It’s snowing in Atlanta, y’all! And it was coming down pretty hard until just a few minutes ago. Now, there’s just an icy rain pelting down from the dark sky. And honestly, I don’t care if Mother Nature is churning out snow or ice…as long as there’s enough accumulation to keep me from going to school the office on Thursday. I just hope that I have enough bread and milk to make it through the day.
Actually, Georgia is pretty well-known for its dreadful ice storms. The loblolly pines that grow wildly in our yards can wreak havoc on power lines and houses. Their thin limbs tend to bend and snap under the pressure of frozen precipitation. And with the scarcity of salt trucks in our area, the icy roads are just too treacherous to travel on. So, tonight I’m keeping my fingers crossed for just enough snow and ice to cause one of those famous Atlanta meltdowns (a contradiction in terms, I do believe).
In recent years, we haven’t gotten our fair share of the white, powdery fluff here in Georgia—only the ice. When I was just a young Lulu growing up in the 70s and 80s, it seems as if the number of snowfalls each winter was more abundant. The last notable snowfall that I can recall occurred in 2002, when I made this snowman across the street in my neighbor’s yard so that I could look out my window and see his frosty face (the snowman, that is). I’m just selfish that way. Well, not entirely selfish, because my neighbor is a Green Bay Packers fan, so I was sure to outfit Mr. Snowman appropriately…
I didn’t have a carrot or real coal, so I assumed that charcoal would do in a pinch. He’s a very hip snowman.
When I was a child, my mother (also known as Nervous Nellie) was a real stickler about the weather (hi, Mom!). Especially snow. She didn’t like it. You could catch your death in pneumonia if you spent more than five minutes breathing in the fresh, cold air of a winter’s snow. Therefore, until I was a teenager (and learned that I could actually defy my parents), I was allowed only to look at the snow from a window inside our house. If my sister and I were lucky, my mother bundled us up into three layers of clothes, two pairs of socks, boots, hat, and mittens so that we could walk out into the front yard and touch a snowman that my father made for us while we were watching him through a window. I’m not kidding…
The following is a picture of my sister and me a couple of years later sporting some freaking hideous Eskimo coats (WTF?) standing very close to the front porch of our house. From this location, my mother could keep the eagle eye on us to ensure that we weren’t making snow angels, removing a glove, eating yellow snow, or sneezing…
And finally, when I was 15 years old, my defiance won out, and I was able to venture away from the front porch—without gloves, without a hat, without boots. But only to ride with my father to the Winn Dixie to buy bread and milk…
My mother called me at the office today from her tropical home in Tampa. It was 65 degrees there, and she was bundled up in her sweater drinking hot cocoa. She reminded me that snow was in the forecast, and that I should be sure to dress wamly.
If there is snow on the ground tomorrow, I’m going outside in my skivvies. And I’m making snow angels in my neighbor’s yard…far from my front porch.
Update: My neighbors will be quite elated disappointed to know that I will not be making snow angels in my skivvies today.
Dear LuLu,
I am glad that I am the first to have a comment, and to laugh— “ha ha ha”. I just had a little chuckle.
What your wrote about your Mom “Nervous Nellie” is so true.
You & your sister did look like “little bundled-up Eskimos”, especially with the long red fur-trimmed coats, or maybe like Laura & Mary (ha ha) on “Little House” on the prairie, leaving to “walk” to school in the snow & ice. But, you did look so “stylish” then.
I can relate all the times when we had “snow” in GA, and all the schools & everything closing. Also, everyone running to “Winn Dixie” to buy milk, bread, cookies & junk food.
(Hope you enjoyed my comments— LOL — I’m so glad that you have those wonderful pictures & all your true to life memories. LOVE YOU ALWAYS
Skivvies. Ha!
Bubba is going to be sooo disappointed when he wakes up. I let him play in it some last night but if I had had any idea it was going to be gone so fast, I’d have let him play longer. I don’t know why I’m surprised it’s gone. It’s par for the course around these parts. AND we have to go to school today!
Madame Queen’s last blog post..It’s Snowing!!!!
Aunt Patty Cake – I always wanted to be Laura Ingalls.
All Adither – unfortunately, I won’t be traipsing around in the snow in my skivvies today. Maybe next time.
MQ – Gah. Don’t you just hate that? We have a slight slope to our front yard, so there were 10 kids sledding down our yard late yesterday evening and having a grand time. I can just imagine their disappointment this morning when they found out that the schools are open…
If it’s any consolation, a year or 2 ago I bought a snowman kit — complete with scarf, fake pipe, buttons for eyes and who knows what else. I say “who knows” because I have yet to open it. We haven’t gotten much snow up here (in the Pittsburgh area) in the last few years either. It’s kind of sad, actually, this whole global warming thing.
