We here in east Tennessee know the drill when it comes to winter weather.
Weather forecast says wintry mix. Everybody freaks out. I think the word "mix" is what sends people over the edge.
This could mean anything! A mix of snow and...what exactly ? Tennis balls? Dry spaghetti noodles? Tires? Empty cans? Who cares! Get to the nearest grocery store and buy as much bread and milk as you can! For what? Milk sandwiches, of course!
Next step: forget how to drive. Pretend you have never seen a steering wheel before and that operating it is like driving a Panser into the line of fire.
Weather forecast says snow. We all laugh at the meteorologist. Kids call the superintendent stupid and mean for not closing school. They do a snow dance and wear their p-jams inside out...or whatever the cool thing to do these days to summon the elusive precipitation to the ground from where it is clinging so tightly to the clouds.
Next step: wake up in the morning and investigate. Creep to the window and peek outside. Cautiously at first and then flinging open the curtains to see...brown grass.
90% of the time it does not snow. I don't know why we think it will be different.
However, in 1993 the forecast did not say snow...and it snowed. Blizzard-ed, to be exact.
It was March and I was only 5. (I have no idea how I remember this. It's kind of weird) It was my parent's 10th anniversary and they were spending the weekend in the mountains and Bethany and I, who was 2, spent the weekend with one of our aunt and uncle.
Long story short, we wake up to more snow than anyone in east TN has seen in a LONG TIME. Like a foot more, to be exact.
There was no power, so we headed over to my uncle's parent's house where there WAS power. Don't remember how we got there, so we'll say we snowshoed over.
I spent the day playing with various grandchildren who were also taking refuge from the Blizzard and Bethany played with a dog that was about 3 times her size all day long. Barely even noticing that our parents were stuck in the mountains and didn't know how they would get back, but it was okay because I was introduced to snow cream.
My parents eventually escaped the mountains and got back to Knoxville to take Bethany and I home. The thing is, we live at the top of a 1/4 mile gravel, uphill, driveway. There is no way to get up but walk. Once we got in the house, it turned out we didn't have any power either. All 4 of us ended up sleeping on the living room floor in front of the fireplace, Little House in the Big Woods style.
I have always wanted to live in a state that gets lots of snow. I am fascinated by New England and their white Christmases, LLBean snow boots and quiet, snow covered landscapes. Maybe one day I will see this much snow again, but until then I will watch the home videos that we made during the Blizzard of 93 and laugh at my and Bethany's uber-country accents.
My favorite line of Bethany's "When we waked up, it was snow time!!"
