Growing Up

    Today marks the 53rd  anniversary of Sesame Street on public television.   It was inaugurated in 1969  to counter a previous decade of ugly cartoon television programming that featured extensive violence.  Children were averaging 27 hours a week soaking up inappropriate behavior.  Sesame Street offered on public television was structured to teach children basics of behavior as well as simple language and math skills.  In the context of my family I had children born in the 1960's who did not have the benefit of this show.   My son was especially behaviorally influenced by the cartoon.  I remember that Popeye stoked him up so much that I was concerned about how much of that roughhousing would rub off on him in his interaction with other children.

    All of this leads me to thinking about the environmental changes for each generation of children.  I grew up  in the early 40's in the radio era.  We had comic books and adventurous radio serials.  With radio being the dominant entertainment we were left to our own imagination rather than graphic visuals.  Movies filled the role of television.  

    Generation by generation children will have different technologies to influence their behavior.  In the era of cell phones and computers my grandchildren are being exposed to great wonders and great dangers.   There will always be challenging parental management of their screen time and content.  I hope that we as a society will seek the best for the young minds we are entrusted with.

Reset

     I am participating in a book study regarding the Ten Commandments that has inspired some interesting thoughts.   The latest discussion was about honoring the Sabbath.   Frankly, I had not previously spent much time musing on the meaning of sabbath.  However the study did spark a surprising reaction.   The upshot is that I have begun to see sabbath as engaging in reset. By the term reset,  I mean to pause and rethink where I am going in life and relationships.

    It has been refreshing as sabbath should be, to see things with new eyes.   I have always moved merrily along for years without analyzing whether I am on the right path.   Here I am in my late eighties now recognizing that I have lived almost my entire life always engaged in striving to be productive whether at work or in volunteering.   I have concluded that I need to back off some things and take on fresh adventures at lower stress levels than in the past.  To that end I have already resigned from one activity and taken on a new one that gives me more comfortable socialization.

    Of course in this blog I feel obligated to comment on my skiing aspirations.   The new season is coming in a month or so.  My body is beginning to show the challenges of aging.   I made it to the slopes last season for 80 days.  In my reset mode, I am not sure I am up to that much activity this year.   I guess I will have to reset my goals and be less obsessed with numerical records and simply see skiing as an opportunity to refresh as needed.  

    I think that everyone whether they are religious or not or young or old, could benefit from interpreting sabbath as reset.    Seeing things through new eyes can reinvigorate and heal body and soul.

Shrinking Fritter

     My regular season ski companions often chide me for eating my apple fritter at coffee break.  I am known to consume a fritter on a daily basis without fail.  They usually remark on the size of the fritter!  For years my supplier has baked the fritters in house at the store and they were huge.   Not so anymore.   With the rise in inflation in the economy there is a trend to keep the price of food item the same but reduce the amount in a package without changing the price.  

   My fritter has succumbed to the change.  Now my fritters are shipped into the store from a central bakery supplier.   The size is so dinky compared to the originals that even the clerk at checkout noticed and sympathized.   Alas, I will have to adapt to this new era.  Perhaps it will be a good change to reduce my calorie consumption.  It makes me appreciate each bite I take with my coffee.  I now slow down and savor each morsel.

    In the bigger picture of the effect of inflation on maintaining our diet this is  a metaphor for the pain many families suffer.   Higher prices reducing buying power for many families increases the struggle to provide nutritious food.   For me the shrink is merely an inconvenience.   However, for many it can be hunger pains at the end of the month.   I have consistently provided food banks with monthly support out of my abundance.   Readers out of your abundance I would encourage you to do likewise!

Current Size Fritter - Previous was 50% Larger

Blind Spots

    A few days ago I was observing a conversation that had some disturbing elements to it.  A group of acquaintances was discussing the havoc to their second homes in Florida.  The range of damage ranged from minor to significant.   During the conversation I heard little sympathy for the permanent Florida residents that had lost everything and were homeless.   They all seemed completely focused on their losses.   I guess that is to be expected.  However it got me to thinking of how blind we who have comfortable means can be about those who struggle.  I know that I am no paragon of virtue in helping people, but I do hope that I have an awareness that will prod me to do some good.   Maybe if I had lost a second home I would be more sympathetic to the vacationers!

