Winter Memories
By: Irene McCormick

God gave us winters to toughen us up. George Washington who crossed the Delaware, with its ice flows, did use a row boat. Richard, on the other hand, crossed it just north of Philadelphia, on the New Jersey side, on foot, jumping from one ice chunk to the other until reaching the Pennsylvania shore. The Delaware at that point is almost a mile wide.

Irene, as a young girl, walking several miles to school in southern Iowa and hearing the snow crunching under her feet, yet freezing even with her heavy long underwear, bulky and visible, couldn't wait to return home to stand over the floor heating vent. She never quite mastered the art of the winter sports, yet did share the fun of going down huge hills on sleds, congregating with friends at the Park Ice Skating rink, selling hot dogs at football games and going on hayrides in the snow and having taffey pulls with friends on long winter evenings. Chili was one of our family's favorite winter dishes.

Our four children did get to know the fun of a weekend at Lake Arrowhead or Bear Mountain with it's crisp cold air and winter sports, mainly skiing. Family time there was special to all of us and it was lovely in the springtime and summer too.

Have a great winter, all of you.!!!