Spring came to Weymouth on Friday. It was early and is gone again already. Spring won’t be here to stay for at least another month. Still, Friday was sunny and warm and there had been enough nearly warm days in the previous two weeks to melt the snow from the sidewalks between home and Maura’s school. So for the first time since early December I walked to the school at the end of the day and Maura and I walked home.
I’d wanted to walk for weeks. I’d watched the ice on the sidewalks thin and melt away and the mountains of snow at each intersection and parking lot diminish to hills and then to nothing. When the sidewalks were finally clear enough to negotiate I came down with a terrible cold that kept me inside for four days, too sick to consider a three mile walk in the chilly, if not subfreezing air.
It was luck that the warmest day last week fell when I felt well enough to walk and cooped-up enough that I couldn’t stay in the house any longer, despite a stiff breeze that threatened to steal my hat. It was good to stretch my legs and good to spend some time with my daughter. Maura held my hand on the walk, though she doesn’t have to except at major street crossings. She doesn’t like wind and it gusted strongly enough Friday that I joked about tying a string to her and flying her like a kite. She’s getting so grown up now. She laughed at the joke. Last year she would have taken me seriously.
I’ve really missed the walking since winter started. I won't walk often for a while. Until spring is really here most days it will be uncomfortably cold and sometimes it will be icy. Still, Friday was a taste of what’s to come. I can only look forward to many pleasant walks to school and back, one way alone, the other with the best of company.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Going Downhill Fast
This winter has been tough on Maura and I. We can’t walk to school because the sidewalks are covered with snow. Busy schedules and a lack of funds have often kept us at home even on days when Maura hasn’t been in school. The snow has given one chance we wouldn’t have had without it. When the snow is fresh and the temperatures not too cold we go sledding.
Weymouth is by no means mountainous but it is not entirely flat. We have a couple of good spots for sledding in town and they draw crowds after every snow. Maura and I have been out on the hills almost every weekend this year. It’s snowed with regularity this winter and the snow has piled up on the ground faster than it can melt or be packed down and worn away by the passage of many sleds.
This year has been particularly good for sledding so far. In past years the days with good snow have been very rare. Though we have missed a few opportunities, Maura and I have been sledding almost as many times this year as we had managed in the previous three, and winter is only half over. I imagine we’ll get more chances before spring finally melts the snow.
When we can Maura and I put on our snow pants and boots, put the sled in the trunk of the car and head for the slopes. Maura does most of the sledding these days. When she first got her sled she was three. She used to be afraid to go down the hill by herself and I had to ride down with her every time. These days she has no fear and I mostly watch while she goes down the hill. It is nerve wracking because she is not very good at steering, but in truth, neither am I. We can still fit on the sled together and sometimes she still lets me ride with her. I don’t think that will last much longer. She’s getting too big to ride with her Daddy. I think she only lets me ride with her now because she’s lazy about hauling the sled up the hill and she knows if I go down I’ll bring the sled back up for her. Next year she won’t want to go sledding with me. She’ll probably still be happy for me to take her to the park and stand in the cold watching while she sleds but the days when we can ride down together will be over. I’ll certainly miss it. I enjoy the time I’ve had to spend with my daughter and I like sledding, too. The only parents I ever see on sleds are the ones with small kids. I may never get the chance to go again. I wonder If I’ll still be up to flying down hill when I have grand children.
Weymouth is by no means mountainous but it is not entirely flat. We have a couple of good spots for sledding in town and they draw crowds after every snow. Maura and I have been out on the hills almost every weekend this year. It’s snowed with regularity this winter and the snow has piled up on the ground faster than it can melt or be packed down and worn away by the passage of many sleds.
This year has been particularly good for sledding so far. In past years the days with good snow have been very rare. Though we have missed a few opportunities, Maura and I have been sledding almost as many times this year as we had managed in the previous three, and winter is only half over. I imagine we’ll get more chances before spring finally melts the snow.
