25 Days of Christmas: Train Ride
My cousin Isaac (he's the firefighter, brother Levi, Me, my older sister Sarah (schizophrenic one),
my cousin April is in pink (she has a scab on her nose from play) and then my little sister
Emily in yellow (her beanie is ET and her glove are Grimace from McDonald's)
Time for a memory. Back in 1988, when we lived in Southern California, we came up to visit around Christmas time. We actually rode the train from Southern California into Stockton, California. In a rarity, there was snow in Stockton when we pulled into the station. This happens about every 20 years or so, which is true because about 20 years (give or take) later it happened again. It's really rare. Anyways, snow everywhere. I feel like this was the first time I saw snow because we didn't get even a flake in Ontario, California.
My uncle picked us up from the station in the evening and we drove the hour or so up to where they lived (well they still live there). I remember thinking it was like a movie drive dark rural roads that seemed to glow with snow along them. It always reminds me of that moment in the Alice in Wonderland cartoon where she's following the path and it gets dark. Because it was evening we ended up going to sleep as soon as we got to my aunt and uncles but the rest of the week was filled with snowmen, snow forts and snowball fights. It was great! One of the best trips despite my accident.
See my aunt and uncle, like many up here in the mountains, have a wood burning stove for heat. One that sits out from a wall in a corner or in there case, right inside the front door. I remember coming in and having to take off my snow boots but there was nowhere to sit so I tried to do it standing. I fell over and caught myself on the very hot wood stove. Burnt hands.
My uncle was a volunteer firefighter at the time so he was always quick to action. I don't know if I screamed or what, but he jumped up and moved me to the kitchen sink where he put my hands under cold water. Then he ran outside and grabbed snow which he dumped into my hands. Yes, so now we know nothing freezing on a burn but back in 88 it was a common reaction to a burn. I don't remember much after that. I do recall my mom and aunt were not at home at the time and they came home shortly after. Apparently, I'm the only child to do that in the family which... whatever, I didn't do it on purpose.
I don't remember the rest of the trip. I don't even remember coming home on the train. I do remember being home and having to have my hands slathered with aloe and covered in gauze for a bit but I don't even remember how long that went on for. I do remember my hand feeling off after they healed. Like sometimes they didn't have the right sensations or they were muted. I don't know what that was because my hands did heal and they are completely fine now.
Despite, that fun little accident; the trip was really fun. I remember loving the train ride up and the snow. Seeing our cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We moved up here in 1994 and we have probably had that much snow maybe twice since.
I'd be happy to hear a great Christmas time memory. Feel free to share.
Days Til Christmas: 5