Week 2: Winter. What was winter like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc.
Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas we generally had mild winters. On the rare occasions it would snow, it usually gone by the next day.
The one thing we would specifically do during winter is that my mother would mix up some spiced tea which we would drink on the weekends sitting by the fireplace usually watching football. Everything else was pretty much business as usual.
The one thing we did get at least once a year, so it seems, was ice. Of course with it would come the stories of how people in Texas cannot drive on ice and the inevitable, some guy just threw hot water on their windshield. I never remember it being so cold that we didn't venture outside at some point. Even when we were hit with ice and schools were closed, we'd still be on the street playing football at some point. Usually most of the ice was sanded and melting. It did make the games a little more exciting when we'd hit an ice patch or slip in the slush by the curb.
We never really had full seasons. It seemed to go from summer immediately into winter. We did have coats, hats and gloves, but often had on only a shirt underneath. By mid afternoon, the coats were slung over our shoulders or on the ground as we went about whatever we were up to.
Trees quickly lost their leaves and grass turned to the color of hay. I recall one year, going into the backyard for some reason and looking up. There in the large tree was Superman hanging in a weird angle, arms outstretched as if flying towards the ground. On another branch were tied Captain Kirk and Barbie waiting for Superman to arrive. Who knows how long they'd been up there, and forget about any future resale value.
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