Snow memories

Most of us have snow memories. Some are magical and special, and others are nightmares. We, locals, have experienced quite a rollercoaster in recent days. No snow, but temperatures are bouncing up and down. Worried about freezing temperatures, I have covered my most fragile plants with sheets, adding a Halloween look to our backyard.

It is usually our northern neighbors who worry about us when hurricanes threaten. Now it is our turn as we worry about family and friends, especially those who aren’t used to the threats of cold, snowy, icy weather. We are glad to get emails that update status and inches of snow. How lucky we are to have technology offering us instant reassurance.

My memories of snow days as a little girl include the one-piece snow suits that we were stuffed into before we were allowed out to romp in the fresh snow. To avoid losing mittens, we used clips that attached them to the suit sleeve. Warm socks and hopefully waterproof boots completed the outfit.

There is good snow and bad snow. The good snow allowed us to make snowmen, sometimes snowwomen, and children. The bad snow was icy and not fun. My dad literally went to war — wearing his uniform, heavy-duty trench coat, and fur-lined hat. He shoveled for hours and put chains on our car's tires. Now illegal. Four-wheel drive and improved tires have replaced the chains. Digging cars out became a family event. When we lived in the country, we sometimes found footprints of creatures making their way through the snow. Of course, snow angels were obligatory! Snow days meant our parents were pulled out of their regular routines and sometimes played in the snow with us. Coming in from the cold, there was usually cocoa, popcorn, and maybe a board game.

Any artist will share the magic snow offers to the senses. First, the amazing quiet and stillness. The quiet is particularly impressive to those who live in usually noise-filled cities. Having an otherwise cluttered landscape covered in a soft, endless blanket of white totally transformed a familiar space into a fantastical one.

For my three boys, snow was a reason for celebration. Out would come the sleds and saucers, and off they would go to the local school with its incredible sledding hill. While my boys were off sledding, it was catch-up time with neighbors out clearing snow and often helping each other.

After a day of sledding, the trio would come inside and shed piles of wet, snowy outdoor gear. Our house had old-fashioned radiators that heated the house. As we came in from the cold, wool socks, mittens, and sweaters would be laid out on the radiators, their unique aroma filling the air as they dried. When it was time to go out again, it was always a mystery how pairs of mittens and boots got separated in the chaos of winter clothes. Once in, cheeks pink from the cold, there was an expectation of hot chocolate with marshmallows.

My happy memories are the ones I prefer, but I do remember not cheerfully getting up in the dark, starting the car so it would warm up before I went to work, and shoveling out the driveway and front walk. We used salt to melt the snow. Glad that kitty litter is preferred these days. Easier on the environment and pets’ paws.

Most of all, snow days would be bonus days, bringing families together to enjoy the fun snow offered. So we are savoring snow memories, but not missing driving in it or shoveling it.