It's the times in your life like these as child that you remember. We don't usually remember the every day things at that age (I was 7 to 10 years old during this time), but the times that were memorable were the ones out of the norm and special. And being in a place with a TON of snow and very cold in a tiny house with an even colder basement, made for great memories for this little girl from Texas.
Upstate New York is where the mountains are and all the trees - way away from city life or the hustle and bustle.
My Grandparents' house in the small city of Gloversville, NY had a large back yard, and it nestled up to a forest. There were no fences or anything like that - back then you didn't keep your neighbors away like today.
There were a few trees right near the house, but then that large area until you came upon the forest. It was so very pretty - just a very large area of beautifully white, crisp untouched snow.
My Grandpa was lucky.
You see, my Grandpa and I put carrots out for the reindeer on the back porch. Then my Mom and he would tuck me in the night before Christmas. I would ask about Santa and the reindeer and wondered how Santa would know I was in Gloversville, NY and not in San Antonio, TX and would he find me to drop off my gifts? I was very concerned, as you can imagine.
Because some of the trees were close to the house, the wind would make the branches sway and they would scratch the roof. My Grandpa and I would look up at the ceiling toward the noise, and he would tell me I better go to sleep as the "reindeer" were already trying to get on the roof and if I was awake I wouldn't get any gifts. Altho it seems like I stayed wide awake excited for a long time looking at the ceiling, snuggled tightly under the warm blankets, I fell asleep really quickly actually.
Grandpa was lucky those trees were so close to the house! Or else I'd have stayed up and ruined Santa's surprises.
Then in the morning, I would see that Santa did indeed find me in New York somehow!
Grandpa and I would eventually put on our warm slippers and big coats and inch slowly out the back door to see if the carrots were still there.
The reindeer had eaten them all! And I could see the footprints in the snow of the reindeer all the way to and from the forest!
I was happy, mesmerized and giddy with excitement every time I saw that for those years.
Grandpa again got lucky - it was prolly rabbits or something from the forest. As a child, I didn't study the footprints well enough to figure that out, lol.
I love having these memories of the white snow for miles on end, solid lakes Mom and I would skate/slide across in our boots, feeding apples to the cold horses, and the "reindeer" who came to eat the carrots.
Christmastime in New York as a child. Yep, I was the lucky one.
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