Rosie loved snow. Although it hardly ever snowed in Abbeville, she wished for it every year. Rosie began thinking about it when she and her mom carved pumpkins at Halloween, and by the time her dad carved the turkey at Thanksgiving, she was wishing very hard!

Finally, it was December, and the sky had been overcast for almost a week. Thick grey clouds continued to gather over the town and a heavy, cold mist hung in the air.   At school, Rosie and her friends talked of nothing but snow.  Christmas was a few days away, and they all dreamed of a white Christmas!

At first, only a few large flakes drifted downward that Saturday morning. Some of the lacy flakes perched on the green needles of loblolly pines.  Others settled on camellia bushes already bending under the weight of red blossoms. In the South, it mostly just drifts to the ground and quickly disappears, but this time a shower of the white flakes poured from the sky. Snowflakes were encasing the loblolly needles, completely covering her mom’s prize Camellia bush and actually sticking to the ground!   Why, in no time at all, the entire city was covered under a blanket of snow.

Snuggled deep under her covers, Rosie was about to miss the first -and perhaps the only- snow of the season.

“Rosie”, her mother called from the bottom of the stairs. .. no answer.  After two more calls, Ann O’Brien decided a hands-on approach would be best.   Climbing the stairs, she opened Rosie’s door.  Her ten year-old daughter had burrowed so far under her favorite green plaid comforter covered with daisies that only her soft brown curls could be seen from the doorway. 

Ann walked over to the bed and gently shook the sleeping Rosie.  She said, “Sweetie, it’s time to get up…you’re missing the snow!”

The weather report did the trick!  Rosie came out from her warm

nesting place, and  rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  Quickly, she

threw off the covers and bounded to the window. 

“Wow”!  Her eyes were wide open now, and she smiled her

happiest smile. “It really IS snow,” she said. “ Mama, I just knew

we’d have snow this year!”   

Rosie set a record getting downstairs.  Not only was there snow, Mom had fixed her very favorite breakfast … pancakes with melted butter and maple syrup.  What a great day!

As she ate, Rosie kept looking out of the kitchen window…her very own backyard was beginning to look like a winter wonderland and she was delighted.  She could hardly believe it, the snow stayed on the ground, and continued to come down even harder!  Best of all, there may even be enough for a snowman…well, a small one, at least.  Taking the last bite of pancake, and the last gulp of milk, Rosie was ready to romp in the snow.

Almost as if had been planned, as Rosie got up from the table, her best friend Katie was knocking at the kitchen door.  “Come on in”, said Mrs. O’Brien.

 A whirlwind dressed in a blue jacket blew through the door. “Hi, Mrs. O’Brien.” She was dressed for the weather with a matching cap and gloves.

“Rosie, can you believe it?” Katie squealed.  “We really do have snow this year!”.  The girls danced around the kitchen, giggling and hugging each other.

Rosie quickly put on her new pink hooded jacket and they dashed out of the house.  The two friends looked like overstuffed dolls dressed in their heaviest jackets and thick gloves. They walked in circles, they ran and they stomped on the driveway.  They were fascinated with their footprints and the sound of snow crunching under their feet.  It felt funny! They had never seen this much snow before and it was wonderful! 

Their breath made an icy mist as the girls laughed at the cat disdainfully picking his way through the snow. Tiger, a large orange stripped cat didn’t like getting wet ever, and this white stuff was not at all to his liking!  Typically, he was an orange flash bounding across the O’Reilly’s yard chasing a squirrel or chip monk but today was different. He advanced slowly, one paw at a time! As he picked up each paw, he shook it gingerly before putting down the next one. He wasn’t sure about this cold, white stuff, but it was not for him.  Nope, definitely not for him.

Rosie and Katie made snow angels on the ground in front of the camellia bushes.  Then, they threw snowballs at a paint can they put on the fence.  But, they saved the best for last…the snowman!  The snow flurry had turned into a real downpour, and they heaped up enough snow for a respectable snowman.  They enjoyed rolling a small snowball in the snow, until it became a large mound for the snowman’s bottom.  They repeated the process for the middle and finally the head.

The girls stood back and surveyed their creation with a sense of pride and huge grins.  Then, they had a touch of sheer genius. Rosie and Allie ran into the house and  borrowed Mrs. O’Brien’s pink neck scarf and a very old straw hat with flowers stuck in the band. Instantly, their snowman became a snow lady…they named  her Tillie!