Cold Fingers

Today I had a good day. I put on 12,000 steps and they were all in Poland. I wore my warmest clothes and my winter boots. I ate Polish food. I held a baby who was fussy at a Polish restaurant. I stood by the door of the restaurant right up the street from the Presidential Palace at 2 pm. The baby and I saw 3 Polizia cars go by with blue lights flashing. Those three cars were followed by 3 black shiny vans or larger vehicles. Behind them were 3 more Polizia cars racing down the very busy boulevard that I had just crossed pushing a stroller. The restaurant is crowded but I make my way past the customers to my table where I say, "The freaking presidential motorcade just went by!" I return with the baby to our spot right next to the door to see who else in going by. Pretty soon the mother of the baby comes to tell me my hot mead and beetroot soup are ready. I give the baby up to drink my hot drink and drink my hot pink broth. The heat of my meal warms me up. I have basically been walking outside for 3 hours now. Later, at 5 pm, we walk up to a holiday light show at another historic building. I am not holding a baby. I am not pushing a stroller across the bumpy cobblestones. I am walking in the cold air unencumbered. I see my offspring race across the courtyard pushing a preschooler in a stroller at top notch speed. He is loving it. She is loving it.  I am loving it too. Later as I walk through the holiday lights with the two babies and the mother of the babies I see my two offspring standing together at the top of the steps. They stand together with the empty stroller while we enjoy the lights and crawl through the things children are allowed to crawl through or crawl on. I see a little boy with his finger up his nose. Along comes my grandgirl. She puts both fingers up her nose. Up comes a third kid. He or she doesn't have his finger up his/her nose but pretty soon I see three kids with at least one finger up their nose. My fingers are cold. I could warm them up that way too I suppose but it is hard to do with mittens on. Mothers come up and the fingers are pulled out of the noses and mittens are put back on. We get home with some take out kebabs and falafel. I take a hot shower while the others eat. I eat my food all gone and feel really good.