ohsnooooooes!

it snowed. like, a whole whole lot. truly, the last time i saw this much snow was when i was in college--class was canceled and we took trashcan lids and sled down icy stairs late into the night and woke up to eat breakfast early in the caf, then went back to our rooms to sleep until noon.

no powdered eggs, but the fun and relaxation is still there this side of college. i went out and played in it when it was an unbroken white blanket begging to be jumped in. two layers of everything (three layers of some things) and a self-knitted hat and mikey and i ventured out for a nice long icy walk. we came back to build an igloo with our neighbors the spencers but it was so fluffy and powdery that it refused to be shaped. so i just romped instead--fell backwards to make snow-angels, climbed up in the back of the truck that's stuck in our backyard to cozy down into the fluff (comfy but cold) and made face impressions, licking the snow off my face after pulling away to gaze down at my handiwork. the other adults just stood around and chatted while i acted a fool. i was a little sad to be alone in my kid-at-heart state.

ive been thinking a lot this snowed-in weekend about growing up in western Pennsylvania. one winter, we could hardly open the front door because of how high the snow was. you know how much bigger things look when you are little? well, i was a small kid at the time, im sure, because when we went outside, i recall sinking down until the snow was almost over my head. we followed each other out in a line--big kids first to blaze the trail. in PA, it was always such good snow for being imaginative! we advanced well beyond simple snowmen. of course we built whole snow families, and forts and--my favorite--elaborate tunnels that twisted and turned like a huge white snake through our yard. we had a hill right outside our house and every winter, we cleared a sled-run from the top, across our driveway and into the adjacent field, coming to a nice stop as the ground leveled out. we had a long green toboggan (yes, that's what we call some types of SLEDS up north) with yellow lining that folded out and held three or four people. the front was curved upwards and the thing really picked up speed when you got it going. amazing how doing the same thing over and over again can still be as enjoyable as the very first time.

playing with my siblings in the snow was so much fun. i never remember being miserably cold or being annoyed at having to put on and peel off layer after layer each time you wanted to go in and out. i just remember how wondrous the yard became--covered so quietly by that sparkling, magical blanket. i remember laying on my back, staring up at the packed roof of our snow tunnel, talking to my brother or sisters. i remember climbing up the slippery ladder of our tree house and surveying the white ocean beneath us. i loved snowball fights and snow angels, and i still do. but playing in the snow alone just cant compare to having epic wintery lord of the rings reenactments with your siblings (its hard to fight orcs back into their icy caves by yourself). this winter, i will continue to enjoy the snow, if mostly from in front of my window with a cup of coffee and a book, and some memories from childhood winters long passed.

(yes, i am aware that lord of the rings came out when i was in college.)