When we can Maura and I put on our snow pants and boots, put the sled in the trunk of the car and head for the slopes. Maura does most of the sledding these days. When she first got her sled she was three. She used to be afraid to go down the hill by herself and I had to ride down with her every time. These days she has no fear and I mostly watch while she goes down the hill. It is nerve wracking because she is not very good at steering, but in truth, neither am I. We can still fit on the sled together and sometimes she still lets me ride with her. I don’t think that will last much longer. She’s getting too big to ride with her Daddy. I think she only lets me ride with her now because she’s lazy about hauling the sled up the hill and she knows if I go down I’ll bring the sled back up for her. Next year she won’t want to go sledding with me. She’ll probably still be happy for me to take her to the park and stand in the cold watching while she sleds but the days when we can ride down together will be over. I’ll certainly miss it. I enjoy the time I’ve had to spend with my daughter and I like sledding, too. The only parents I ever see on sleds are the ones with small kids. I may never get the chance to go again. I wonder If I’ll still be up to flying down hill when I have grand children.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Culture for Maura
Last Sunday we took Maura to a concert given by the Dedham Choral Society. The program was “Christmas in Spirituals and Jazz!” It consisted of jazz settings of Christmas music by three contemporary composers and “Shout for Joy (A Suite of Christmas Spirituals)” by Robert DeCormier. We chose to attend this particular event because our good friend Julie Tittler (Auntie Julie to Maura) is in the chorus but for me it was much more than an opportunity to support a friend. I greatly enjoyed the concert. The music was interesting and, to my limited knowledge, very well performed. Hearing it put me in the holiday spirit for the first time this year. The experience for me was worth every penny of the price of the ticket.
Bringing Maura was worth every penny of the price of her ticket, too. I think it is important to expose children to as many experiences as possible. There haven’t been nearly as many chances as I would like for her to experience live musical performances. I don’t know if Maura enjoyed the concert as much as I did but I’m pleased to report that she was very well behaved so she must have gotten something from it. A bored six-year-old is an antsy and noisy one. She had a little trouble sitting still but so did I. The pews of Saint Mary’s Church, where the concert was held, are not the most comfortable seats and it was hard for either of us to sit in one position on them for very long. Even had the seat allowed it, we would have sat still. The strong rhythm of the music called out for movement in time to it.
Maura was certainly fascinated by the architecture and decoration of the church. Because she is part of an interfaith household (Maura and her mother are Jewish, I am not) Maura is probably more aware of religious differences than many six-year-olds. She has a great deal of curiosity and often asks questions about religious imagery that she sees. Her questions are not always easy to answer. Nevertheless I am glad she asks them. My hope is that her curiosity about other faiths helps her become a tolerant and understanding person.
Bringing Maura was worth every penny of the price of her ticket, too. I think it is important to expose children to as many experiences as possible. There haven’t been nearly as many chances as I would like for her to experience live musical performances. I don’t know if Maura enjoyed the concert as much as I did but I’m pleased to report that she was very well behaved so she must have gotten something from it. A bored six-year-old is an antsy and noisy one. She had a little trouble sitting still but so did I. The pews of Saint Mary’s Church, where the concert was held, are not the most comfortable seats and it was hard for either of us to sit in one position on them for very long. Even had the seat allowed it, we would have sat still. The strong rhythm of the music called out for movement in time to it.
Maura was certainly fascinated by the architecture and decoration of the church. Because she is part of an interfaith household (Maura and her mother are Jewish, I am not) Maura is probably more aware of religious differences than many six-year-olds. She has a great deal of curiosity and often asks questions about religious imagery that she sees. Her questions are not always easy to answer. Nevertheless I am glad she asks them. My hope is that her curiosity about other faiths helps her become a tolerant and understanding person.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Natural Wonder of Weymouth
Sunday was a perfect Indian summer day here in Weymouth. The weather was sunny with little breeze. The temperature was warm enough that I was comfortable outside without a coat. The weather won’t be better before spring. Jennifer decided that instead of her going to the gym the whole family would take a hike. I couldn’t have agreed more. Because I was late getting home from church because I had meetings to attend after services we decided to stay close to home. We decided to take our hike in Great Esker Park, which stretches along the Weymouth shore of the Weymouth Back River.