    In that same conversation I must say  I was appalled to hear remarks to the effect that brown and black skinned folks were  getting an unusual amount of help and relief.   The implication was that they were especially privileged.   A colleague remarked afterwards, that if that was the case were these folks ready to swap places.  The same group also were vehement climate change deniers.    I could not be silent on that and tried to point to the data to the contrary.   Sadly it made no dent in their convictions.   I guess I have to accept that sometimes people will believe what they want to believe and remain blind to the obvious.  However, when we cannot mutually accept truth in data I have to object.

    I know that I have been pointing fingers and feel that I will have to be more introspective on my own blind spots.   I trust I will be able to hear and absorb other points of view.   

   

Rapid Change - The Equinox

   Never get too complacent!  In a flash things can change! My wife and I thought we would escape the Covid virus since we were well vaccinated and quite careful about out exposure in public.  Last week that changed with Nancy coming down with Covid first followed by myself a few days later.   Gratefully we are both nearly 100% recovered.    It was a change in our routine we didn't anticipate.

    Today, however there is a change in the seasons that is predictable.  It is the Autumn equinox.   Equal day and night length.    At this juncture we will be sliding into shorter days.   Leading up to this time and beyond for a while, we are in the period of most rapid changes in the day length.   For Math geeks it is a matter of maximum slope on a sine wave!     Beyond math I alway notice the change of seasons by the change of the angle of the sun filling my windows each morning.  Perhaps growing up on a farm where weather was a big factor in our success raised my sensitivity to my environment.  

    I know that there is a stereotypical view that senior folks are opposed to change.   I have no desire to be labelled that way.   That said, I do like certain routines but there is nothing wrong with tweaking or even abruptly changing things to bring a refreshing view to ones world.   Looking forward to an Autumn of brilliant colors, crisp morning air and the transition to ski season in December.

The Right to Vote For Women

   Today is the anniversary of the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote in the United States.  I am stunned and reminded that it took so long to grant this right to women.   My mother was born in 1906 and by 1920 she was a teenager.   I wonder what her thoughts were when this landmark event occurred?  Or did she even hear about it?   Thankfully as an adult she did have the right to express her opinion at the polls.   All this makes me wonder about the blind spots in our nation today where we perpetrated injustice against certain groups.   In the turmoil of today's corrupt attempts to manipulated the electoral process I sense that we as nation may succumb to the kind of thinking that potentially could have denied my mother the right to vote!  

    In our last presidential election we suffered the inane claims of voter fraud by election results deniers.   Today we are still dealing with fraudulent claims of misdeeds.  Worse than that we see an orchestrated effort by one party to take over the mechanisms to verify the vote by electing officials they can control.   I feel that I am in peril of losing my country to fascist factions that will negate the will of the people.  I hope I am wrong.  I pray that the precious right that my mother was able to exercise in her lifetime will not be abrogated by a minority faction.

Mountaintop Wedding

    How appropriate for a geezer skier that a granddaughter choses a mountaintop for her wedding!   Granddaughter Jenny wedded Scotty at the top of Sugarbush this past weekend.  One hundred and eighty family and friends were ferried by lift to the wedding venue setting in a lovely green meadow.   Some non-skiers had trepidations about riding the lift.   However, the lift crew was excellent and allayed any fears one might have.   There were two guests that got the VIP treatment with a truck ride up via an access road.  Both were gimped a bit.  One by age and another in recovery from a fractured leg skiing in Utah this last season.  Although I have ridden a lift thousands of times, I can't remember every riding one down the mountain!  Even for me that was a unique experience.  

    Jenny's extended family is dominated by the skiing virus so it couldn't be more appropriate to have the wedding at a ski resort.   

    It was quite a hot day but as soon as the ceremony was completed the men were quick to shed their coats.   The ladies had the advantage of summery dresses which were much cooler.    The ceremony was custom made by the bride and the officiants.  The officiants were friends of the bride and groom who had introduced them several years ago.  They wrote their own vows which were touching and meaningful. 

    The reception and dinner afterward was a complete blast.   One of my favorite moments was when we danced the Hora!  In the Jewish tradition this dance is joyful celebration with great enthusiasm.  The bride, the groom and both parents of the bride and groom get to be lifted aloft in a chair by the groomsmen and other stalwart guys.  There was a breathtaking highlight when Ron, the  father of the groom not only got lifted while seated in the chair but also was agile enough to even stand up on the chair, as if he was surfing.   It was the highlight of the Hora!  

