My unofficial measurement of yesterday’s snow fall was eleven inches. Most events were cancelled, many stores and restaurants closed, and many city services cancelled. My afternoon mah jongg games were cancelled. I suppose if all you do is play video games and watch TV, yesterday’s events would not be a problem, but for a lot of people these events create a restlessness that is like illness; cabin fever they call it. I don’t get cabin fever; at least, I haven’t yet. Perhaps it is because of my personality (my Myers-Briggs letters are INFJ if that tells you anything), but I prefer to think it has more to do with my attitude and inner peace.

When I was growing up, our parents wouldn’t let my brother and me play in the snow. They were afraid we would get sick, and we had no money to pay for doctors. So, I created my first snowwoman just two years ago. What fun! I made her features out of vegetables and gave her my hat and scarf. I didn’t set out to make a snowwoman, but I found it difficult curving in the bottom so it looked more like a skirt; thus a snowwoman. I highly recommend making snowmen whether you have children or not. If you build it they will come; my neighbors have great photos of their grandchild with my snowwoman.

Our mother did make snow cream when we were kids. Hours of snowing cleans the air of dirty particles. Last night the top layers of snow were pure. I scooped up eight cups of snow. In Mom’s old gallon crock I added 1/2 cup of cream, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla. The result was delicious. I even blended four strawberries into my serving. I highly recommend making snow cream.

According to Wikipedia, Elbert Hubbard in a 1915 obituary of dwarf actor, Marshall P. Wilder, first coined the phrase “He picked up the lemons Fate had sent him and started a lemonade stand.” Later many others have popularized the phrase “if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I guess what I am trying to say here is if life gives you eleven inches of snow, make snow cream and a snowman.