After all that, it was time for a lunch break. Boy, did Campbell's vegetable alphabet soup hit the spot then! (By the way, Campbell's actually had a factory in my hometown because of our famous Jersey tomatoes). But the main event was still to come -- fort building and all-out snowball warfare!
This was serious stuff: The oldest and biggest boys were the "generals" in charge of the fort locations and construction. The younger boys, along with the girls, started making and stacking ammo (snow balls) inside the fort. Then it was on! No rules, just snow mayhem! Everyone got into the act, even my dog George. Once the last snow ball was thrown and the forts were crushed, we then turned our attention on chasing George around until we tackled him and formed a big heap of bodies covered with snow!
These snow days surely were wonderful times, but as I grew into my teenage years, the magic of all that seemed to vanish. There was too much snow to have to shovel off the sidewalk and driveway. (Which now, since I was the oldest son, became my job and it took some elbow grease because no one had riding blowers back then!). The beautiful, fresh snow seemed to devolve into disgusting, black slush in no time. And it was cold outside (which, when I was no longer playing, I remembered I didn't like).
That's why, as I got older, I preferred to stay inside -- particularly on January 1 once our family got a color TV. (Remember, once upon a time, when there were only 3 stations, all in black and white?). The reason to stay in and watch TV was the Rose Bowl parade and game, broadcast from sunny Southern California! I remember thinking (and may have even asked my parents one time). "Why can't we live there?" (To which I was immediately responded to with a blunt "NO!"). My memories of
watching that warm weather parade and game, while it was cold and gray outside, were literally my motivator to eventually come out to California, where as it turns out I formed my own Law Firm and some 38 years later, am here writing this article to you today!
So, looking back at it all, I have to say I still hate the cold but "Thank you, January!"
(Have your own childhood winter stories? Share them with your loved ones too!)
