Staring Down 47

My birthday is next week. I initially groan and kvetch with every passing year, but then I remind myself that every day is a gift and getting older “beats the alternative.” I am thankful for living another year, even though this last one was one of the hardest years of my life, health-wise. Physically and mentally. I feel so spent between my health issues, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, mass shootings every week, women’s ability to choose to terminate pregnancy being pulled out from under us…

Nature always provides a temporary balm for me. I feel the most gratitude for life when I am outdoors. Allen and I visited Mass Audubon’s Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time the other day. As we exited the car, we were immediately enveloped in the intoxicating smell of the outdoors: earth, grass, trees. It instantly brightened my mood. I think the fragrance was heightened for me because I’ve been so cooped up due to my broken ankle.

We didn’t stay very long, because I was hobbling along on a crutch and the paths were a little uneven. But what we did see was very nice. Lots of huge trees and open spaces. It’s not very far from our home, so I’d like to go back when I’m walking normally again.

We treated ourselves to ice cream from Moozy’s afterward. We were both delighted to see peppermint and bubble gum on the menu. Not every ice cream shop offers these flavors, so it’s always a treat when we find them. Unfortunately, the shop was out of bubble gum, so we both ordered peppermint.

Moozy’s has a good amount of outdoor seating, so we found a free table and leisurely ate our ice cream. This summer, I will continue to look for ice cream shops I haven’t been to. It’s starting to become a challenge, since I love ice cream and have been to most local places already. I also want to use our ice cream maker and make some homemade ice cream. If you have any favorite homemade ice cream recipes, share in the comments!