I grew up in the 1950's and although I lived in a "modern" house with every current convenience, childhood was very different than it is today. We had fewer toys and we were encouraged to be self-amusing. In good weather we were outside after breakfast, free to roam the countryside, even at very young age. When the weather didn't cooperate, or when we were recovering from all the normal childhood illnesses that youngsters no longer experience, we read books, told stories, drew pictures and played endless games of make-believe with siblings.
My late Fall imagination was filled with anticipation of Jack Frost's visitations. I would wake up and find that the window had been "painted" with lacy feathery frost. I could lose myself in the beauty of this Elfin work of art. Our kids are missing so much! State of the art windows don't allow the moisture to collect and freeze. Jack Frost's visits must be noticed in more subtle ways: the white furry frost on oak leaves, the skim of brittle ice on a puddle, stiff plant skeletons frozen white at the forest's edge.
I am a grown up now. I live in a house with windows that are energy efficient. Jack Frost never taps at my windowpanes. He has retreated to the yard, field and forest. Due to global warming, his visits are occurring later than ever this year. I'm missing him. Indeed, it is a deep and nostalgic longing for the return of an old friend. Perhaps the weekend will bring his icy kiss.
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