The photo of your mom peeking out of the window made me laugh out loud!
Susan’s last blog post..Over the edge
My mom was like your mom…I could go out in the snow..I just couldn’t get wet..I used to have baggies rubberbanded around my mittens..I am not kidding!
Then I had to have on “rubbers” over my boots.. NOT fun.
We are supposed to have snow/sleet/ice stuff over the next couple days.. and oh..down to 5 degrees.. NICE..
Aruba sure is looking good…
mp’s last blog post..Me and my Bad Loquacious Self
Susan – seriously? No snow in Pittsburgh? Is there a dome over that city or something?
MP – baggies around the mittens? Wow. And I’m so meeting you at the Atlanta airport to stow away in your bag to Aruba…
Lulu – like you, I was praying for the classic ice storm! Unfortunately, the rain melted the snow and just made for a soggy commute. Curses! I compeltely remember REAL snowfalls in Ga in the 80’s. In 1986 we had a huge snowfall…the Roy was pissed b/c we had literally just moved from Cleveland Oh a few weeks prior and he assumed there’d be no snow here. Of course, I loved it and the fact that you never go to school in snow!
There’s a rumor it may snow again Friday night…if so, don those skivvies and come on over! I’d love to shock the neighbors!
You and your sister look like matching Santas! Growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles we had to go to snow if we wanted to see it. Which we did twice. BUT! When it comes to Nervous Nellies, cold weather, and appropriate dressing to stave off pneumonia; we had to wear socks in the house during the winter. No bare feet. Did I mention it was the suburbs of Los Angeles? Where about every other year you can lay out by the pool on Christmas day because of the heat? “It’s 65 degrees! Where are your socks, young lady?!?”
Tootsie’s last blog post..In All Fairness, There Were 9 Of Us
Big H – that picture of me in the blue pea coat? Totally captured during the huge snowfall of 1986!
Tootsie – Floridians and Californians…one in the same when it comes to the weather. My mom’s husband is from California (now living in Tampa), and when they come to GA, I have to crank the heat up to 80 degrees lest they freeze to death…
Is that really you and your sister, or two Santas out there? The coats are beautiful, but very Santa-like.
Go, play in the snow. It sounds like you have a whole childhood to make up for.
Karen’s last blog post..Dreaming of Spring
So did Atlanta close for today due to weather?
Mrs.W’s last blog post..Orange-Cumin Roast Pork
Karen & Mrs. W – Atlanta did not shut down today as I was hoping for. There’s only remnants of snow drifts left…but not enough to play in, or enough to warrant running around in my skivvies. Boo.
Way, way cute. Your photos and clever writing had me smiling – as always. Almost all of my childhood photos are on slides and no one has had the energy to pull them out in years.
Tickled Pink’s last blog post..This Week
What cute pictures! I thought it was cold here in my neck of the woods, but brrr, that looks a lot colder.
Friglet’s last blog post..I’m done
When I was a little girl, I lived 3 blocks from my elementary school. When it snowed… my mother called me a taxi. Let me tell you this…we were poor… really poor… we didn’t have a car, but my mother was calling me a taxi for a 3 block ride! Once, while I waited for the taxi, I went outside and did the run and slide thing on the sidewalk in my little treadless shoes… it was great fun, while I watched all my classmates walk past me to school. I was late that day. My teacher asked why, since John saw me playing on the sidewalk in front of my house… Ummm.. I was waiting for the taxi!
Neither she nor my mother were much amused with me that morning.
And at times it does seem that there’s a dome over the Pittsburgh area when big snows are called for… it reaches all the way to about 5 miles from my house, and then the snow falls on us. YAY! Susan, c’mon up and go sled riding sometime… we have an AWESOME hill, and no walks up – hop in the back of the truck or tie on to the neighbor’s quad…
Annie’s last blog post..Yes, I have a German Shepherd
There is one meter of snow on my front lawn. And today my 3 year old was playing outside in -14 degree celsius. Don’t tell your mother. I’m not good at the defying!
BTW, this was v. funny. I read it out loud to my husband and we both had a good laugh.
Alpha Dog Ma’s last blog post..A Truth Universally Acknowledged…
Those captions are hilarious! I can’t imagine waking up to that much snow!
kailani’s last blog post..Giveaway: Uncommonly Cute