As I sat writing about the snow I saw some kids walk by pulling a sled. Sledding I thought. My sisters and I used to love sledding.

Growing up in the snow belt, a New York state winter started in November, sometimes even in October. Winter lasted through March and sometimes well into April. Since that's what we knew as kids we learned to be outside in the snow and cold. The alternative was to stay inside the house most of the winter. I've always loved being outside so this was not an option for me.

Winter arrived in full force in December so it was natural that for Christmas we got new winter clothes and new sleds. The sleds were either round metal saucers designed to spin around on the snow or plastic oblong-shaped bright blue with yellow handles or red with a white handle. The sleds took a beating every winter so we usually got new sleds every year.

I remember waking up early on Christmas morning and running up the stairs from the basement where my bedroom was to the den where the Christmas tree sat still smelling of fresh pine surrounded by presents. I felt so excited to unwrap my gifts and to give my gifts to my family. Mom always had lots of presents for us. She shops carefully throughout the year hiding the boxes in the closets in the basement and attic. Sometimes I would open a closet and see a stack of wrapped packages on the top shelf. I'm not sure why she put them there. I liked being surprised when I open my presents so I would never look at the packages.

Sleds were too big to be wrapped so our new sleds would be leaning against the wall behind the tree. The bright blue sleds with yellow handles were for my sisters. The red sled with the white handles was for me.

After opening our presents and eating some of the food left over from Christmas Eve dinner we climbed into our snow clothing. We usually wore snowmobile suits-one piece outfits which covered us from top to bottom-similar to the onesies that babies wear. The snowmobile suits zipped up the side of the leg. So you climbed into it and then zipped it closed. It was very warm and kept us mostly dry. Hats, scarves, gloves and waterproof boots finished off our outfits. Once mom gave her approval we were set to go. We grabbed our sleds by the handles and waddled up the street in our heavy clothing to the sledding hill behind our house.

Underneath the snowmobile suit we had warm layers. I usually wore a pair of Dad's long johns. Never knew what to do with the hole in the middle. The hill was fairly steep. on the side of the hill was a deep ditch call 12 water from melting snow running down the hill over many years. The dates took the water to the creek at the bottom of the hill. The creek was at the bottom of a steep Bank about 8 ft below ground level. The water in the winter was very cold supported by all of the ice over it.

Need to describe the feeling of sliding down the hill going down the ditch sliding on the snowmobile suit without the sled tire tubes at college? Sliding into the creek having to go home to change disappointed to miss out some runs on the sledding hill.

I would be so excited. The hill was Steep and climbing it in a heavy snow suit was not easy but it was well worth the effort.

Notes need to talk somewhere about Chris meltdown. How I woke up every morning feeling like I've been punched in the stomach. Call I wanted to just pack up the cat and leave. But where would I go here at my parents. No. Christy and June. Definitely no Cheryl. Out of the question no place to go. I didn't even had the passwords for of the delity account so Chris has access to all of the money. I felt stuck

out of breath at the table we would serve a that he'll stretching before us. You can't just Hop on or a sled.Pane sled You have to have a strategy. Know how to get the best ride a well-written Hill has lots of well-worn tracks so I would look to see where other people were going good then try to position my sled in the truck that followed the straightest path down the hill and all the way to the snowbank at the edge of the row. Stopping before the road was essential of course. Getting that far would be a successful ride.

After assessing the pill and laying out my strategy to my sisters and friends gathered at the top of the hill I would take my slide down in the desire track hop on and hold on tight to the straps. Sometimes a supporter would give me a push. Is there a metaphor for life here?. And then I'd be fine down the hill, tears streaming end out of my eyes from the cold wind, cheeksshe's turning but right it's red from the cold Kohl's Kohl's toesgetting numb despite warm socks and heavy winter boots. it was so much fun.

At the bottom all to pick up my son Club SMUD sled and start climbing back up the hill careful to avoid the other sweaters fly by.

after a few trips down the hill My testes said crusty sled I'd try the saucer. This round metal sliding vehicle looks more like an oversized dish. It was perfect we're going down the ditch. The day which was warned from other flags Sledson the ground frozen solid. there were lots of bumps. It reminded me of the Moguls that I've seen skills going down on TV except that we were sitting down. Call Sasser saucer was an amazing ride sliding back and forth around the curves spinning around nearing the bottom of the hill I feel dizzy from The Wild Ride.

