Now, with the advent of Facebook, I can sit at my computer and see pictures or videos of people I know and read what is going on in their lives during the snow.
Many of the pictures are of snow-covered homes of relatives and friends. They could easily be on Currier and Ives Christmas cards.
But the pictures I like most are of people playing in the snow. Even the adults look stress-free. It seems their worries of everyday living seem to be temporarily wiped away by nature's gift of a snowy day.
Whole families are making snowmen and having snowball fights. Giant-sized men are sitting on little sleds with their children as they slide down hills, driveways and roads made impassable for traffic by the ice.
Since the children are bundled up in coats, scarves, boggans, boots and mittens, usually all you can see is their red noses and big, big smiles.
Without a doubt, my favorite picture is of the daughter of friends. A preschooler, she must have played as hard as she could for as long as she could. She had fallen asleep on the snow.
But it is not only the pictures I like on Facebook. It is also the written conversation.
Some discussed how strange it was that when the snow began there was also thunder and lightning. That brought back memories. One night I was driving from Waleska to Little River Elementary to speak at a PTA meeting. When I was almost there snow, accompanied by thunder and lightening, began.
A few minutes after I went into the school a man yelled, "Everybody who wants to get home tonight needs to leave right now." I definitely wanted to get home so I was one of the first out the door.
Another discussion on Facebook was about making snow cream. Along with snow, all agreed milk, sugar and vanilla are staples. Eggs were questionable. Someone thought eggs were necessary, but others found the thought of eating raw eggs disgusting.
The question that got the most attention was, "What's snow cream?" The asker of that question took some good natured badgering.
Facebook users put lots of good information on, too. They told about road conditions where they lived. A former student of mine, Danny Hyde, made us aware that his business, The West End General Store, was open the entire time. There was an invitation for those who could travel to drop in and sit for a while.
Probably no message spread more quickly than school closings. Teachers were just as excited as children. As one of my favorite teachers with a baby wrote, "I love my job, but snow days are wonderful."
I know some are leery about Facebook. I was for a long time myself. But at the urging of friends, I decided to try it. Learning that it was free helped me make my decision. Thus far, the good has greatly outweighed the bad.
After son, John, did whatever had to be done for me to be on Facebook, I was on my way. I learned that for others to read on Facebook whatever others write or see one another's pictures they must agree to be Facebook friends.
I confess that I have made a few mistakes about who to have as Facebook friends. John fixed that. He deleted them from my friends list.
At this point let me acknowledge that anything can be abused. Facebook is on that list. So, the No. 1 rule is to remember not to post anything that you do not want everyone on earth to see or read. Facebook is not the place to tell secrets or give out personal information.
There is a time and a place for almost everything. During these snowy days, Facebook has been the place for me.
Margueite Cline is the former mayor of Waleska and former superintendent of Cherokee County schools.
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