We had a lovely hike. The leaves left on the trees were in their fall colors of yellow and russet and the trails were carpeted with the leaves that had already fallen. We hiked over the esker, the long sinuous hill deposited by a long ago glacier that gives the park its name. Then we made our way down to the shore of the tidal Back River. Walking along the gravel beach that separates the open river from the salt marsh behind we got great views of the birds that feed there. Out in the river a flock of diving ducks were feeding, each diving one after another to feed in the depths of the river. A moment later they popped up to the surface, still in line. Behind them a great blue heron fed in the shallow water by an exposed sand bar. Overhead a marsh hawk flew.
Jennifer gave Maura the task of finding all the colors of the rainbow on our hike. She found them in order—red, orange and yellow leaves, green cedar trees, blue sky and purple berries still uneaten on the cat briar.
Great Esker Park is a jewel that the people of Weymouth should be proud of. The esker itself is a rarity. Many eskers have long since been mined away for gravel or leveled for building. The long stretch of undeveloped shoreline is equally rare in a populated area, especially so since the opposite shore in Hingham is also a park. Great Esker has many of the problems of urban parks. It is both neglected and heavily traveled. The paved trails are crumbling and graffiti covered; the unpaved trails are eroding. The busier parts of the park are strewn with trash. It is unfortunate that people don’t appreciate their park more. Perhaps then they would be inspired to keep it clean. Still enough of the natural beauty shines through to make Great Esker a natural oasis in a mostly man-made world.
We had a lovely hike. The leaves left on the trees were in their fall colors of yellow and russet and the trails were carpeted with the leaves that had already fallen. We hiked over the esker, the long sinuous hill deposited by a long ago glacier that gives the park its name. Then we made our way down to the shore of the tidal Back River. Walking along the gravel beach that separates the open river from the salt marsh behind we got great views of the birds that feed there. Out in the river a flock of diving ducks were feeding, each diving one after another to feed in the depths of the river. A moment later they popped up to the surface, still in line. Behind them a great blue heron fed in the shallow water by an exposed sand bar. Overhead a marsh hawk flew.
Jennifer gave Maura the task of finding all the colors of the rainbow on our hike. She found them in order—red, orange and yellow leaves, green cedar trees, blue sky and purple berries still uneaten on the cat briar.
Great Esker Park is a jewel that the people of Weymouth should be proud of. The esker itself is a rarity. Many eskers have long since been mined away for gravel or leveled for building. The long stretch of undeveloped shoreline is equally rare in a populated area, especially so since the opposite shore in Hingham is also a park. Great Esker has many of the problems of urban parks. It is both neglected and heavily traveled. The paved trails are crumbling and graffiti covered; the unpaved trails are eroding. The busier parts of the park are strewn with trash. It is unfortunate that people don’t appreciate their park more. Perhaps then they would be inspired to keep it clean. Still enough of the natural beauty shines through to make Great Esker a natural oasis in a mostly man-made world.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Taking Maura to the Polls
Maura was out of school Tuesday for the election so when I went to vote I brought Maura with me. While my decision to bring Maura along was made for me by a lack of alternative child care arrangements, I am glad that she was with me when I went to cast my ballot. Though Maura won’t be old enough to vote for twelve years I believe it is important that she learn the importance of voting now. By seeing her parents vote and discussing with us the importance of voting I hope that Maura comes away with an appreciation of the fact that participation in elections is a basic duty of all citizens regardless of their political beliefs and affiliations.
I am not very politically active. In fact I detest politics and outside of the voting booth I would rather avoid it all together. I have never contributed to a political campaign or volunteered my time to a political cause. I don’t plan on doing so in the future. I do believe in the duty of all citizens to come to the polls and vote. The right to vote is the most basic political right in any representative government. In the ballot box all citizens are equal (or at least they should be) and each vote carries the same weight. Voting is the fundamental way that citizens influence the behavior of their government. To not vote is to resign yourself to living with a government that does not represent you. While I have often lacked enthusiasm for the candidates among whom I was called to choose, I have chosen to exercise my right to vote in general elections since I was first able to do so.
While I am sure that I will not instill any enthusiasm for politics in my daughter since I have none, I hope that when she is of age she goes to the polls at every election out of duty, if for no other reason. If, unlike me, she finds excitement in politics, then I wish her the joy of it.
