Just so ya know, the following pictorial essay is not simply the bored-to-tears mind of a mom left in the ski lodge while her family takes on the challenges of a half-icy, half-dirt ski slope at the end of ski season. Or maybe it is?
On any given ski trip, I usually join my family for an hour or two before retiring to the comfort of the food night watch and my favorite reading material of the week. This time, I skipped the joys of terror and fear and images of mom laid up for weeks as I careen down a black diamond by accident following my nine year old who wonders what is wrong with mom.
Settling in a worn leather chair, I sat back with my book On Writing Well after watching my little bundled family make their way to the lift. Hmmm. . notice words around you, the uses, the anomalies, the ironies, the humor. I lifted my head to look around me. I was shocked to see everywhere I looked large wordy plaques about not leaving your stuff on the table and about eating home-packed food only in the Bear's Den.
I guess I never noticed these signs that were absolutely everywhere because of all the stuff people left on the tables and because I was looking down at my own stuff, children and self not up at the walls. And, where was the Bear's Den?
Turning my head a quarter, I noticed another large sign "The Bear's Den."
How many times had I come, with our own food bag, and never noticed this? How funny. Am I just clueless or distracted? Probably both. I have never eaten in the Bear's Den and no one has ever said a word.
I have never checked my belongings in baskets or left them in cubbies but then I don't ski that long anyway so perhaps the dining room staff didn't think to abscond with my unattended items. They don't do it anyway.
At the end of the night, after all the fun was done and I had enough of ski slope employees watching my picture taking with amusement, my daughter plopped down beside me, looked about the window and asked "What does drop-off mean?" The only sign with no instruction or further meaning attached other than "Tickets" at the front of the lodge which is pretty self-explanatory.
Hmmm. Drop off skies? Drop off snowboards? Drop off small children? It was fun thinking of all the things I could drop off there to see what they would say but I think I'll leave that for the next trip!
On another note, check out the host this week for Thankful Thursday for many things people are thankful for this week. More participants can be found at: Julie's Another Chance Ranch.
I am thankful for no broken bones on the ski slope, for a night of reading to myself and for a wonderful husband with the initiative to take these family trips together. God has blessed me richly! (I am also grateful for a ski slope that cares how it looks and actually keeps up a standard of excellence that makes going here much more pleasant than other places!)
Looks like a very fun trip! I've never been able to do downhill skiing. I'm too scared I'll kill myself by running into a tree. I can cross-country pretty well, though.
Thanks for sharing your blessings dear.
Oh that sounds fun. I love the fact that the staff was watching you take photos and you kept taking them.
Glad you had fun! Thanks for playing along!
We used to ski every weekend but somewhere along the road of life I lost my courage and started thinking about breaking bones and being laid up for months. My son would be going like ninety down some Suicide Slide Slope and I would be holding my breath waiting for him to slam into something! Yep, I guess I got old and didn't realize it was happening. Did try a snowboard a few years ago and landed on my head, no kidding! lol!
I can totally relate except to the part about snowboarding. I think that is one experience I won't be adding to life. I don't want to land on my head!