MY FAVOURITE WINTER ACTIVITY

VORFREUDE: the joyful, intense anticipation that comes from future pleasures.

Sunshine. Icy cold. Glistening snow. Yup! Today is absolutely perfect. Anticipation bubbles up inside me; I am filled with vorfreude. The time is now ripe for my favourite winter activity.

Ice fishing? Snowshoeing? Sledding? Snowmobiling? You list the possibilities.

I shake my head. No.

Curling? you persist.

I'll leave that to my ten year old "Little Rocks" granddaughter.

Ahhh! Skiing, you finally pronounce. I can just picture you.

Thanks for the mental image, but no, I simply state. My osteoporosis diagnosis killed any downhill thrills. I'll leave skiing to the Crazy Canuck talents of my seven year old grandson. Although now that you mention it, I did see an invention that may work for me:

Then what? you mutter, frustrated with this tiresome guessing game.

My equipment and supplies sit ready. I am pumped. Let the rustle, squeak, scratch and tapping of my favourite winter activity commence. Yup! It is time for me to plan our annual trip. I look forward with eager anticipation all year to this, my favourite winter activity. Where will we go? has always been one of my favourite questions and until I click Confirm on the airline website, our destination could be anywhere. Possibilities abound. New experiences, new sites,new foods await.

I devour books on travel. I sit transfixed when viewing travel movies and TV. I listen intently to anyone and everyone's travel adventures. Get the picture? Quite simply, I love travelling, but frankly admit that the anticipation, dreaming and planning process place a close second in my heart. So let the maps and travel books rustle. Let my highlighters and pencils squeak and scratch. And let my computer keys tap with research and reservations.

Where will we go?