By Barbara E. Garnett, January 15, 2019 — I turned the heat up in my home. That means winter is knocking at the door. I must dress warmly: wearing hats and gloves. I’ll be looking out the window when the first snowflakes fall. I hate shoveling snow and dealing with ice melt. Before the snow days I will have to stock up on extra food and water. I’ll check on family members and mail my letters. I’ll watch a lot of TV and play music.
Old Man Winter makes your schedule. There are aches and pains of the body caused by cold weather. I will listen to the news for all of the updates. Weather conditions are always changing. The winter season is good for ice skating and snowball fights.
As children we stayed outside until Mama said, “Come in. It’s too cold for you to be outside.” We would have a meal and watch TV until dad came home. One year the snow was very deep. It was getting late and our dad hadn’t come home from work. Our mother was worried. You could see the fear in her eyes. You could tell time without a watch by my dad’s coming and going. Always on time never late for anything: work, etc. My mother was a very strong woman, but I saw her crying because he was not home from work at his normal time. When the door opened and he entered, I saw her kiss him. The next time I saw my mother cry was when he died.
It’s funny how the weather and changes in the seasons bring back memories. Thank God for this next dance with winter. The weekend will be dicey and cold: good for drinking hot coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate. To all females, a cold day is a good day to color your hair, try a new hair style, polish your nails or bake a new meal. Just take time for yourself. It’s the best day of my life for memories.