Snow Melt

Snow On the First Day of Winter

It's Saturday, December 21, 2013, the first day of Winter . The prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum"  is
What is your favorite winter activity that involves snow ? Why?
If you don't live in a snow area, what snow activity would you like to try the most? Why

It's the first day of winter
I look up at the waning gibbous,
I remember winter in Oklahoma,
when snow on the winter solstice
meant a white Christmas.

I laugh at the joy
of snowmen and snow angels,
remember the stings
of a snowball
striking me in the face.

Life was simple!
Snow meant hot chocolate
and a steaming bowl
of Grandma's homemade stew.

Christmas and New Year
meant a week off from school,1
a Christmas pageant,
at the Southern Baptist Mission,
and sitting on Santa's lap.

I had issues with Christmas!
I didn't understand
why my brothers and sister
go to unwrap a one of their Christmas presents
on my birthday,2
but I had no issues with Santa Claus.

Today,
snow on the first day of winter means
Mount Charleston
has acquired a white crown
and Las Vegas is cold
as the nether reaches of hell.3

At 66, my favorite winter activity is sitting on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate watching the snow (if it happens to snow in Las Vegas). Otherwise I enjoy the cup of hot chocolate while reading a book or writing in my journal. As soon as I get batteries for the TV remote, I will enjoy watching the weather and seeing the snow in other parts of the country. I still enjoy the snow, the only difference now is I prefer watching it instead of playing in it.

Footnotes
1  I remember it being a week off from school.
2  December 24
3  reference to Nifleheim (Norse hell)