SNOW much fun!

It's that time of year. Cold temps, fluffy white stuff falling from the sky, forecasters predicting the worst. Yep, it's winter in Chicago, and out east, too.

I'm not really a winter person - big surprise, huh? I much prefer sunny, 70-degree days with a warm and gentle breeze, but as a Midwesterner I have no choice but to take the good with the bad, and I've invited Brian, now a Northeasterner, to jump into today's timely topic right along with me.

ahem, drum roll please . . .

Three Good Things About Snow!

Sue

2. Sights: I like watching the flurries gently falling from the sky. I like how the sparkly snow covers the tree branches and bushes, the grass, the streets, and the sidewalks, and even the kids when they go out to play.

3. Sounds: I like the crunch-crunch sound of walking on crisp, new fallen snow. I like to hear the kids laughing outside as they "frolic and play the Eskimo way." You know, build snowmen and forts, pelt each other with snowballs, make snow angels, and so on.

1. Sport: Although I can't take part like I did back in the day, snow offers all sorts of fun for T and the kids like sledding, snowboarding, skiing, and shoveling - HA, that's not really a sport, but clearing the snow is something that needs to get done that I don't have to do (and that is a good thing indeed!)


Brian

I'm completely jealous of Sue's snow. If you look very closely at the image to the right, you may see the tiny flecks of snow amidst the water droplets. That's the snow that I had waiting for me on my car Friday morning, while Sue got a winter wonderland.
Now, the good things about snow.

2) Snow Days! - the snow here is almost enough to close schools, my office and create a state of emergency in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The windy, curvy, hilly roads are dangerous enough on a normal day without a little slick added. Drivers, inexperienced in navigating the snow make it all the more dangerous. The lack of a robust snow-removal system does not help.

3) SNOW ANGELS!!!

1) After Snow Beverages - cocoa, coffee or cider - it makes no difference. As long as it's warm and wet, it's comforting after working outside in the cold.




* Bonus: books, movies, music and more snowy good things . . .

Sue
"The Snowy Day" a picture book by Ezra Jack Keats, the 1963 Caldecott Medal winner

"Snow Day" the 2000 film starring Chevy Chase and Chris Elliot

"Let it Snow" the 1940's hit song performed by classic crooners Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Andy Williams, just to name a few

Sounds good to me!

The weather has cooled down a bit around here so we were finally able to turn off the AC, and open the windows. This allowed both a breeze and the sounds of the great outdoors to drift into the house such as the garbage collectors picking up the neighborhood trash, cars and trucks zipping down a nearby busy road, dogs barking, birds chirping, and bugs buzzing.

I'm not really into all that noise disrupting my morning quiet including the birds and the bugs, but there are some things that sound good to me.

1. Babies: Babies are a delight. They coo. They babble. They giggle. I especially like when they make little sounds over and over like they are carrying on a very important conversation with you.

2. Gravel: I know this sounds kind of weird, but I enjoy the sound of tires rolling over gravel all crunchy-like. T hates gravel roads or parking lots because he doesn't like the car to get dirty from all the dust blowing up from the gravel. I like crunchy sounds like footsteps on fresh fallen snow, wrapping paper, and popcorn munching at a movie theater (unless of course the snacker is eating much too loud!)

3. Rain: Rain falling gently can be very soothing and relaxing especially at bedtime or during a mid-afternoon nap. Which brings me to another Tim-ism from a few nights ago. T: Shhhhhh, listen to that. Me: It's raining. T: No, it's applause . . . for me! The rain falls down a bit stronger. Me: Now they're applauding louder!

Three things that sound good to me. What sounds good to you?