WINTER

Winters have always been interesting and quite unpredictable in the state of Utah, where I live. Granted, we are known for "the greatest snow on earth", where the snow seems to pile up in the mountains... bringing adventure to snow bound thrill seekers and skiers. But in the valley, we can get a wide range of weather patterns.

Below the rugged peaks of the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah, the winter months range anywhere from drought and warmth, to ice and freezing temperatures. Sometimes the snow comes and goes as fast as it falls. But if we settle into a cold spell, like this year, it will linger longer, giving ample opportunities to build a snowman, ice skate, watch icicles form, and even shovel snow! 

I combined two writing prompts to this week's post. I went back into my photo archives to see what winter was like, starting in 2008. This gave me a glance of what our winter's have been like over an eight year stretch. And as contrasting as they were from year to year, I was not a bit surprised! This is what Winter looks like in my neck of the woods.

2008 - lots of snow! back yard in home town

2009 - winter rain, front yard in town

2010 - the snow is piling up! front yard in town

2011 - a beautiful winter morning from my balcony, on our farm in the country

2012 - a warm, sunny Groundhog's Day

2013 - freezing temps, beautiful icicles form on the eaves of our house

2014 - Springlike weather. A bird's nest remains intact, 

a reminder how mild the winter months have been this year.

2015 - Warm enough for the kids to run around the yard. It was 53 degrees F.

2016 - A long, cold winter. It's bringing the deer 

down from the mountains in search of easier access to food. These deer tracks are only a couple feet away from the front door of the house. With each passing day, we see more signs of them making beds underneath the maple trees. 

Some things never change... Winters in Utah are unpredictable, but always beautiful!

The only thing that has changed is that we moved from the town to the country. And, to me,

that was a very good move!

ICY

...freezing cold icicles hanging from the roof. We didn't have rain gutters in the 1960's to catch the water from the snow as it melted off the roof. Winter icicles draped from the roof line of our house, in varying lengths, giving the appearance of a delicate crystal hem-line of a Princess skirt. I didn't need the movie Frozen to fuel my imagination!

Just like a drip from a faucet, every day when the sun came out, I'd watch an icicle grow, drip by drip, from a speck of water into a beautiful icicle. Sometimes it took days and sometimes weeks for an icicle to reach its full potential. The north side of the house always grew the largest icicles. Some were so long and big around that it became impossible to knock them down. They would grow until they met the large pile of snow mound next to the house making it nearly impossible to break through. 

On warm winter afternoons, I'd often find myself out and about scouring the roof line for the best icicle to knock down for an afternoon treat. They were like long popsicles, just without the flavoring.

One day I had a childhood friend over to play. We were going around the house knocking down icicles, with large sticks, from the roof. We came to the north side and started to run our sticks along the roof line, when a bunch came crashing down, and like daggers pierced the head of my friend. Her head started to bleed profusely and it scared me. I thought my friend would surely have to go to the hospital for stitches. We rushed her into the house and mom placed washcloths on her head to stop the bleeding. After doctoring her up, she felt better and we took her home. I always felt bad about that incident, but that didn't deter me from winter's play in the snow and ice.

ICY...

horse hair chins. Out in the pasture, the horses often pawed through the ice in the water trough before we got to the daily chore of breaking the ice. We had some very cold mornings, well below freezing, and the water would often freeze instantly on the hairs of our horses chin. Freezing cold!!!

ICY...

skating rinks. And freezing rosy pink noses! Dressed up in winter coats, hats, and mittens, we have always been game for a late afternoon skate on an icy outdoor skating rink. 

It was extremely cold in 1990. I was living in Logan, five kiddos in tow, going to school. There was plenty of opportunity for outdoor snow play. Our first Christmas away from home and family presented an opportunity to spend a lot of time together... just me and the kids. I bought some ice skates for the girls for Christmas and we spent most every day of Christmas break on the outdoor skating rink at the park around the corner and up a few blocks from our house. The old green shack sitting on the edge of the rink provided a place to sit down by a cozy wood burning stove, warm our fingers and toes, and drink hot chocolate. In the early evenings, the snow sculptures surrounding the rink were lit up by colored lights and twinkling stars. These were good memories.

Years later, the tradition of skating on an outdoor rink continues at family Christmas gatherings at the Homestead Inn in Midway. Below, a couple of granddaughters hold hands, take a few steps, and tumble to the ice... just to get up and try again, and again, and again. This has become one of our favorite family traditions. Even if it's icy and cold!   

