Useful Skills for Winter

Good post on the skills needed to survive in Northern Winters, and how modern civilization does NOT appreciate the wisdom of previous generations.

I grew up in greater Cleveland (born in Cleveland, moved shortly after to nearby Lakewood, OH). Years later, I was talking to a group of kids in sunny Chester, SC, about not having snow days called very often - only ONE day that I remember, when I was in 9th grade. School wasn't cancelled, but it was delayed several hours, to give people time to clear out their driveways and sidewalks of the 3 or so feet of snow that had landed during the night.

I told them that I remembered walking to school in weather that was 18 degrees below zero. They said, "18 degrees below freezing? That's crazy!"

I wish I'd had a camera to record the look on their faces when I pointed out that freezing occurred at 32 degrees, and that the temperature was 50 degrees below freezing. They refused to believe it, until I pulled up the National Weather stats of that year (1963, I believe).

And, no, my parents didn't drive us, and no, there was no yellow bus.

My eldest daughter used her crocheting skills to make tightly crafted hats for the family. I used mine after Christmas, and found it to be excellent at keeping my head warm - and, very pretty.