    All in all it was a most remarkable time.   Nancy and I knew enough to retire relatively early from the festivities.  The next day I learned that some were up til the wee hours.  This geezer is beyond that amount of celebration. 

    Father of the bride Colin said to me before the wedding that he was looking forward to assembling the whole family in joyful harmony for this occasion.   He and wife Abby along with the bride and groom and others  certainly accomplished their goal.    I am so grateful to survive long enough to see the next generation move on in their lives.

The Ride Down

Ceremony

Lift Mates on the Ride Up. 
Left to right.  Matt (Son-in-law), Daughter, Viki, Wife, Nancy

What Are You Doing This Summer?

     Recently I have had a number of people quiz me about what I am doing this summer.   I am somewhat puzzled by these inquiries.  It seems that many of my acquaintances who know I ski a lot think I have no other interests to keep me occupied.   It reminds me of the year I retired and everyone was asking me what was I going to do in retirement.  I had really planned for that and had a number of family and volunteer adventures lined up.   I certainly was occupied being a stay at home dad with a 10 year old daughter at the time.  To satisfy the inquiries in my initial retirement I made up a business card with a list of my activities.   Perhaps I need to do that again!   I like to market myself as a Professional Retiree!   

    Along the line of doing in retirement one has to keep reinventing yourself.   Aging has a way of restricting some physical activities.   I participated in the New York State Senior Games in tennis this week.  Only three of us in my age bracket and I hadn't done much training leading up to the event and didn't make much of a showing.  Happy to say though that I am still participating.  Showing up is a win!

    Changes keep happening in the volunteer activities too.   I have been a Blood Transport Specialist for the Red Cross for  a number of years driving about 800 miles a month delivering blood from the drives to the lab.  Yesterday I heard of a change in the protocol for handling blood for the most part will  phase out that opportunity.   

    I guess I am not too worried about finding things to do.  As each day rolls around there are numerous spontaneous things that pop up.   There is always some landscaping and gardening around our home.   Home maintenance items are more frequently showing up after 15 years too.   E-biking, hiking and day trips will become more frequent.   I also have a significant writing project that needs attention as I document dairy silos in Cortland County and their relation to transitions in over a century of dairy farming.   A history project!

    In conclusion, perhaps we all should pause from worrying about what we are doing and kick back and just be.   Be aware of the joy of living,  Be aware of our relationships.  Be aware of what amuses and motivates us.  And savor each day as God's gift of existence.

    

Tiny Soft Hands

     On this Memorial Day weekend we were entertained by the visit of two grandsons and their parents.  A wonderful time to gather and engage in some family activities.   Grandsons aged two and six enjoyed an outing at the Ithaca, New York ScienceCenter escorted by Poppa (me) and father Matt.  There were a plethora of creative play choices centered around science and engineering!   Fascinating for me as well as them.

    On the next day we had ample opportunity to bike ride together and use a lot of sidewalk chalk on the driveway and our basement concrete floor.  

    Today we enjoyed a tennis outing combined with a bit of exploring the SUNY Cortland athletic facilities on a walk.  Around all of this there were additional  trips for mini golf and ice cream.

    Here is what I am leading up to.   While walking on the SUNY Cortland campus, I had the opportunity to be hand in hand with two year old Finnian!  Any time this happens with a very independent child is a gift.  Holding his hand I was deeply moved by this tiny soft hand.   It is amazing how touch is such a vital part of our life.   Also this experience moves one to consider how both vulnerable and trusting our children and grandchildren are.

    On a sadder note Memorial Day reminds me of the horrible losses that have occurred by shootings these past few weeks.    The anguish of the parents that have lost their children wrenches my heart and soul.  As my youngest grandchildren grow and continue their schooling, I fear that this nation will continue on a path to destruction of norms that my childhood upheld.    When will this insanity end?

Wexford's Creation

Fluid Dynamics for Kids

Watching the Ducks go Down the Flume

Finnian's Water Wake

Weird April

     Yesterday April 20th I rolled out my snowblower to clear eight inches of snow from my driveway.   That's weird after a ski season of meager snowfalls.  And now a big dump in April after our local ski area has been closed for over two weeks.  Ironically Greek Peak reported the highest and perhaps a record snowfall for the day of 12 inches.   I pulled out some winter clothing that I already had in storage to be comfortable  with my snow removal chore.

