The cold wind that has swept through this city leaving a cold chill on the back of every one's neck has been a brutal reminder that winter is just around the corner. The summer days of playing in the hose and swimming pools are gone and I've been debating when would be the safest time to tuck away all my shorts and t-shirts and break out all my long sleeve shirts and jackets from storage. As I reached for a second blanket at 2 o'clock this morning I decided... today is the day.
I'm not sad to say goodbye to summer. Since I migrated from San Diego where the weather is a constant 65 degrees, I've come to love all the places that are home to the 4 seasons. Winter has become my favorite season. I love being out in it but I love even more the bitter cold days when you can crank up the heat inside and snuggle down with a pair of wool socks and a hot cup of cocoa to watch the snow fall.
Every time the weather starts to change like this the feel of the cold and the barren trees remind me of different memories. One of my favorites is waking up as a little girl on cold mornings such as these. I'd drag my sleepy blanket out of bed and slip on a pair of socks. We had hardwood floors in our house (as we always did being the daughter of a hardwood floor layer)and as tired as I was I'd always muster up the energy to get a running start from my bedroom carpet onto the hardwood hallway and sail right into the kitchen. There were three floor heaters in the kitchen and 3 bar stools, one for each of us as my 2 sisters were either already out there or right behind me. We'd place the bar stool over the floor heater, drape the blanket over the bar stool making sure that all edges touched the floor, and climb inside. The cocoon of warmth it created was enough to make me stay there, knees tucked into my chest, smiling until my mom lured me out with something hot for breakfast.
I love thinking about that memory and I'd like to know what some of your favorite winter memories are to get us all excited in anticipation for the first leaf to fall.
10 comments:
Hi my little Postem,
I grew up in an even warmer place....Tucson,Ariz. I love the changes of the seasons,especially fall when the trees turn, and the spring when the first bulbs poke out of the ground. I love the cold...I love it if I can wear a sweatshirt ALL day....I hate it when it is cold in the morning and then by noon I have to strip down to a tee-shirt and shorts.....I don't like the hot, I hate to be sweaty...I do love the water, swimming pools, the beach, water skiing, and just being where I can get wet and cool off. I love a good cold night when we can have a fire in the fireplace, it seems so cozy and like all is well with the world. I love the snow! I remember having strep throat the one year it snowed good in Tucson, and I couldn't go outin it. I love taking walks when it is snowing, it is so quiet and beautiful outside. We don't need any sort of warming devices yet, it is still hotter 'n hell here. Love you!!!
Ahh now there is one thing I am REALLY looking forward too mom...The absolute silence when it's snowing. So peaceful! Good one!
First..I love your song, "Bubbly" (it is actually my profile song on myspace). Great minds and all that...
My favorite seasonal memories:
Winter: as much as I hate driving around and bundling in the cold I love the ground and trees covered in a blanket of white. I love the way Christmas lights look covered in snow. I love decorating the tree, family parties and of course all the food, smells, gifts and music. Temple square decor, my mom's traditional Christmas feast: chicken cordon bleu, stuffed mushrooms, cornflake potatoes, and martinelli's sparkling cider.
Spring: Watching my garden come alive. Nothing more beautiful. Longer days: tulips, iris, daffodil's, etc.
Summer: Swimming pools, ice cream trucks, the smell of sunscreen and putting on a pair of flip-flops and walking to the gas station for a treat. Fresh corn on the cob, hot dogs and watermelon. Fireworks, picnics and swing sets.
Fall (my most favorite)...the beautiful leaves up Provo canyon, and of course the ones I rake up in my yard. Halloween decorations, fall garlands and wreaths, spicy scented candles, John Mayer's Room For Squares is my favorite "fall music." Trips up to Gardner Village, little kids going back to school. Classes at the college, cooler evenings, which means longer hours spent in the garden and out for walks. Pumpkin patches.
I realize your memory was a very specific one (and I can totally visualize your old kitchen in the mobile home). I can't believe it's already getting cooler in Montana. We are still 100 degrees here. I suppose you're at a higher elevation?
I just love everything that each season has to offer! Once again, another great post, from the great Amie! P.S. Good luck with your new job!
Oh yes and summer/fall bonfires! Can't forget those!
My favorit thing is being able to wear the fall fashions. I love to wear jeans and a long selve shirt with a light jacket. I also love my boots.
Definitely splashing in rain puddles and wishing for hail so I can see all the tiny balls of ice bouncing like skittles from the sky.
I remember playing with the little Fisher Price people out in the backyard in the mud (they were easier to wash off than Barbies or Maple Town!)
My few memories of snow involve sledding and snowboarding, wet pants, cold fingers, runny nose.
I am getting really excited to wear jeans again! My wardrobe this summer consisted of a t-shirt and my favorite jean shorts. I think I have worn them out :( because I don't think your memory is serving you well if you think San Diego is constantly 65 degrees!!! I wish! today was so nice in the high 80s- first cool day in a long while (okay I'll stop whining now and get back to my memories...)
Christmas lights! Baking cookies! Warm laundry! Fuzzy socks and slippers! Flannel pajamas! Halloween! (Emily is going to be the cookie monster- I bought the costume 4 years ago...) Cold high school football games! Fancy hot chocolate! And this year... new episodes of The Office!!! I'm horrible. Oh, yeah- and seeing your breath in the cold air and quoting Cool Runnings- "hey Senka, whatcha smokin' mahn?" "I'm not smokin', I'm breathin'" :D I crack myself up.
Okay. One vivid snow memory from when I was like six. We were staying in a cabin in the mountains. We were sledding. I had to pee. I didn't know how to undo my snowsuit. But my legs did get really warm. I was six!!!
One winter memory that always comes to mind is the Christmas that Lisa and I got our ten speed bikes. It snowed that Christmas and just down the street from our house was an empty lot that had hills for jumping your bikes. So we went for a ride. It was so much fun.
First of all - blogger is acting crazy and erasing all of my fabulous comments! BOO!
But to comment on this particular blog I say this - living in Hawaii these past 3 years has given me a whole new appreciation of seasons and winter!!! I miss the snow. I miss wearing pants...not capris...but pants! JEANS and SWEATSHIRTS! Material heavier than cotton. I love hot cocoa, fireplaces, UGG boots, multi colored scarfs...did I mention I love jeans? I love wearing layers without sweating from the sun. I also think that my hate for the sun has grown since I got skin cancer. Oh yah and I love wind on my face causing my pale skin and cheeks to turn a natural rosy pink. I love having to wear extra lotion cuz the cold weather is dry. I love having the heater on because it is too cold. I love my down blanket!
We have even added Alaska as an option if Utah doesn't work out. Now that's crazy. I just think we have forgotten what a temp below 70' feels like and we miss it! I just told Dan right now after finding out we might not get to stay in UT - I told him that I just want a place that gets cold for Christmas. I have sang mele kelikimaka for the past 3 years.....I'm done...I just want cold weather!!!! And having seasons would just be a bonus!
ummmm well, there are so many! I guess what stands out to me is all the fun memories I have made since Drew and I have been together. Our very first Christmas I bought him a journal so we could both write in it together but he dropped it in the snow and the wrapping paper got ruined so I ended up giving it to him that day,a couple weeks early! We wrote in it about my endowments and getting married. It's cool to have that written down. We got married Dec 19th so none of that would have been in the journal.
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