{"id":22512,"date":"2015-09-07T19:07:38","date_gmt":"2015-09-08T02:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backwoodshome.com\/blogs\/ClaireWolfe\/?p=22512"},"modified":"2015-09-07T19:07:38","modified_gmt":"2015-09-08T02:07:38","slug":"post-holiday-ramble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clairewolfe.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/07\/post-holiday-ramble\/","title":{"rendered":"Post holiday ramble"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the little towns nearby held its annual “grand parade” this weekend. You understand that “grand” is strictly in the eye of the Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Of the 40 or so entries, at least 35 were tossing candy to the crowd. I know this is a longstanding tradition<\/a> in some places; it was unheard of when and where I grew up. Now, the kids bring plastic bags and collect more sugar than some do on Halloween. And that’s their sole interest in the parade, far as I can tell.<\/p>\n

Even when Ronald McDonald breezed by on a Segway (a sight never seen here before), the kids went glaze-eyed and ignored his attempts to greet them because neither he nor anybody in his follow-car were giving them anything.<\/p>\n

This bothers me. Although I watched the kids scramble for the goodies, pointed out ones they’d missed, handed a few to the kidlet sitting next to me on the curb, and even stuck a dozen sweet bits into my own pocket, the whole business reminds me of Roman emperors tossing coins to the hoi palloi<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Call me stodgy and old fashioned, but I’d rather see parade marchers entertain us rather than teach us to scramble for largess.<\/p>\n

One of the best floats was by an area Indian tribe: a giant faux canoe in which costumed tribespeople sat, drumming and chanting. I had hopes they wouldn’t do the candy thing, but they had children on board whose sole job was to toss confections.<\/p>\n

A few marchers put a twist on things. The animal-rescue group gave out free samples and dog food and (my favorite) the town librarians walked by handing slender children’s books to the littlest members of the crowd.<\/p>\n

A pleasant (if far from grand) diversion, but I wish the candy business would go away. Don’t think it should be banned<\/a> or anything. I’d just rather a parade be entertaining in its own right. <\/p>\n

The kids, no doubt, would disagree.<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

I’m in the middle of a long prep period for a medical procedure. Nothing to worry about; just a routine test. But this test is universally dreaded and I’m doing my share of the dreading this week. (You who’ve had it will know exactly what I’m talking about.)<\/p>\n

It involves days of dietary restrictions and changes of habit, followed by … worse.<\/p>\n

Despite there being nothing to fear, I’ve been nervous in the run-up. Then the other day, I decided I’d approach the upcoming ordeal not as a medical procedure, but a spiritual one. It involves, after all, fasting and purging and suchlike things that people do on vision quests. I find I feel much more balanced and calm — maybe even slightly looking forward to it — when I approach it that way.<\/p>\n

Now, if I can only come out of it wiser and more visionary.<\/p>\n

Um. Unlikely.<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

Summer seems to have returned (after a week or much-needed rains that spread through the parched west and did wonders for firefighters and residents of the dry zones). I’m enjoying it and hope you are, too. <\/p>\n

But the mornings are chilly and the nights come earlier every day. I’m getting ready for some fall hunkering. I expect soon I’ll be doing a post or two on winter preps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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