Читать книгу Edge of the Map. The Mountain Life of Christine Boskoff онлайн

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In 1985, when Chris graduated high school, Joyce was close to sixty years old. She’d lived through the Great Depression, a World War, and Vietnam. She’d watched a moon landing, two Green Bay Packer Super Bowl championships, and the rise of the women’s movement. Life had treated Joyce well, and with four grown children off on adventures, she prepared to enjoy their every step.

Draped in red, white, and blue, the graduating seniors at Appleton East prepared to walk into the gymnasium. For Joyce, it was the end of a life at home with kids. Her days would turn to volunteering and even grandchildren soon.

Dear Mom,

All is well at school. Studies tough, but I’m surviving. The classrooms are cold. Really cold. Can you please send a pair of my mittens?

—Chrissy

Joyce sent the mittens. She knew her daughter well. Chris hated being cold. When the Wisconsin winters subsided and the school term ended in summer, Chris returned to Appleton. Working at a bakery brought in needed college funds, while spending time with her friend Nadine remained a constant. And not far from Appleton was the home of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a nonprofit dedicated to aviation enthusiasts that held a fly-in convention every July; Chris caught the flying bug.