Above and Beyond

 

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Kudos to the management team at Dollar General for putting up these helpful signs to assist those customers who don't know to divide a number in half.

Four Steps (More or Less)

There are several steps of my involvement with Sam when it comes to him starting with a new support group. 

Step One is that I go in with him for the first couple (or more) gatherings. 

Step Two is I go in with him - then pull further into the background as he seems more and more comfortable (while staying within his sight). 

Step Three is I walk him in, then, before leaving, promise him that I'll be close by and if he needs me, he can call or text me and I'll be right over. Sometimes this means waiting outside the door, sometimes it means I'll be just down the street.

And Step Four is I walk him in and tell him I'm leaving (this after prepping him in the intervening week(s)) - and that if he needs me, he can call or text me - but he will have to wait ten-or-more minutes before I can get there. 

The goal is for me to not be involved at all in his activities (unless it's a family-type thing). It's not that I don't thoroughly enjoy being with Sam. I do. But the idea is to help Sam be independent, to build his confidence, to meet new friends, to create and expand his own social and support network - not only for today but for when the time comes that I can no longer be around.

I'm happy to say that, generally speaking, we reach Step Four a little more quickly than we did several years ago.

What brings this up is that in recent weeks, Sam has started with another support group (currently one of three). The pictures below are relevant to nothing in particular but were taken while I was on a walk, alone, killing time during Step Three of Sam spending time with this new group.

Tonight's Walk

 

It's slowly (very slowly) getting brighter out on our evening walks. Sam and I no longer have to carry our flashlights - unless we're out past the ungodly hour of 6:30 PM or so. 

Still, spring feels a long way off.

Winter Carnival Bonus Photos

 I have no idea how I ended up taking these...

The View From Our Window

I mentioned in the previous post that, rather than walk over to watch the fireworks, Sam and I headed home.This is technically true, though we did end up watching them. It's just that instead of walking over to the field, we watched them from our living room window...

 

 

The Winter Carnival

For the last however many non-COVID years*, the town has held what they refer to as a "Winter Carnival". This is not the kind of carnival that involves animals- circus or otherwise. There are no amusement rides (unless you count sledding). There are no jugglers or acrobats or clowns or anything even close to those type of things.

It is, thankfully, a much lower-key event. 

Here is a description of events, taken from their website, for their next carnival, currently scheduled for next February 2nd thru the 4th (mark your calendars):

Ice Sculpture Contests, Fireworks, Parade of Lights, Glow Party, Family Activities, Donuts with Olaf, Mad Science Show, Jigsaw Puzzle Contest, Cribbage Tournament, Cardboard Sled Race, K9 Keg Pull, Chili Cook Off, Vintage Snowmobiles, Sledding, Ice Skating, and so much more!

(*The website claims that this will be the 102nd  year for this thing but I'm skeptical. Other than a few foggy, possible hints of a memory (much like everything else in my head), I don't ever remember this being a thing when my three older kids were little. Then again, this is just the kind of thing I might have avoided way back then. Which, I might add, I might even avoid it now except somehow Sam always seems to know about it.)

Anyway, the only things Sam and I are remotely interested it (me being more remote than Sam) are watching the Parade of Lights and walking around looking at the ice sculptures. This is actually more fun than I give it credit for but only because I'm spending the time with Sam. (Sam, on the other hand, is having to spend that time with me.)

The best thing about the parade is that, unlike the Fair Parade, it is mercifully short. And the best thing about the ice sculptures is that they're scattered around town and you walk around looking at them at your leisure, rather than being roped into some kind of tour group with a bunch of people.

Sam had no interest in going to watch the fireworks (and I had no interest in twisting his arm) so after taking in all the excitement, we walked straight home, thus ending our involvement in another year's festivities.

Here are some photos...