Snow

We got a few flakes of snow today. The first since I have arrived here in my new home in the Pacific Northwest. Snow is fairly rare here being so close to the sea, the winds tend to moderate the temps. While they were coming down, they were certainly beautiful though. Big fluffy flakes drifting down. No wind to speak of, just a gentle fall of snowflakes that instantly were gone upon touching the rain soaked ground. It hardly ever accumulates here, and it needs to be a lot colder to produce more, but it was a great reminder that Christmas is just around the corner.

Just after Thanksgiving, my daughter began to decorate her house for Christmas. The very next day, in fact. Being old-fashioned, I decided it was way too early, but watching how much joy she got out of it, changed my mind.

Her grandmother, my mom, was there to celebrate the holiday. At age 87, this great-grandma was a bit frazzled by the noise and helter-skelter of a two and four year old, but watching them decorate their "kiddie" tree with all their homemade ornaments from nursery school, their construction paper garland, their Barbie tree toppers and their pirate ship ornaments truly made her happy. Then I realized that this early decorating was partly for Meme.

This really hit home when 4 generations of moms, kids, and grandmas started making paper snowflakes together. When my daughter was a small girl, I taught her how to fold plain white typing paper into a square, then a triangle, then smaller triangles, and to cut on the folds to make intricate snowflakes for our windows. She has carried on the tradition and makes snowflakes every year, and has now taught her 4 year old daughter how to do it too. Olivias snowflakes are folded for her, and a simple pattern drawn on, but she enjoys making them and is as proud of them as of her mother's now legendary creations. Lori has taken the simple art I taught her and turned it into a true art form.

It was fun to watch her re-teaching my mother who had once taught me, and me helping my granddaughter hold the scissors and follow the pattern. A truly generational experience.

Afterward, Olivia decided that she needed to do the dance of the sugar plum fairy while she tossed snowflakes into the air....what a Christmas treat!