’s Day.

We hit the road on Saturday, December 22^nd. I must have been too excited to sleep because I awoke at 2:00 am. When I found that Jennifer was also awake we decided to hit the road early. We’d been planning to get up around 4:00 and leave before dawn to reach my parents’ home in Indiana in one long day on the road. Our bags were packed and the car mostly loaded. We were on the highway by 2:15. Dawn found us in Pennsylvania and nightfall found us in Western Ohio. By supper time we were at my parents’ home near Indianapolis.

It was very good to spend the holiday with my folks, not only my parents but my sister Marcia as well. We didn’t do much while we were there but sit around my parents’ family room. We talked. We read A Christmas Carole out loud, which we do every year at our house. Maura played Just Dance on the Wii with her Aunt Marcia. We ate lots of good food.

We did get out of the house a few times. We went out to eat. On Christmas Eve we went to church. It was the first time I’d ever been to my parents’ church. Jennifer and Maura also came, though they could have stayed home if they had chosen too. It must have been a bit strange for Maura though. I love going to church on Christmas Eve. The service is always joyous and peaceful.

My parents had made other plans but they were disrupted by the weather. On December 26^th the Indianapolis area was hit by a blizzard. The seven inches of snow that fell was not much by New England standards but high winds define a blizzard and the roads were dangerous most of the day and there was plenty of reason to stay home.  Two trips out were necessary. My parents’ beloved but aging cat Chelsea was sick and had to go to the vet. She had to be sedated to examine and treat her and she died unexpectedly when she was waking up after my parents had gone back to bring her home. I think it was a good thing that we were there. Having her granddaughter around made the loss easier on my mother.

On Friday to we all went to a movie. Everyone needed to get out of the house for a while. We saw Les Mis. Maura really wanted to see it and everyone enjoyed the show. I’ve been whistling tunes from it ever since. I was impressed that they were able to find enough actors who could sing well enough to do their roles justice. They didn’t cast anyone in the movie who couldn’t.

On Saturday we left for home. We waited until after breakfast to leave. It’s not as easy to leave before dawn when we are heading home and we take two days on the return trip. While we were driving eastward it was snowing ahead of us, so the road conditions were not always good but we avoided the worst of the weather and made it home by mid-afternoon on Sunday.

Jennifer had to work on Monday while Maura and I ran errands to prepare for the holiday. We spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day at home, just the three of us. We had a dinner of homemade appetizers and spent the evening watching Xena Warrior Princess on Netflix and playing Munchkin using the new cards Maura got for holiday gifts this year. At midnight we watched the ball drop on TV and then we all went to bed. New Year’s Day was more relaxing at home. I took the time during the day to write down some New Year’s resolutions—which was the first step to keeping one of them. I plan on keeping a journal this year. Time will tell how far I get.

Roller Skating

On Sunday the Elletts went roller skating together. The occasion was a fundraiser for Maura’s synchronized ice skating team. The Winterettes had booked the Carousel Family Fun Center in Whitman, Massachusetts for a private party and got to keep a part of the proceeds. We all went over in the afternoon and skated around the roller rink for a while. If not for the fundraiser we probably would never have gone but it was fun.

It was the first time Maura had ever been on roller skates and she had a bit of trouble getting used to rolling instead of gliding but she got going eventually. So did Jennifer and I. Both of us had roller skated before, though the last time was before Maura was born. When I was in grade school I used to roller skate occasionally. My school would have skating parties for the students at the local roller rink and I would usually go. That was more than 30 years ago and I was never very good but I don’t seem to have forgotten how to do it. I managed not to fall or run into anything on Sunday.

One thing I noticed was that very few of the adults present skated. Sometimes Jennifer and I were the only adults out on the floor. The team mothers were busy organizing raffles and such and some of the older adults present might not have been in good enough to roller skate but it seemed a waste to me to pay admission and then not skate. It was enough fun that I might think of going again. Maura expressed some interest in going over Winter Break. Perhaps I’ll offer to bring one of her friends along.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in the Ellett household was a time of peace and reflection this year; at least once the preparations for the feast were complete. Because our extended family members were far away or busy elsewhere we shared our feast with our good friends the Tittlers, then feasted again with them at their house on Friday. It was quite easy to resist the temptation to go shopping on Black Friday. The weekend as a whole was quite relaxing and there was plenty of time to contemplate the many things for which I am thankful.

On Wednesday evening we attended the interfaith Thanksgiving service at the Old Ship Church, in Hingham, Massachusetts. Attending the service has become a family tradition as important as the turkey, perhaps more important. This was my second year of attending but Jennifer and Maura have been going for longer. Before last year I had to work and couldn’t get the time off. The service draws from the variety of faiths represented on the Hingham-Hull Interfaith Religious Council and is the one religious service each year that all members of our interfaith family can attend and feel equally at home. It is always a beautiful service and a reminder that Thanksgiving is, at its heart, a religious holiday, though one that transcends the boundaries that divide faiths.

Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings and despite troubles my blessings are many. I have a loving family and loyal friends. When it comes to material things I have enough despite tough economic times. I try to be truly thankful for the things that I have because I know that what I have is truly worth being thankful for.

Open Mic at the New England Wildlife Center

On Saturday evening we attended the weekly open mic night at the New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth, Massachusetts. This weekly event, held at the center’s Catbird Café raises money for the New England Wildlife Center’s education and wildlife rehabilitation efforts. All the money is raised through voluntary donations. There is no cover charge and the coffee and snacks are free.

Since the event is an open mic anyone can come and perform. The poster for the event mentions musicians, poets and belly dancers. We heard from several singer/guitarists and one poet. As you might expect the quality of the performances varied from act to act but the majority of the performers we saw were both talented and accomplished. Most of the musicians had a folk style that goes well acoustic guitar accompaniment. They performed a good mix of originals and interesting covers.

We all had a good time at the show. I almost always enjoy live music no matter what the genre and with this show no one could complain about not getting his money’s worth. Not only do you get to choose how much you want to donate but the money goes to a cause worth supporting even if you didn’t get an evening’s entertainment in the bargain. We won’t be going every week but I’m sure that other Saturdays will find us at the open mic night again.

The South Shore Wildlife Center is located at 500 Columbian Street, South Weymouth, Massachusetts. The open mic is every Saturday starting at 5:00 pm. For additional information check out the center’s web site,  www.wildlife-education-center.com.