Loving The Snow

It’s been pretty cold around the country, even here in Texas, so let’s share a hot cup of cocoa to warm us up. Not the same one, of course. Since this is a virtual cup, it can replicate. Enjoy…

The other day, a friend sent me a wonderful story about appreciating snow days – those unplanned days when school is closed because of a heavy snowfall. Reading the story, prompted memories of my own. I thought about those gifts of snow days when my kids were young, and how excited we were to wake up to that magical transformation of the landscape, eager to get outside to play.

I grew up in Michigan, where we had plenty of snow every winter, and I never tired of snowball fights, building snow-people and sledding or skating. I didn’t even mind shoveling our sidewalk, which was one of my winter jobs, and I always earned a few bucks from neighbors, clearing their walks and driveways. And I will admit I missed the snow when we moved south.

Here in Texas snow is a rarity – only falling sometimes and in some places – so when we get more than a dusting of the white stuff, things close down: Schools and even some businesses. It’s like an unplanned holiday, and we used to enjoy it to the hilt, donning layers of clothes to stay reasonably dry and warm for a few hours of fun, then tumbling back into the house for soup and hot chocolate.

I still have the old round pizza pan my kids used as a sled. They would take turns going down the “hill” of our driveway, while one kid watched the street checking for cars. Of course, there weren’t many cars to watch for as not many folks ventured out to drive on the ice and snow, which was probably a good thing since most native Texans didn’t know how to handle the slick roads.

Sharing the snow days in Texas with my kids, always brought back the joy of being a kid myself, playing out in the snow until my fingers were blue and I couldn’t feel my feet anymore.

What about you? Do you have fond memories of playing in the snow. Would you still go out to play?

The following joke was sent to me by the same friend who shared the snow-day story. Being Catholic, I couldn’t resist posting it here. (And I do hope my friend continues to send things that prompt a blog post.)

Catholic shampoo

Two nuns were shopping at a 7-11 store As they passed by the beer cooler, one nun said to the other, “Wouldn’t a nice cool beer or two taste wonderful on a hot summer evening?”

The second nun answered, “Indeed it would, sister, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable buying beer. I’m certain it would cause a scene at the checkout stand.”

“I can handle that without a problem,” the other nun replied, and she picked up a six-pack and headed for the checkout.

The cashier had a surprised look on his face when the two nuns approached with a six-pack of beer. “We use beer for washing our hair,” the nun said. “Back at our nunnery, we call it a catholic shampoo.”

Without blinking an eye, the cashier reached under the counter, pulled out a package of pretzel sticks, and placed them in the bag with the beer.

He then looked at the nun, smiled, and said, “The curlers are on the house.”

That’s all for me, folks. I hope your week is a good one. Be safe. Be happy.