Team Spirit

Team sports for children are known to be beneficial for all their life.  The popularity of girls playing ice-hockey has grown considerably in the last ten years.  Last Saturday we watched a game and admired the speed and courage the players presented. The ice rink is booked from morning to evening. Here the next team eagerly waits to play while the ice is getting cleaned.

On the other side the opposite team controls their impatience and is ready to jump on the ice to win the game.  It is encouraging to see these preteen players working as a team and enjoying each other.

So many aspects of this sport (on the ice and in the locker room) are an excellent preparation for their future as equals to boys/men.   We grandmothers understand it well and are pleased for them.

http://totalfemalehockey.com/dressing-room-drama/

Sap To Syrup

(Boston)  March in New England and I forgot the old tradition of 'milking' sugar maple trees of their sap to prepare syrup. Driving along a country road to Concord I got reminded of this first sign of Spring.

On a youtube video they demonstrate how to produce maple syrup and it sounds easy.........

A maple tree, a bucket, a nozzle but then a daily collecting and cooking down of a lot of sap for very little syrup.  At least one can understand the price for a bottle of syrup in the grocery store!

When snow is covering the ground - as it did last year - then snow candies can be made.  This year just warm syrup poured over pancakes is nice enough.

http://www.massmaple.org