I am not very politically active. In fact I detest politics and outside of the voting booth I would rather avoid it all together. I have never contributed to a political campaign or volunteered my time to a political cause. I don’t plan on doing so in the future. I do believe in the duty of all citizens to come to the polls and vote. The right to vote is the most basic political right in any representative government. In the ballot box all citizens are equal (or at least they should be) and each vote carries the same weight. Voting is the fundamental way that citizens influence the behavior of their government. To not vote is to resign yourself to living with a government that does not represent you. While I have often lacked enthusiasm for the candidates among whom I was called to choose, I have chosen to exercise my right to vote in general elections since I was first able to do so.
While I am sure that I will not instill any enthusiasm for politics in my daughter since I have none, I hope that when she is of age she goes to the polls at every election out of duty, if for no other reason. If, unlike me, she finds excitement in politics, then I wish her the joy of it.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Walking with Maura
As the month of October gets close to its end it has been difficult for Maura and me to get out, even on the weekends. Times are tough and there is little money to go new places. We still spend time together, though. One journey we make together almost every day.
When Maura started first grade at the beginning of September I decided that as long as it was practical we would walk to school and walk home. It’s just over a mile and a half each way. I thought it would be a good idea to save gas and both of us can use the exercise. We’ve walked at least one way almost every day since the beginning of the school year.
I’ve really enjoyed my daily walks with Maura, even though we don’t get to talk much. The traffic noise makes conversation difficult. Maura keeps talking but she’s always looking down and away from me to avoid stumbling while she walks and I miss a lot of what she says. Still, just spending time with my daughter makes the walks enjoyable for me.
I am also very proud of her. She walks further every day than many parents would ever ask their six-year-olds to walk and she does it without complaint. I think she enjoys it almost as much as I do. She agrees that the walk is good exercise and as long as we walk I’m not much worried about Maura getting too chubby. As much as she would like to sit in front of the TV when we are home, I know she is getting a fair amount of exercise.
I know Maura especially enjoys the days when we stop on the way home for a treat, usually at the donut shop that is about halfway between home and school. A hot drink and a donut make a nice treat on raw days, and once we left the house early and shared a good breakfast on our way to school.
We may not be walking often for long. Soon we may largely give it up until spring, though I plan on walking in good weather into November, at least in the afternoon. We’ve already mostly given up walking in the mornings. It’s been chilly and it’s hard to get up in the dark to be ready a half-hour early so there is time to walk. For now we’ll keep walking in the afternoon, at least on dry and pleasant days. Soon enough the winter cold will be here, and the winter darkness. The shadows will already be getting long at 3:30 when we are walking home from school and the sidewalks will be icy after snow. Then we will stop walking because it will not be safe or pleasant. I will be eagerly awaiting the light and warmth of spring, and I think Maura will be too.
When Maura started first grade at the beginning of September I decided that as long as it was practical we would walk to school and walk home. It’s just over a mile and a half each way. I thought it would be a good idea to save gas and both of us can use the exercise. We’ve walked at least one way almost every day since the beginning of the school year.
I’ve really enjoyed my daily walks with Maura, even though we don’t get to talk much. The traffic noise makes conversation difficult. Maura keeps talking but she’s always looking down and away from me to avoid stumbling while she walks and I miss a lot of what she says. Still, just spending time with my daughter makes the walks enjoyable for me.
I am also very proud of her. She walks further every day than many parents would ever ask their six-year-olds to walk and she does it without complaint. I think she enjoys it almost as much as I do. She agrees that the walk is good exercise and as long as we walk I’m not much worried about Maura getting too chubby. As much as she would like to sit in front of the TV when we are home, I know she is getting a fair amount of exercise.
I know Maura especially enjoys the days when we stop on the way home for a treat, usually at the donut shop that is about halfway between home and school. A hot drink and a donut make a nice treat on raw days, and once we left the house early and shared a good breakfast on our way to school.
