Some people are born to revel in the snow and coldSTRANDED

Who knew the "it" gifts for the holiday season should have been tire socks for the car and a snow blower? Or tire chains? Or snow shoes?

We should have forgotten about the video games and Zhu Zhu Pets for the kids and made room for two-person sleds and water-wicking gloves that can form the perfect snowball. Even skis or ice skates would have been more useful than most of what was discovered under the tree.It looks like this winter season will continue to provide snow and sub-zero temperatures. If you plan to run to the store before the next predicted snow event, I suggest in addition to milk and bread, you purchase toilet paper, chocolate and a cheap sled. I may even add a doughnut or two to my list.Maybe I love winter because of the last-minute errands my dad would decide to run after a new snowfall. When he asked for volunteers to go with him, I rarely declined because I knew we would end up in an empty parking lot doing doughnuts in his smokin' burnt orange Buick LaSabre. You couldn't miss us if you had happened to drive by. It was the car with the conspicuous round, just-a-shade- lighter-than-the-body-paint spot on the back rear panel of the driver's side. I called the mark our Polish family crest.It could be the childhood memories of school snow days that shut down everything except sledding, ice skating and Chicago Bears games. The snow was so deep after one snowstorm that my siblings and I were able to build a fort underneath the snow. The fort tunneled throughout part of the backyard and kept us occupied for hours. I think mom came outside once to bring us sandwiches. Well, she may have checked again to make sure we were still breathing and able to finish chores later.Those trips always left me pondering one question, though. Why are milk and bread the items we stock up on before predicted snow events? Do we consume more French toast during snowstorms?My affinity for winter could be traced to my Chicago roots, but that wouldn't explain why some in my family are not as fond of the cold weather and snow as I am.Don't get me started about summer, though. It's my least favorite season and has been since I was a teenager. That is when I realized no matter how much time I spent sunbathing, the freckles were not going to meld into a perfect tan and the resulting red skin tone -- or what my parents called a "sunburn" -- was not meant to match the red highlights of my hair.Vicki Estes is a Topeka freelance writer. She can be reached at vaestes@sbcglobal.net.I am not sure why winter has become my favorite season, especially when I love rustling through the fallen leaves of autumn and smelling the newly sprouted flower bulbs of the spring.

Vicki Estes is a Topeka freelance writer. She can be reached at vaestes@sbcglobal.net.