Wednesday, February 03, 2021

Wednesday Hodgepodge: Over and Over

1. Feb 2nd is Groundhog Day in the US of A. Tell us about one day you wouldn't mind living over again, and why you chose that day. 

The temptation is to choose a "perfect day," one where nothing went wrong, a day when the weather was great and nothing bad happened in the whole world. If you think about the premise of the movie, though, the point was that the things that happened to Bill Murray...over and over and over...were more like challenges to overcome. Maybe the day chosen to live over again should be one where you made a choice you've regretted ever since. Maybe just a small one, as small as not phoning someone; or signing up for the easier math instead of risking a university-prep course; or not trying hot peppers on pizza. Because you never know, it might have been your favourite.

But I think I'd go a different direction, if I had a choice. Recently I was thinking about a rainy weekend at a rented cottage, when I was about four, sitting at an oil-cloth-covered table with my grandmother. I had brought along a set of paper dolls, not the teenage fashion-model type, but (as I recall) sort of a large baby doll, along with a smaller "mini-me" version. The paper doll book must have provided some clothes, but Grandma decided to extend the possibilities by cutting outfits for them out of colourful magazine pages, first for the big doll, then matching outfits for the little one. I kept those dolls and clothes for years afterwards, out of memory for the time that we spent together making them. If I could, I'd go back and spend another few hours making paper-doll clothes with Grandma while the rain fell outside.

 2. Something you know beyond a 'shadow of a doubt'? 

That there is no shadow of turning with Thee.

3. Give us an example of history repeating itself in some way, in your own life or the lives of your children.

Our own Groundhog's Day movie, so to speak?

Well, we've had offspring get part-time jobs at the same places my husband worked when he was younger; and right now one of them lives about a block from the student house where I lived when I first moved here. There are probably other things, but I can't think of them right now.

4. Snowed under, snow job, not a snowball's chance, snowbird, on thin ice, snug as a bug in a rug, tip of the iceberg, snowball effect, run hot and cold....choose a wintry idiom and tell us how it best applies to your life right now. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter. Except we have food.

5. Random thoughts:

The giant-mart store here has already replaced its don't-fall-on-the-snow-salt and shovels with spring barbecue and garden items.

This is Ontario, people. We get snow here in February. March. Usually April. Sometimes even May.

Think about it.

3 comments:

ellen b. said...

Retail marketing is always way to early for the next thing! Yikes. Your flashback to your day with your grandmother is so sweet!! Glad you have food!

Donna said...

Love the story about your grandmother making paper doll clothes for you. What a treasure. Retail gets ahead of the seasons...if you don't buy something when you don't need it, you won't find it.

Mama Squirrel said...

Hi Ellen and Donna! Thanks for stopping by!