We may not be walking often for long. Soon we may largely give it up until spring, though I plan on walking in good weather into November, at least in the afternoon. We’ve already mostly given up walking in the mornings. It’s been chilly and it’s hard to get up in the dark to be ready a half-hour early so there is time to walk. For now we’ll keep walking in the afternoon, at least on dry and pleasant days. Soon enough the winter cold will be here, and the winter darkness. The shadows will already be getting long at 3:30 when we are walking home from school and the sidewalks will be icy after snow. Then we will stop walking because it will not be safe or pleasant. I will be eagerly awaiting the light and warmth of spring, and I think Maura will be too.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, Saturday October 4th
Saturday was the official opening of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway on the site of what was once the elevated expressway. We went down for the outdoor events that took place all day. We had a great time. The weather was nearly perfect for early October and there was plenty to do and see along the Greenway.
Maura and I headed down after her soccer game in the morning. Jennifer was already downtown and met us outside of South Station around eleven, after we had come in on the Red Line.
We decided to do a treasure hunt. By finding the clues to answer a set of questions that in turn gave us letters to spell out a phrase we could win a prize. It was an excuse to wander up and down the Greenway and explore while we searched. Along the way we sampled some food (quite enough for a good lunch), heard some music, watched some dancing and learned a bit about Boston. Maura was able to make several art projects while I tracked down the clues. The neatest project was a flag for a flag tree. Flags made by visitors to the Greenway Opening were hung on lines from a pole. Together they made a very colorful display which grew throughout the day.
At the North End end of the Greenway we saw a display on Boston’s archeology and heard a fife and drum band perform. The Archaeological Institute of America is headquartered in Boston and had a booth where they were highlighting the finds that were made during the construction of the tunnel running under the Greenway. They were also giving away copies of their magazines and Maura picked up a copy of Dig, which is their kids’ magazine. It would make me very proud if she took an interest in archaeology. It wouldn’t surprise me, though. She seems to enjoy many of the things that I do.
From the North End we walked back down the Greenway to the other end, in China Town. In the beautifully landscaped park at the edge of China Town they were putting on dance and martial arts demonstrations. While Maura and Jennifer watched, I finished the treasure hunt and left Maura to collect the prize. I headed home on my own to be sure to make it in time to get to work by four.
There will only be one official opening of the Greenway but I hope that the Greenway continues to see lots of use and that the opening event is a model for things to come. The Greenway needs to have people on it to be fully appreciated. Empty it is still an improvement over the shadowed wasteland that was there before the highway was buried but without events to draw people it could quickly become a place to cross and not a place to stop.
Maura and I headed down after her soccer game in the morning. Jennifer was already downtown and met us outside of South Station around eleven, after we had come in on the Red Line.
We decided to do a treasure hunt. By finding the clues to answer a set of questions that in turn gave us letters to spell out a phrase we could win a prize. It was an excuse to wander up and down the Greenway and explore while we searched. Along the way we sampled some food (quite enough for a good lunch), heard some music, watched some dancing and learned a bit about Boston. Maura was able to make several art projects while I tracked down the clues. The neatest project was a flag for a flag tree. Flags made by visitors to the Greenway Opening were hung on lines from a pole. Together they made a very colorful display which grew throughout the day.
At the North End end of the Greenway we saw a display on Boston’s archeology and heard a fife and drum band perform. The Archaeological Institute of America is headquartered in Boston and had a booth where they were highlighting the finds that were made during the construction of the tunnel running under the Greenway. They were also giving away copies of their magazines and Maura picked up a copy of Dig, which is their kids’ magazine. It would make me very proud if she took an interest in archaeology. It wouldn’t surprise me, though. She seems to enjoy many of the things that I do.
From the North End we walked back down the Greenway to the other end, in China Town. In the beautifully landscaped park at the edge of China Town they were putting on dance and martial arts demonstrations. While Maura and Jennifer watched, I finished the treasure hunt and left Maura to collect the prize. I headed home on my own to be sure to make it in time to get to work by four.
There will only be one official opening of the Greenway but I hope that the Greenway continues to see lots of use and that the opening event is a model for things to come. The Greenway needs to have people on it to be fully appreciated. Empty it is still an improvement over the shadowed wasteland that was there before the highway was buried but without events to draw people it could quickly become a place to cross and not a place to stop.
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