    A few days before I was inspecting my yard and noticed that the grass was getting long and it reminded me to have my mower ready to go.   On this inspection tour I glanced across the road at my neighbors lawn and was amazed to see he had mowed it for the first time this year.   Oops!  A few days later it is still covered with snow from our freak April dump.   I contemplated clearing his driveway as a neighborly gesture but now a day later the driveway seems to have melted off.  

    Although this seems to be a very unusual April storm for out area we have had similar events in April.  (However, they don't seem to have been this late in the month.)   On my son's April 9th  14th birthday 49 years ago we skied at Greek Peak in perfect winter conditions.  Forty nine years late he gets to ski at Alta in Utah on his 63rd birthday.  He is fortunate to live in Utah for much of the year and his April is weird only if he doesn't get a daily shot of new powder.

    For now my weird April  is likely to change to a more normal climate.  Maybe I can re mothball my snowblower and focus on the grass, restore the winter clothes,  breakout of the tennis gear and charge the e-bikes.   

    

Walking The Dog

    I don't have a dog at this time in my life.   However I do have fun observing my neighbors dogs as they walk them past my house.  (Thankfully we live in a neighborhood with folks who clean up after their dogs.)    

    This morning as I was riding my recumbent bike in our sun room I was struck by the sight of a somewhat senior gentleman walking his very senior dog.   They were mostly ambling along at a snail's pace.  I couldn't tell whether the dog wanted to go slower or the man!  Each would take a few paces and stop to gaze at their surroundings.  Mostly the dog was setting the pace.  I think the leash was just for show since I expect the running days for both were past.  

    I think dog walking in this case is a metaphor for relationships that have lasted a long time.   We seniors often have relationships that have endured many companionable years.   The pace in those relationships has slowed down over the years.  Early on we engage in mad dashes of activity sometimes lasting over days. Connections are tight and sometimes like a leash restraining.  Later on we loosen the reins and participate together with less restrictions.  And in the later years expectations wane to the point where we sit back and spend more time in contemplation rather than activity.    I guess the dog and man in my illustration today have found a comforting pace providing time to stop and "smell the roses'.   No need to rush through the necessities of the day, 

A World View

    A few days ago I was amused by a comic where the main character was negotiating with a travel agent for a world trip.  The upshot of the panel was that the only possibility for her budget was to buy a subscription to National Geographic!  This really struck home with me.  Although I have made a few international trips in my lifetime, I have not been much of a world traveler.  Even though I have the means, I never was a comfortable traveler either internationally or domestically.  However I have been an avid reader of the National Geographic from childhood.  In childhood my parents did not provide the National Geographic but our neighbors did subscribe and loaned the magazine to me.   

    I think I got a great education over the years in forming my world view via this magazine.   However things can change.  I have changed and National Geographic has also changed.   After all these years I have abandoned receiving the printed copy.   I will no longer read the monthly magazine cover to cover.   It will not be total abandonment of this classic magazine but I will continue with a digital version where I can select the articles of interest and almost daily scan the highlights.  A new era.   Also the magazine has gone to such small print both for the articles and picture captions,  I find it difficult to read it with comfort.   Obviously they must be aiming at the younger reader.

    So  here with the end of the ski season, I will change from a world view focus on daily ski fixes, raise my head and look more widely at the world around me, both locally and beyond.  What I see internationally is quite disturbing.   In my comfort in America I still feel united with the people of Ukraine as a human being exposed to injustices of the world.   Although I will never visit Ukraine, in my world view people of the world wherever they are need to respond with at least empathy and recognize that Ukraine's  tragedy is our tragedy.

The Value of Slowing Down

 "Leisure

by William Henry Davies

What is this life is, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare."

   The above are  the opening lines of a poem the poem entitled Leisure.  The theme centers around taking  time to observe your surroundings.   How true it is that we become so engaged in our daily routine and cares of our lives that we just don't see our environment.   When I read the poem a couple of days ago, I vowed to take his observations to heart and really focus on what I could see around me.    

   On that day of skiing I was especially drawn to staring at the trees, slopes and people in my view.  I tried to stare a bit to drink in the detail of the geometric and natural forms of the terrain and flora.   I tried to slow down my activity to appreciate the hum and buzz of the conversations around me.   

    I would naturally enjoy riding the lift with my ski companions but sometimes it is nice to ride solo and enjoy the quieter pace with your thoughts unleashed to wander where they will.   Many folks practice meditation.   That certainly is a form of slowing down with a purpose.  I would consider it a form of slowing down to simply stare with your mind.   

