by Joanne Wiklund
The sight of a wide expanse of newly fallen snow makes me homesick for my childhood days. Mom would send one of us out the back door with a white enamel dish pan to fill it full of fresh snow. Careful where we got it, piled in among the apple trees in the old orchard behind the house. By the time the snow was brought in the back porch door, she had assembled the ingredients for our favorite treat: snow ice cream. I know she used milk or cream and eggs, sugar, and either nutmeg or vanilla. I don’t remember the recipe, but I can conjure up the taste. And eating it fast was acceptable because it melted so quickly.
Another reason I like to see a wide expanse of newly fallen snow is a children’s game called Fox & Goose. Each child helped make a huge round circle in the middle of the snow area, making wide paths with their feet around the circle. Then they cut the circle into paths with their feet, cutting the circle into a pie with pieces. They stamped down a small round spot in the middle where the paths that cut the pie came together. That was the spot where the child chosen to be the fox stood. The rest of the children lined the circumference of the circle, waiting their chance to cross the middle without being tagged by the fox. Going out of the edges of the path made you fail and you became one of the foxes in the middle waiting for prey to try to cross again. Staying in the lines or even staying upright was nearly impossible. Falling down, rolling in snow was inevitable and wet.
So much fun. We had few cares when we were out there. It didn’t matter if you were wearing last year’s winter coat that was too small, or gloves of a different color on each hand. We always looked for animal tracks. When I went to my mailbox this afternoon a rabbit, a pretty good sized one had left tracks to the driveway from under the evergreen. Where he went from there I couldn’t tell. Do you suppose his name was Peter? Probably not. We’ve called the rabbit who lived under the evergreen Momma Rabbit since she brought back her wee ones year after year for awhile.
Pay attention. Focus. Will there be sounds of animals in a forest you walk through? Will you see deer tracks next to your house? God made all these things for us to enjoy, and memories to make us remember life when it was good in the midst of wars and down times. He is so good to us now if we remember to look and listen for Him.
Job 37:6 “For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and the great rain of his strength.”
Job: 38:1. 4, 22. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 4. “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” 22. “Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war.”
Job: 39:10 “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
As I sit at my window and watch the birds and squirrels fight for the sunflower ? seeds in the snow, thank you for your message today.
I don’t remember making snow ice cream as a kid…but I’ve made it for my grandkids. I do remember playing Fox and Goose. Loved that game! Thanks for the memories!
Thanks for the notes. Sitting in the sun at a window is a nice warm comforting thing to do.