Shovels and Self Sufficiency

(Harriman Park- Great for Cross Country Skiing)

Dear Grenn,

Hello! How are you? In Idaho we are excperiencing blizzard conditions! The clouds finally let down and dumped snow on us. As I watch the wind whip up the snow on the lawns, shake it down from the trees like an airport check, and see my neighbors little red snow blowers exit their garages, I can't help but think of you.

Remember shoveling together? How you didn't break down and buy a snowblower or install a sprinkling system until after all the "kids" left the house?

One Half of Grenn's drive..


the other half.


Kids these days are soft because we don't require the manual shovel to dig out of snow storms like this.

Padre has had this week off from work so I surprised him the other day by getting up early to work. I was outside shoveling the drive so when they pulled the car out, it wouldn't pack down the snow.

Through the raging storm I looked up to see him standing by the garage door so I unfogged my glasses to talk to him. He was in his flip flops. The guilt had gotten to him, he offered up the snow blower.

I guffawed.

Why would I need the snow blower??

"I didn't want to have to give this instruction this early in the morning" he hollered over the howling wind.

Unable to lip read due to the glasses I just shook my head and put my gloves up in the air.

He opened the garage, pulled the snowblower out using a 70 point turn to avoid hitting the car and garage door opener eye.

Leaning in to hear his instruction I pulled out the choke, yanked the cord and the grumbling machine came alive.

He didn't see me roll my eyes as I reluctantly used his wimpifying machine.

I took off carving a straight line toward the road and when I turned he was waving his arms like a castaway.

"Now what," I muttered heading back up to him with the snow blowing back in my face.

He said something about the choke, I tried to peel his cold fingers from around my neck and sputtered snow as he pushed one of the contractions buttons in.

Taking off my glasses, he blurred like the white storm around us. His instruction was totally lost in translation. If he wanted me to use the snowblower that bad- I would do it. But I don't think he realizes that he is creating more of the social ills that surround us.



If he wants to create self sufficiency, he needs to not teach us about using a snow blower. Unfortunately, he has already passed on the useless information to J and now it will be difficult for me to undo the damage.

Don't you agree?

Well, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!!!

Love,