Millie is posing for you. She's clad in her Christmas dress and she's making a face just for you! Her mama is sleepy so Grampy and I entertained her sisters yesterday. We went to a different park than we usually do and Birdie and Miss Bug had a jolly time sliding. However, it was COLD! My face burned for the rest of the day!
Watching their antics and their freezing little faces grow red, reminded me of my sister Karol and I when we played outside in the Pacific Northwest winter. We didn't have snow, but the damp climate of the Puget Sound offered up chilly temperatures. Once while shopping in the neighboring town, my mother found two green Eskimo coats. They were plush with pretty braid trim and face framing hoods. I have revisited those coats over and over again in my storehouse of childhood memories. I remember trying them out, running around the yard, twins again. Now, I think of how close we were, just fifteen months apart. Watching Kelli order her three, I can't imagine how my mother managed. Later, Karol and I fought a lot but we had endless hours of outdoor fun, too. When I read Larkrise to Candleford, I felt a kinship with my English ancestors, sending the children out to play while Mother did the morning housework. That was Karol and I. Mother zipped us into our Eskimo coats and sent us outside to play. At school, I was always cold when we'd have our three recesses per day. Here in Colorado, a coat isn't always necessary. Jeff says he hasn't worn a coat yet and he's the Hawaiian college boy! It rarely gets so cold that we need to bundle up here and one day may be chilly, but the next day will be warm enough. I thought I'd offer you a few Eskimo coats to look at. If I found one that fit me, I would buy it. I may be able to capture that childhood "play outside" feeling and THAT would be a happy thing.
I found all these on what Jeff calls "the Interwebs" and even though I searched I didn't find a vintage coat for children. Have you seen an image of one?
We're off to Ft. Collins today! We'll see three more grands and enjoy church with Pastor Brad. When I come home I shall have a Sunday nap. Oh, and grade papers. I hope your weekend has been festive, fun, and WARM. Love. Love. Love.