    I conclude it would be  healthy to become disciplined enough to take at least a few moments each day for  consciously slowing  down to drink in ones existence.   Slow down and savor the precious moments of this short life we have and revel in this wonderful physical universe as well the precious relationships we have with others.

Good and Evil Men (Humans)

    I know in this blog I am straying from a connection to skiing but certainly commenting from the perspective of a geezer that has seen too much of good and evil for more than eight decades.  

    From a newsletter that I read produced in the Writer's Almanac here is a quote for today.  March 9, 2022.

"t was on this day in 1933 that newly inaugurated President Franklin D. Roosevelt called a special session of Congress and began the first hundred days of enacting his New Deal legislation. For the next several months, bills were passed almost daily, beginning with the Emergency Banking Act, followed by federal programs such as the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Public Works Administration, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation."

This item struck a chord in my soul.   Whatever you might think of Roosevelt  I hope you can recognize he was a man for his time to bring our country of the United State of America out of the depression and leave enduring legacies we appreciate daily in our lives.    How thankful we  should be that there was a person to lead the way for good in the world.   For the most part he wielded his immense influence and power for the good of our world.  It is a striking testimony that a good person with immense power can combat evils.

In our current situation with the invasion of Ukraine by a power mad authoritarian Putin there is the illustration of how power invested in an evil man can wreak havoc, mayhem and death on so many innocent  people.   I have read that power has the ability to corrupt and absolute power can lead to total corruption.   What a tragedy it is when the citizens of any country fail in their responsibility to curb evil authoritarians.  I weep for the world may be leaving to my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  

Wake up world!  I fear the stupidity of the human race may send us to extinction!

Complexity!

     I have had my new car for three months and I am still confused about the multitude of options available for operating the vehicle.  I've got the basics down but there are a host of options that I have yet to figure out.  Recently I did an inventory of the the dials, switches, buttons and controls.   Would you believe I counted seventy two (72) possibilities!  Incredible!   When receiving a new vehicle they recommend reading the Owners Manual.  Guess what?  My manuals add up to two inches of reading. The Getting Started Guide totals 151 pages.   The complete Owners Manual totals a whopping 556 pages!   The entertainment system manual throws in another 255 pages of dense and complex reading.    And a safety equipment manual adds 176 pages to peruse.   Finally there is another safety and security manual for 49 pages.  I needed a calculator to get the total of 1187 pages.   Isn't that incredible?

    Needless to say I have only read a small portion of the information provided.  Hopefully this vehicle is probably the last vehicle I will be driving in my lifetime.  There will be a day within the next ten years when I will need to leave the driving to others.  So I hope this vehicle will last that long.

    One can understand from this example that seniors who once only had to find the on off switch for the car radio and the buttons and latches for doors and windows on their cars now are struggling to digest all the alternatives available.  Yes we are safer with some of the bells and whistles added to modern cars.  Some are really fundamentally very helpful for our safety.  Back up cameras, emergency braking, ABS and blind side detection are among some that are really useful.  Adaptive speed control can also be added to the list.  However,  are the multitude of display options necessary?  My thought is that we need manual writers to have some user consultants to edit their writing to simplify where possible  and to minimize verbiage.  

    Although my focus today has been on the complexity of the auto system my pet peeve on complexity extends to other aspects of modern life.    We have over a half dozen different remotes for operating our entertainment devices in the home.  These devices have so many buttons that one can inadvertently hit one and stray off into unknown territory.   I continue longing  for simplification of controls.  Make them intuitive!

    Finally even my ski world has become more complex this year.  RFI (Radio Frequency Identification)  has been added at my ski area.  Ostensibly this should simplify verification of a skier's access to the lift.  Regrettably the system does become a bit glitchy and often refuses legitimate access to the lift.   In the good old days a tag hanging on the outside of our coat was a low tech simple verification system.  I hope that this screed does not label me as a Luddite!  Perhaps I should leave it there and maybe the rain out at my ski area has put me out of sorts.

Habits For Aging

     Aging is an inevitable part of life regardless how long you have to live.  In my senior years I have pause to ponder what my behaviors will be to bring happiness and contentment to my days.    Habits of doing and being seem to be two branches of behavior to consider. 

