Red and White

White is for snow. The kind of teasing snow that falls at Hougton, never quite sure whether it will stick or melt. The stars on the front of buildings, the Christmas trees. (I was sorely disappointed when curiosity urged me to pinch a few needles and smell -I was met with the cold reality the they were fake. :) And those beautiful white Christmas lights and cookie parties and Christmas caroling and movies and hot cocoa a cider. The snow that despite my fervent efforts at regalness, shuns high heels and laughs through tights and shrugs. The snow that throws every one into acquiring winter coats and boots and gloves and hats. Oh, and that ice on the side-walk that has us all splitting our sides laughing as we cross it, sprawling uncontrollable out, legs flying in all directions. And my first snowball fight in what? 2 years (my last winter spent in Africa.) I commentated as we all shrieked and ducked behind imaginary enemy lines and carefully flung our spherical, wind-resistant missiles. Towards the end we all began collapsing, huffing and puffing and one girl (who had grown up with five brothers)took to the desperate tactic of simply charging at people. :) I arrived back in the dorm room looking like the abominable snowman. "There were snipers, I was forced to engage in battle."

Oh,and perhaps it is the snow that has me suddenly craving red. Red silk blouses and red lace and large red bows and red shining Christmas tree ornaments. And red also for La Tomatina! Naturally, in it's traditional celebration in Spain it does not take place in December. But we were determined to celebrate it, before the semester let out and some friends left for their spring semester in England. If you have never heard of La Tomatina, it is a delightful holiday in which people commence to throw tomatoes at each other. We purchased...12. They were rather hard, so to makeup for that we reused them, and "juiced" each other. By the time we were done, the quad was scattered with mysterious pieces of tomatoes, and we were covered in seeds. G-R-O-S-S. But thoroughly DELIGHTFUL, not to mention stress relieving (in the face of semester finals and frantic studying.)

I sign off wishing you some red and white.

Yours truly,

Butterflygirl