Riding down in the ditch could also be hazardous. Bowditch the ditch was formed by water running down the hill. during the Spring thaw. The water ran down the ditch in into the creek. So bold grits gritsthis went straight to the Frozen Creek. mother sledder who wasn't paying attention would also slide right into the creek.

The creek was only a couple of feet deep. The water was freezing cold. When I ended up in the creek for water instantly soaked add see my boots to my socks turning my feet into popsicles my mittens Got Served as well as some of my clothes underneath the snowmobile suits..

I'm pretty tough and might have tried to keep setting with wet clothes on but it wasn't long before my feet were numb. I could hear my mom's voice in my head always full of caution and warning to be careful....

My sister Shirley had gotten frostbite several times on her face so I knew how easily it could happen. Eventually I charge home with a trail of water behind me as it dripped out of my pants. If I was lucky I quickly change to dry clothes home and buy the wood burning furnace to dry and go back to the setting hill before I knew what was happening. But most of the time she would hear me come in the door see the soaking wet socks and mittens boots left in the garage of course guess what happened. I would have to listen to a tongue-lashing about being more careful not falling in the water frostbite hypothermia etcetera. Mom was a nurse so she always thought about everything that could possibly go wrong.

Of course she also worried that I might catch a cold or the flu or does severe frostbite. When Mom was worried she'd always start yelling. Did you fall in the creek why can't you be more careful you're always so clumsy

right now my head and try to make my way to my bedroom in the basement to change my clothes.

Where do you think you're going in those what's closed? Take them off so you don't drip water all over the carpet here. I just vacuumed

so I'd have to go through the long process of getting out of the snowmobile suit changing my clothes and then getting back into the. Also talk about flying off the super sled and siding in the suit. Me to also talk about crashing into trees or each other.

Warm spot on top of the sledding hill I'd forget about the creep and start all over again. Need to talk about getting a traditional wooden toboggan for Christmas 1 year we all piled on it on a big hill with Dad in front supposed to be steering but mostly just going down fast and crashing at the bottom.

As I got older setting seems more like a child activity and I looked for other things to do in the one Winter. I always enjoyed ice skating. I wasn't very good at it and spent a great deal of time call to get back up on my feet quit still 10 words correctly I enjoy the feeling of gliding around on the ice. But ice skating was limited. We skated on a rank in a local park. The rank was man-made and the ice had to be maintained by the town so that it was smooth for skating. Large cracks or bumps men tripping and falling. So we didn't skate that often.

Then one day Dad came home from a sports store with a pair of skis. Look what I got he said excitedly. He was holding a pair of cross-country skis. He bought two pairs one for himself and one for Mom. The thing was mom and dad had never skied before.

My first trip out skiing was quite an event. Mom wanted to know why I didn't laugh each of the three times that I fell. I think that I was just trying so hard to see properly (well not knowing how to ski properly) that it was frustrating to mess up turns out that cross country skiing takes some skill knowledge balance strength and endurance. Mom and dad like to walk and do chores around the house but they were not used to such strenuous exercise.

But bad like doing it. It was really beautiful back there in the woods. The snow was fresh and the wind only bad out in the fields.

Backspace keys the skis were racing skis designed to be used by professionals to go fast. This made it harder for Mom and Dad to learn to ski by themselves.” I will have to either find a book on cross country skiing or get some lessons” he never did giving up before he really got going.

Mom always liked the snow so it seems like she would enjoy skiing.” Crab and I went skiing on Saturday in the woods. He was surprised he got tired. I think he probably thought there wasn't much to it. He's so serious never even less or smiles when he falls.”

“ I just love it” Mom added to it Mom cell skiing and hurts her thumb so she stops being too.

Professor and I tried the skis during a visit and really enjoyed sliding the woods, watching the snow glistened in the sunlight poor Robert and deer Footprints were peppered all over the fluffy snow. I have stopping just to look around at the D magical landscape hold on me. We stopped by a creek that was running swiftly under a thick sheet of ice. We watch snowfall from Evergreens as it melted. It was magical. We were determined to try skiing again.