These Chains are made for walkin'

In the early 90's my mom gave me a pair of "boot chains" so I could walk safely during Minnesota's ice season.  Well, I thanked her and then promptly put them a way with a well really, when will I EVER use these attitude, after all I, I was only in my 40's still prancing around in stylish shoes blessed with healthy joints and an amazing sense of balance. And I remembered that when I was growing up we put chains on car tires so we could drive out of our farm driveway onto the gravel roads and then paved road to town. In the 70's the tire chains were replaced with studded tires which were truly labor saving.  You just put them on at the start of winter and took them off in the spring.

Well worked well for the car owner.  They saved time for people driving on roads with snow ruts or ice, but the studs also tore up the roads destroying them at an alarming rate.  My memory says that the next thing we did was outlaw studded tires and "put down sand" instead.  Next came salt and chemicals.  Well that is true today - we use more sale and chemicals and we use sand on Minnesota roads.

This winter is my "boot chains winter!" My new knee healing and getting stronger with each day - and my absolute desire NOT TO FALL, I remembered "mom's chains" went to the basement to the antique glass front cupboard and took out the plastic bag with shoe chains mom gave me now more than 20 years ago.  They were right where I put them along with other precious things from mom, gramma and my aunts.   

Just like the tire chains, I put them on my boots that day and will keep them on my winter boots until there is no risk of ice on any surface this season!  I think of mom every time I put them on and thank her for keeping me safe. 

She left this life on January 1, 1998 but she keeps me on track in surprising ways and is keeping me safe this winter!  I did not even have to go outside on icy sidewalks to search out boot chains when the ice hit and then pay much more than she paid for them 20 years ago.  THANKS MOM, another gife that keeps on giving!