The other day on my day off, I walked between my bank and a restaurant to go to lunch, instead of driving from the bank parking lot to the restaurant parking lot right next door. Good for exercise, and good for using less gas, I said to myself.
Walking on the sidewalk gave me a chance to look at the snow on either side of it. On a beautifully sunny, cold day, the snow looked like it had sparkles in it. A nice little pleasured added to my day!
When I was a little girl, I called this kind of snow “peppermint snow”. Then as I got older, I again used that name, but for something else.
I wanted to keep track of how much money I owed my folks or how much they or my sister owed me (and when I first got out of college, they would come running to me for loans – ha!). I didn’t receive allowances, so I guess I wanted to make sure I could get everything that was owed to me. 
I came up with the name “Peppermint Snow Debt Bureau” and wrote that at the bottom of a note I’d give to my folks, stating how much they owed me. Or, if I owed them (which wasn’t often), I kept track in my little Peppermint Snow Debt Bureau notebook. And now to this day, I don’t believe in being in debt unless it’s for a mortgage. But, I’ve changed in another matter too – if I loan people money, I consider it a gift and don’t tally up what I am owed. I love to surprise people with gifts…charitable agencies are always glad to find out about me…
And now, all grown up, I don’t chintz on myself anymore, but I do wish I could save more money like I did when I was little.
What remains a constant here in the Midwest? Every once in awhile, peppermint snow. It still charms me like before.
English: A train blocked by snowdrifts in Southern Minnesota, USA, 1881. Deutsch: ein Zug hat sich im Schnee festgefahren, südlicher Teil Minnesotas, USA, 1881. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The train so reminds me of Jesse and his love for trains.
That’s so cool! My husband adored trains when he was little, too.
We bless Jesse’s memory.
Thank you.