I had forgotten it – until I looked out the window a minute ago. What did I see?
I saw a winter-wonderland tableau, featuring two kids who, from my faraway vantage point, seemed to be about 8 or 9 years old, having the time of their lives, in their snowsuits, playing on a giant mound of snow.
Crunchy new white snow, by the look of it – rising to 12 feet high, created by a parking-lot snow-plow in the wake of our belated first winter storm yesterday.
Memories! Jumping off garage roofs, heedlessly, landing in the soft, fluffy white stuff with a plop! Flakes clinging to our lashes. Glasses fogging up, if we had to wear them. My friends and I, staying outside for hours, building ‘forts’ which of course we had to defend with snowballs from our marauding classmates.
Our cheeks were perpetually rosy; our noses, dripping.
Finally back inside, our mittens cold and wet. That smell of wet wool… mingled with the aroma of hot cocoa our moms prepared for us.
Those days… those days…
Crossed Eyes and Dotted Tees 
I hadn’t thought of the smell of wet mittens in ages. I had it recently enough when we lived in NY. I helped shovel the driveway, not wanting to blame myself if my husband dropped dead from removing snow. We didn’t have enough snow to shovel in NC last winter. I might lower my voice and whisper, “I miss it.”
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Oh, do you *really*? Come on up here, girl!! You’ll change your tune! lol
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I lived on Long Island for 50 years and still love snow.
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Where on LI, Anne? My aunt lived in Wantagh.
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I love this. Just today I was sad I lost that child’s love of snow.Wet wool
mittens not so much….
I was born in Romania where there
was very little snow (that sure changed ) But then my dad’s favorite thing was to tease me.
He would go to the window and say
excitedly :”look it’s snowing ” and I would run happily to window only to find I was tricked again.
And my poor mom would haul out the sled when there was barely a dusting of snow but she had to take her giggling little girl for a ride.
The biggest joy was when there was
enough snow to make a snowman!
Such lovely memories. Thanks for making me reminisce ….
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Anytime, my friend! It’s good for the soul, sad but in a good way, if that makes any sense…
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Actually it does make sense.
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Very timely. I just dragged my son to a hill to go sledding today…or an activity very similar which had the additional pleasure of slaloming to try and avoid hitting the massive trees dotting the terrain. We near-missed two, but after that, it was pretty smooth, if chilly, sailing.
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Eeek! Scary, just reading that I got goosebumps!
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Ellie, you need to live a more adventurous life. Now go immediately and eat yogurt that has gone past its sell-by date, you dare devil you!
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I will! (yogurt) Right after Jan. 8, I will!! 😀
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