Written by Today’s prompt is snowman, and it’s rather timely since we’ve been stuck indoors all day here while it’s snowing outside. Snow itself wouldn’t be a huge problem, but before it started snowing, a fresh layer of ice and sleet fell on the streets making the roads rather treacherous. Unfortunately, there’s not enough snow yet to build a proper snowman, so I’ve had to doodlewash a little one instead. When I was a kid, building a snowman was one of the coolest things to do on a snowy day. Sure, missing a day of school was pretty cool too, but building a snowman was the real treat. This was, of course, assuming enough snow fell and it was of just the right consistency to make the three giant snowballs required. If everything worked perfectly, soon a happy little snowman was sitting in the front yard, ready to impress the neighbors.
The thrill of building a snowman was intense and seeing your new friend outside each day was a joy. That was, until that day the sun started to shine a bit too much and temperatures warmed up. The first time my snowman began to melt, I’m not sure I was properly warned by my parents. I remember running outside to have a chat with Snowball, as that’s what I’d named him, only to find him looking rather sickly. The coal briquettes that formed his eyes and mouth had sunken in while his carrot nose laid unceremoniously on the ground in front of him. He’d also lost a bit of weight and his skin was dripping off of him. In a word, it was terrifying. I tried to jam his nose back into place, but in my frantic rush to save him, I shoved it through his head and out the other side, causing his face to collapse entirely. Next, I did what any sensible child would do at a moment like that, and ran inside screaming.
We never actually had a top hat to place upon his head as the kids in the song had done, so I assumed this was why he never sprang magically to life. I asked my parents where one might find such a top hat to properly complete my snowman, but they just did that thing parents do where they look knowingly at each other as if harboring a secret while doing nothing at all. It was always suspicious. But I truly wanted my future snowmen to come to life more than anything as I thought it would be the solution to my problem. At least Frosty had the good sense to say goodbye before melting into a twisted scary mess, saving his new friends from the shock of his tragically altered state. But I soon learned that the real magic was simply in the making and whatever time I had with my new friend was a moment to remember. Looking back now, there’s really nothing I experienced during those cold winter months that gave me quite the same incredible thrill as those enchanting times I spent carefully building a snowman.
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About the DoodlewashSennelier L’Aquarelle: Sennelier Red, Red Orange, Olive Green, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Deep, and Payne’s Grey. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon with black ink in a little red cloth hardbound l’aquarelle journal I found in a Paris shop. |
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I am SO NOT a fan of snow…but I have to say your snowman is pretty darn CUTE…but only from the inside looking out. 🙂
Hehe… thanks, Eric! 😃💕 Yeah… I love the look of snow, but as an adult who has to drive on it, it’s certainly less appealing! lol
Handsome, and definitely stylish! (K)
Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😃💕
Snow! Oh man, we need some here in the uk, get that Christmas feel. Love him 😀
Thanks, Rebecca! 😃💕 We were trapped inside yesterday, but made it out today. Still not quite enough for a snowman though! hehe
I didn’t really want to like that you were trapped….I hope you are free again now? 😀
Lovely snowman. Here we’ve got fog and it’s been more like autumn than winter so I doubt they’ll be any snowmen around here any time soon.
Thanks, Carol! 😃💕 Yeah… even though it snowed here, there wasn’t enough for a proper snowman unfortunately. I think they’re predicting it to warm up and melt and then a cold rain on Christmas though. ugh!
It’s beautiful. But in Delhi we can’t have snow😑. Our winters are marked by fog and sunless sky.😑
Thanks so much! 😃💕 Yeah… our winters are sunny and sometimes with snow, but incredibly cold. I don’t love the cold! hehe
Great looking snowman especially from Arizona! 😄
hehe… thanks, Teri! 😃💕 Bet you don’t get many of these in Arizona!
Beautiful snowman Charlie they are so cute and they have something special and add magic feelings to this Season and always I see a snowman! You have beautiful memories <3 😉
Thanks so much, Carolina! 😃💕 yeah, I used to love making these things out of snow… today, I’ll settle for the watercolor version though! hehe
Oh Charlie, what a story, I feel your confusion and fright as a child! That’s exactly how I would have been reacting, and I know I would have firmly believed that the snowman COULD come to life, if only I could work out how to make it happen. But what a fine and friendly looking snowman you’ve painted there! 🙂
Thanks so much, Phil! 😃 Yeah… my parents should have really worked harder to prepare me! hehe
He’s wonderful, perfectly fluffy and wonky charm! My experiences were similar to yours, really – I was horrified to find what happened to my first snowman, such that I didn’t build another (not that the weather has really allowed for snowmen anyway – need more snow!!). I think I’d still be pretty devastated today, to be honest! 😉
Thanks, Jacob! 😃 I knew you’d understand! hehe… it’s a truly horrifying experience isn’t it? I think I’d feel the same even today too, which is why I haven’t tried again. That, and the fact that I super hate the cold as an adult! 😊Lol
The magic of the snowman is all in the making of him – I like that. My mom who is in her 70’s still rushes out at first snowfall to build a snowman. She does it every year. I have moved to Arizona, so my snowman making skills have become a bit rusty.
Thanks so much! Glad you liked this! 😃💕 I adore the story or your mother!! That’s fantastic that she still has the childlike urge to build a snowman even in her 70’s! Yay!
Snowmen in paintings and photos are always clean and perfectly round, as is your painting. My snowmen were lumpy and full of bits of garbage that got rolled into the snow as I built them. No wonder my snowmen never came to life – they were way too embarrassed to show up with all the pebbles and wrapper bits sticking out of their derrieres and frontierres.
Lol… yeah, real snowmen were actually lumpy with bits of leaves and brown things hanging out of them. I’m sure if they came to life they would prove more terrifying than magical! Perhaps it’s for the best! hehe
He’s a cutie, with proper reflections and detail.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