From today!

I am sitting looking out my window at this!  I just can hardly believe it.

When we got up this morn, it was snowing big flakes but they were flakes that were almost rain or slush.  But time went on and it got colder and it is sticking to the roofs and the ground is white...oh, it is a winter wonderland for sure.  It is just simply beautiful beyond compare...the things that are normally dreary here take on a new life.

I have things I have to do but oh, how I wish I had time to just be out and in this.

*****
Don't they make you feel all Christmasy?

They take me back to probaby my favorite Christmas of all.  I had a sister that was everything to me.  She has been gone a bit over 2 years and it is still hard to believe she no longer walks this earth.  I think she was special to each and every one of us.  To us younger ones, though, she was IT.

When she would come home on vacation, I would cry my eyes out when she had to leave, another brother would get physically sick.  I think with him, it was when any of our sisters came home and left, but with me it was just Fran.

She very seldom came home at Christmas, but I remember one time when she did.  It was not too long after she married, but before she had children of her own.  Here her and her husband came in with this gigantic box of presents. There was a purse, there was a necklace, there was a watch, and I cannot remember what all else.  But best of all, she was there.  Such joy!

I don't remember a whole lot else about it other than being so happy she was there, but I do remember a couple incidents.  One night she, her husband, and my brothers were playing cards.  I think it was a game called Tripoly.  There were chips, and there was always an extra hand dealt.  Well, I was not playing...I was sitting as close to Fran as I could get.

She started having me check the extra hand for cards she needed...and I would.  If it was there I would sneak it to her, and put the one she discarded back in the extra hand of cards.  I don't know how long this went on, she was winning, and her husband realized what she was doing.  No one got really mad, or anything, but they did quit playing.   I still laugh just thinking about it.

I don't remember whether the next day was Christmas or if it was two or three days till Christmas, but whenever it was, mom cooked a ham.  According to my brothers, we had ham before but this is the first time I remember having it.  And I LOVED it....every time I passed, I was eating a bite of ham.  And I guess I just ate too much....that night I got sick and vomited and vomited.

And I remember Fran getting up to take care of me, and telling mom to go on back to bed.  I remember her washing my face so gently with a cool wet wash rag.  And I knew everything would be okay.  Oh, how I miss that sister.