ICY...

waterfalls. There's a waterfall in Price Canyon that changes with the seasons. Winter is one of my favorite's. The water freezes as it descends from the top of the fall. With each winter day's temperature dropping... a single drip of water turns into hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of drips, gradually forming into large icicles that span the width and length of the falls. On my trips home, I look forward to rounding the corner where the fall is located. The minerals in the water often turn the icicles into hues of pinks, greens, and blues. And with cold, icy blue skies above, it's such a lovely sight!

It's been an unusually warm late fall. We're anxiously waiting for snow, which is long overdue. So... Old Man Winter.... bring on the ICYness of the season! We're ready!

Writing prompt #6: Write a blog post inspired by the word: icy

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Mama Kat's Pretty Much Famous Writer's Workshop

Bucket List

Four year old Missy Moo called me today and excitedly said, "grandma, it snowed." "It's Christmas!" Winter is coming.

She asked if I were going to put up the BIG Christmas tree this year. I told her I wanted to put up a smaller one this year. She said, "but I like the BIG one". SO NOW WHAT!

When we built the house a couple of years ago, I knew exactly what Christmas was going to look like. The two story entry would have a beautiful 12 foot Christmas tree in front of the curved stairway leading to the second level. The banisters and rails on the stair case and overlooking the family room and front entry would have beautiful sweeping green garlands decked with red ribbons and white lights. It requires a full day of doing just the tree and banisters, with the kids' help. And it is beautiful! The first year with the new tree, each of the grandchildren got a glass ball to decorate and hang on the tree. It has their name on it with the year. They look forward to hanging them every year. But this year is different. 

Every five years we take all the kids on a trip to the Homestead Inn Resort in Midway. We spend three days there, ending on Christmas Eve, enjoying each others company and doing winter activities together. I try and get all my shopping done in November (NO BLACK FRIDAY for me... I avoid that day at all costs). This year is easy... the gift is the trip. Being together and creating memories as a family far outweighs any material gift they could ever receive. So I have been told. They are all looking forward to the trip. So this year... we will follow a few traditions and make a new one or two.

This year's Winter bucket list will be centered on Family, featuring SNOW and CHRISTMAS!

1. Countdown to Christmas always starts the first day of December. I get each family something to help count the days to Christmas. I change it up every year to make it exciting, and it usually includes service projects and family activities. This year each family will get a book written by Emily Freeman, A Christ-centered Christmas, and a Nativity set. 

They will learn more about Mary, Joseph, the Shepard, the Wise Men, the angles, Jesus, and the animals as they count the days to Christmas and place each figure in the creche.

2. Decorate the house. Nativity sets are displayed around the house and are the focus of my decorating scheme. After all, Christ is the reason for celebrating the season.

 My list includes:

A cardboard paper scene I got in Primary 45 years ago, and it will still sit on the piano I played 45 years ago, too!

Willow Tree Nativity set

Miniature Thomas Kinkade Nativity scene that lights up

A hand-painted porcelain Nativity from my mother's collection

Translucent white Nativity figures that light up


Miniature resin Count-down to Christmas Nativity set

Candle-powered creche from Germany

Large porcelain and fabric covered Nativity set

Large picture of the first Christmas scene that I hang on the wall in the front entry

A cradle filled with straw set out under the BIG Christmas tree. A doll representing baby Jesus is placed in the cradle Christmas Eve.

3. Make Turtles (I made turtles with my mother for over 30 years and will continue to do so with my daughters for the next 20 years or so, too!)

Homestead Inn Christmas... all 29 of us!

What will we do....

4. Make snow angles

5. Build snowmen

6. Tube down the hills at Soldier Hollow

7. Ice skate

8. Play games - inside board games and outside games like Fox & Geese (does anyone remember that one?)

9. Watch "It's a Wonderful Life"

10. Cook together; Eat together

11. Drink Hot Chocolate, snuggled up in a blanket in front of the fireplace.

12. Read and Act out the Christmas Story 

So there you have it. This year's WINTER BUCKET LIST  for December is simple, fun, and at someone else's place! I can just enjoy the kids and grand kids throughout the month of December without any worries, stresses, shopping, or hassle. We'll just play and bake! 

We'll see what January and February have in store....


What's on your Winter Bucket list?

writing prompt #1: Share your winter bucket list