Many people will not agree with me but there is something quite magical about snow. Perhaps my feelings about it come from growing up where you were lucky to see it once a year. When a snowfall occurred it was time for you to break out the sled waiting for excited children to rescue it from the dark lonely attic. I grew up thinking a blanket of snow glistening in the morning sun was a national holiday like the 4th of July and every bit as special as my birthday.
It is too bad we lose a lot of our childhood joys as we grow up. Far too many people get all cranky at the weather forecast of snow on the radar. Thoughts of getting out and trying to go here or there and of all in inconveniences snow causes throws them into a tailspin. Not me
even after the eight feet of snow was piled alongside our driveway the first winter we lived in Kansas City or the day twenty-three inches fell in three hours in New Jersey I still loved every little individual flake.
It had not been a wonderful few days skiing UP North after Christmas. Of course the snow was wonderful but as usual Dennis could take the joy factor out of winning a lottery. In nineteen years you might think I would have some idea that nothing ever brought him happy times but I guess I am the incurable optimistic. He wasn't happy about what time the kids went to sleep or what time they got up, what they ate or did not eat and the same attitude was inflicted on me.
The thing he was really upset about was the fact that Wes would not wear ski pants but flew down the slopes in his jeans. Yes, the jeans got wet and probably very cold but at fourteen years old Wes only wanted to look cool. My feeling was that if he wanted to freeze to death fine, that was his choice. Actually it was not the jeans Dennis was upset about. He simply could not stand it that Wes, in his usual fashion, could ski a hundred times better than he could. Wes was one of those amazing people who when he wanted to do something he was excellent at it. He was an excellent swimmer, skater, artist and anything else he put his mind to. If he didn't want to do something he didn't. It has always been a mystery to me as to how a father can be jealous of his young son.
Looking out the window on that New Years morning of 1985 and seeing snow gently drifting down from the sky was a blessing. I don't make New Years resolutions but an awful lot of New Year wishes. Sometimes my optimistic attitude gets puts to the test as the ski trip did but the newly fallen snow always gave me hope. It is like the snow covers up all the bad stuff. How can anyone fell bad when you watch it try to pile on the tiny branches of the newly planted trees or how it gradually makes roofs look someone spread frosting on them. The New Year looked pretty awesome that morning.
That, of course, did not last too long. A few good things happened such as Wes getting a job in the snack bar at the roller rink. He managed to talk himself into it, probably so the owner did not have to listen to him beg for it any more. Then Dennis had to go to San Francisco to help set up for a new car show and four days later I got to fly out there myself.
I had never been to California so it was rather exciting. For some reason I can not remember who took care of the boys as none of our Okie relatives were about to come to Michigan in the winter. My guess is that the other Ford wife, Bryce's mom, did as we actually did not know that many people.
San Francisco was wonderful.. We stayed downtown in a hotel with all the Ford people and you could hear the trolley bells late into the night.
The first morning all the other Ford wives were in their sweet little dresses and heels ready to go sit in the convention hall all day. I bopped downstairs in my sweater and blue jeans ready to tour the town.
I had decided that it was the perfect day to go see Golden Gate State Park. Dennis seemed agreeable so I asked the door man to hail me a cab. He asked where I was going and said it would be much better for me to ride the bus even I would have to change busess at such and such a corner. Okay...all this when I had not ridden a city bus since I was ten years old.
I did it! I managed to get to the park all by myself with out any problems and I must say the bus was much more fun than a cab would have been. The bus was filled with people of all nationalities and I wondered where all of them were going and how their day would be. Walking through the gates of the park I instantly knew my day was going to be fantastic. The park is beautiful, they had penguins and there were disco roller skaters at every turn you took. I took a ton of pictures so that I would never forget a moment of the day just wondering the park or starting up a conversation with someone or just sitting on a bench watching other people.
The next day after reading every brochure I could fine I once again appeared downstairs in my jeans and tennis shoes ready to take in China Town and Fisherman's Wharf. This time the doorman sent me on the Trolley and once again I manged to get to the right place. The highlight of Fisherman's Wharf was Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory. Of course I took the tour and not only got free samples but bought enough to make me worry about the jeans not fitting anymore. China Town was very interesting and so much fun to people watch.
Each night some company would wine and dine all the Ford people . There was always more food than any human should eat and I had a food hangover each night before we got back to the hotel. The last day we were there Dennis's sister, Judy came from where she lived in Northern California to see us. Of course Dennis had to show up at the convention center so Judy and I did the town by driving back and forth across the Golden Gate Bridge a couple of times...can't experience that in one trip. Then we drove up and down all the hilly streets with the Victorian houses and ended up in Haight Asbury. That is the place where the bohemian, then the hippie, the new wave and many other
cultures were based as well as the starting point for many musicians and comedians. What a fascinating place to experience after hearing about it most of my life.
I have written about the San Francisco trip for a couple of reasons. First I had a wonderful time and as soon as Judy headed back north Dennis was not speaking to me. He was so angry that he was not even speaking to me when we were together with other Ford people. That was highly unusual but I could not even get an answer as to what the problem was. Hmm, maybe the old saying "silence is golden" might not be all that terrible.
The silence remained for two weeks after we got home. My score arrived for the graduate record exam and I did not tell him what is was or even that it had arrived. I had slowly learned to keep quiet about happy things like having fun in San Franscisco and ranking in the top one percent of everyone who had taken the test when I did. Not bragging but around my house it was not good to look smart. With that score I headed over to the University of Michigan and applied to grad school.
One night when Wes was working the snack bar at the skating rink the DJ failed to show up. There was quite a commotion over what to do until Wes said he could do it. The owner was dubious but the only choice he had besides Wes at that moment was himself which he did not favor so that is how Wes at the age of fourteen talked himself into a DJ job. I must say he did surprise me at how good he was at doing it from the first record he played. He had gotten to be friends or knew the names of every kid in the place and in between records he would refer to someone as to how well they were skating or ask what song they wanted to hear next. Needless to say he was doing a great job and everyone wanted Wes to be there whenever the rink was open. No need to say that skating became a real source on anger on Dennis's part.
When the letter from the University of Michigan came with my acceptance to grad school and additionally a full fellowship with a stipend for teaching some classes it did not land well with Dennis. Maybe that was a mild way to put it. His face got all red and in a very angry voice he told me that there was no way in hell I was going back to school. I surprised myself and took that news quite calmly not that it was a huge surprise.
The next Tuesday morning at the skating rink I asked a couple of the regulars for the name of a divorce attorney. I called him the very same day.
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