    Each day needs some meaningful physical, mental and social activity.  Waking with a plan for the day is helpful  to set the stage for rewarding activity.   However spice is added to life when one can also adopt to a changing landscape.  Today for me was a day of adapting to changing conditions.  I fully expected to spend at least a few hours on the ski slopes even the weather forecast was iffy with high temperatures and rain later.  Upon arriving at my ski area it was clear the conditions were too treacherous for this geezer.  A friend I met in the locker room was just returning from a single run to describe ice patches and variability in the surface so unpredictable that she was leaving.   Thus my day suddenly changed.  Rather than being discontented by the change, I welcomed the opportunity to use some creative energy to write this blog.

    Mental stimulation is always satisfying.  As long as one maintains basic mental facilities there are millions of unread books to pursue.  If one likes puzzles there is an abundance of options.   Perhaps one can carry the puzzle thing too far!  (According to my wife).   My personal addiction of crossword puzzles is almost an obsession.  Wordle has entered our home with my wife embracing this new fad.  I get to assist on occasion.  

    One of the greatest satisfactions in old age can be more time to give back.  I am fully convinced a vigorous personal volunteer program is one the most healthy aspects of successful aging.   Along with the satisfaction of helping out comes a social network so vital to combating isolation and getting stimulation.

    I am sure there are millions of therapists who have a myriad of suggestions for successful aging.  These are but a few of my thoughts for what it is worth.   May all your days spin out as a great adventure of living a satisfying life both for you and those around.  Find your habits for embracing aging as just another adventure!

A Reset Day

    It has been a great week of skiing at my home mountain Greek Peak.  Several bluebird days followed by a big dump of snow to refresh the whole area.  Normally I would be racing out this morning to sample more of the overnight powder.  However, in the interests of preserving this old body I am making this a rest and reset day.  Five straight days of skiing has depleted my energy reserves and now is the time to have a bit of rest and relaxation.   Recharge is the order for the day.  Perhaps there is some more incentive to stay home this weekend in view of the large crowds showing up.   Weekends are much more chaotic.  Even this Friday was a zoo with the schools being closed.   Another factor in avoiding the weekend also centers on my anxiety of a crash with a snowboarder.  Geezer skiers are more vulnerable to the more aggressive boarders and skiers that a more likely to show up on weekends.  An incident yesterday underlines my anxiety when even waiting in the lift line I was nearly struck by a boarder zipping through the line.  

    So back to the reset day!  Even though I am on recharge, it doesn't mean I sit all the day.  Per my normal non skiing regimen I was on the exercise bike for nearly an hour.  Also both my driveway and my neighbors needed clearing of the recent snowfall with my snowblower.   It was a busy two hours.  As I write this my coffee is cooling and I look forward to some leisure time doing my crossword puzzles and reading a couple of books that I am partially into.  Best wishes to the younger crowd for a great weekend.  Monday is coming!   The morning geezer skier crowd will be first chair people raring to go each morning of the week.  Then ski area is our private playground for a while!

A Different Day

     Minus 6 this morning with a wind chill of 20 below!  Certainly a different day.  Usually I am off to the slopes by now.  Today not so!  Am I getting soft?  After five days in a row pounding my 86 year old body on rough icy granular slopes it is time to take a break.   So here I am fresh from riding my recumbent stationary bike ready to engage in a different day.  This is a break from my usual routine of six days of skiing followed by the Sunday break.   Best wishes to the intrepid holiday weekend skiers.  

    I always enjoy having something to energize my mind and body each day.   Although this is a different day I am pleased to have a bundle of things to occupy my mind.  While exercising this morning I read the New York Times and my local Syracuse Post-Standard.  This was a stimulus to get worked up over the state of the world plus reading some good news of science and social improvements.   I also had a chance to watch a UTube video featuring Cornell mathematician Steve Strogatz explaining his dance with mathematics from early childhood through his long teaching and research career.  During my tenure at Cornell I had the pleasure of interacting with him at faculty lunch gatherings.  He is an extraordinary teacher and person able to explain mathematics for the lay person.   I recommend his book The Joy of X as a great read.  

    The rest of the day is ahead and I am looking forward to lots of reading, crossword puzzles and probably a nice nap.   Two books are calling to me!  One entitled State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny which is a page turner.   The other is a delightful gift from my son-in-law Matt titled Tractor Wars by Neil Dahlstrom Manager of Archives and History at John Deere.  You can see I have widely different interests!

    Beyond skiing there are many wonderful opportunities for different days.  However the love of skiing never disappears.   Looking forward to resuming the routine on Monday.  Thanks for reading my blog.