Above video: Susan Dromey Heeter is skating on the Lamprey River

By Susan Dromey Heeter, Joyful Musings

It’s been a bit, Joyful Musers;  2025 has had an interesting start on my end, a start not predicted nor expected, a beginning that has me valuing and appreciating the minute, the small, the kindness of strangers, the sun, the snow, life itself.

First of all, last month I skated upon the Lamprey River before the snow arrived, on one of those days where the ice was glass, smooth and glorious. I skated with my trusty dog Bennie from Newmarket to Durham on glass so smooth I could look below and spot bubbles, frozen leaves, deep running cracks in the magical ice. Ice skating outside, beneath the blue blue sky is beyond glorious.  I muse joyfully you have a pair of skates and access to the outside, to the frigid ice, to the beauty of winter life.

And apres skating, life finds me in Northern California for family reasons I’ll not bore you with. But I do muse joyfully on the sun, the green, the public transport of Silicon Valley.  I’ve no car out here and have been finding my bus rides lazy glides under the blue skies.  I do not worry about traffic nor gas prices; I do not worry about following my Google maps. 

 I eavesdrop on conversaciones en español and inglés; I wonder about peoples’ stories and destinations.  And, when, last week there was a table sale of goods in front of a church in downtown Palo Alto, I was beyond thrilled when Alejandro, my bus driver, asked if I wanted to stop, to check out the goods.  As I was his only passenger at that moment, we both delighted in stopping for a few minutes and perusing the goods.  We laughed upon returning to the bus and I delighted in bracelets I purchased for my nieces, my daughters, myself. I laughed with Alejandro and we celebrated moments of pure levity and pleasure.

It’s good to pause and celebrate kindness.  When I left my yearly planner in a restaurant and my wallet in a hardware store, both were returned fully intact.  I’ve been somewhat preoccupied so it’s been part of my persona lately to feel even more scattered than I usually do.  I dropped my credit card in a store yesterday and when I heard, “Susan! Susan!” as I departed through the doors, I was grateful for the kindness of the woman who picked it up and returned it to me so quickly.

Life gets lifey – people are prickly with so much going on these days – politically, environmentally, personally, socially, emotionally.  But, dear Joyful Musers, there is always good, always a moment to experience gratitude, always a moment to be glad you’re alive. I muse joyfully you’re looking up from a screen and appreciating the sun, the moon, the sky or simply an ice-covered river.  And if you’re on a bus, I muse joyfully your driver will stop for a sale and let you off.

Be well, musers, life goes on in spite of the circumstances.  May you find joy in whatever life serves you – and, no matter what – get out on that ice.

Susan Dromey Heeter is a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white. Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.  Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards.