Grateful for snow days.

Translated in Texan equals pure, unadulterated icy crapola. It’s not your Hallmark card situation here. Unless you are one of the fortunate ones to stay at home and have a well-stocked pantry. And your heat is still on.

Well, butter my biscuits and color me one of the fortunates!

Because I don’t have to report in to a job as an essential person. I ‘do’ have a well-stocked pantry. And power outages, so far (crosses self and looks toward heaven), we have managed to evade. And thanks to my sweet Baboo, Jose’, we are well endowed with several winter’s supply of cut firewood.

But don’t miss the point here…I’m NOT grateful for icy, snowy weather. Quite the contrary.

While I do love me some snow… for a week… in Colorado. And then love coming home to Texas and leaving it ALL up there till next year! Yeah, buddy.

What I am grateful for today is the memories of snow days past.

Mostly memories of my Dad who made them fun!

He loved a good snow day. No sleeping in for us. It was up early and out to the streets. With a belly full of hot chocolate and oatmeal and layered in as many layers as we could find, he would go out and warm the car, and we would load as many of my cousins and friends in the back seat of our old 1950 Buick and hit the open road, sans Momma. Mawdine quietly chose to remain at home.

First stop was the back of the Buddies grocery store for card board boxes to load in the trunk. At the risk of dating myself, this was pre-crush boxes days, and there were plenty for the taking.

Next he would drive us to the high school parking lot where he would give play-by-play commentary of his driving expertise as “Mario Andretti” while he did ‘donuts.’ As we were slammed from one side of the car to the other, again dating myself as those were pre-seat-belt days, squealing and laughing ourselves silly. It was thrilling! And I never was afraid with Daddy at the wheel of that big old boat for a car.

Once tired of the ‘donut’ game, we then went to the hills by the interstate where we would slide down on the cardboard pieces with total reckless abandon…Daddy leading the way. He always was a bad influence.

And finally, once the day was done, we would head to the store for supplies for chili fixins and hot chocolates.

Snow days were always play days with Dad. He created some fantastic memories for me then. I cherish them now.