Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Rainy Days and Monday's

As I sit here on this cold rainy day my mind travels back to the days just before Thanksgiving years ago.  Yes, there were days of no sunshine.  There were days when one could see the birds nibbling at the last remnants of corn in a farmers field. Iof long ago.  

Yes, we had cold days just as we are having now.  I close my eyes and I see myself walking into Memma and Grandaddy's house.  I take a deep breath and savor the smell floating from the kitchen into the living room.  It's the smell of Thanksgiving preparation.  I walk into the kitchen and I see Memma bent over the stove taking a pie out of the oven.

"Pumpkin?" I ask.  She sits the pie on the table and wipes her hands on her apron.  She grins.

"Smells so good in here, how can I wait until Thanksgiving?"

"I have a few things to enjoy before Thanksgiving Day," she admits.

I grab a homemade biscuit off the stove left over from breakfast.  "Want a piece of sausage to go with that biscuit?"

I close my eyes again and savor the sweet memories of yesterday.  Holidays were always so special growing up in Northeast Alabama.  It was always about food and family.  The smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and orange always filled Memma's house.  Of course, the day after Thanksgiving, Memma began her Christmas baking.  Orange slice cake and her famous fruit cake.  Of course. She baked several of each cake.   

I close my eyes again and I can see all of us gathered in the living room laughing and talking.  Gifts are piled high underneath the cedar tree.  Of course. Some years we had the flashy aluminum tree.  

I open my eyes and I hear the rumble of CNN.   No matter how hard I try, I could never recreate the sweet memories of yesteryear.  

As I sit here in my fleece PJs, I click off CNN and close my eyes.  Think I will just stay in memory la d for awhile. Maybe all day.😉