Friday, November 09, 2007

Dark Northern Mornings


As I turned the lights out last night and prepared for a long nights sleep, the wind was howling around the house and shouting down the chimney. Rain was pouring down the window in sheets, daring me to come outside and play in the squall that had blown ashore. Instead, I tucked myself into bed, turned out the lights and the rhythm of the rain was my lullaby. Popping my head out of the covers this morning, a darker than usual world greeted me, sending my mind back 35 years to the dark northern mornings of my childhood.

The year is 1972. I am 5 years old and my Mommy is brushing my golden hair into tight ponytails that pull my eyes squinty until they loosen up. "OW, Mommy that hurts!". My sisters are waiting, impatiently, at the door for me and we walk out into the dark Alaskan morning to join our cousins on our morning trek to the bus stop down the road. We have our flashlights in hand because it is pitch dark, just like midnight. Looking up Roosevelt Drive I can see all the flashlight beams bobbing down the road from the lights of the other kids who live on our street. We're bundled up tight, hoods up on our winter parka's and secured tightly around our chubby cheeks. It's dark and hard to see as we stumble our way to the big red building, (was it a fire station?), where the school bus will pick us up. Reaching the bus stop, we join the others who are already waiting. Laughing and scrambling feet can be heard in the dark morning air. "The Bus!", someone yells and we all run to get in line. Brakes squeak, the door whooshes open, we troop on, take our seats and the big yellow bus whisks us away to our day of learning and friends.

Ah, those childhood memories are sweet...

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, Paula... such a lovely post.


And congrats on your little ducks. :D

Wen

Shelby said...

I LOVED reading this.. made me think about me and my mom and the bus when I was little... (I always hated riding the bus tho)

Ms. Kathleen said...

What memories this brings back. I so enjoyed your story.

Have a wonderful day! God Bless!

Anonymous said...

Winter is sure on its way here to Ontario. We actually got some snow the other day, and so we are now bundling up waiting for the bus on our sub-freezing days here in the north as well. I think it is funny how none of us are left in the south (well unless you consider Southern Canada, LOL). This brings back memories of Northeast Oregeon, and I can remember sitting in front of the fire reading through Sears catelog while Mom was cooking in the kitchen back in the late 80s, and watching the first snow of the season falling on the ground outside the log house, as I was picking out what Santa would bring me that year (I would guess maybe 1985 or 1986). :-)

Anonymous said...

I love it when a sight, sound, or smell brings on a childhood memory like this. There's something comforting in it.
Also, this was really well written -- I liked the imagery-laden language.

Unknown said...

Ah, yes; memories of childhood.

Anonymous said...

Sure, childhood memories are sweet :-)

Anonymous said...

I have that same memory, but I was 7 yrs. old. I think it was a red lean to that we waited in.
It's a little after 5P.M. here & getting dark. My chickens are heading for there coop.
I want to come & make some things with the Puddle Ducks!!!

Mary said...

Paula,

What a lovely post. I don't think I could take the darkness all the time. I imagine it is a hard to get used to.

Cute ducks. Thanks for sharing this precious memory.

Blessings,
Mary

Terri said...

Ah! The universal morning cry of children everywhere! "BUS!" How many games of kick the can has that shout ended? LOL
Terri

Mimi said...

thanks for the memories... I could relive and see myself and my brothers and sister... as we walked to the school bus stop( which was about a mile from our house)... you know one of those stories how I walked up hill in the snow to school!!! ha ha :-)

Jodi Ohl said...

You have such an eloquent way with words and sharing of those tender memories. :) Congrats on your opening of you daycare!! I'm so glad for you that everything is coming together in your life as you want it to :)

monique said...

What a wonderful story, I loved to read it.

monique said...

Hi, here I am again.
I have been tagged and now I have tagged you. You can take a look at my blog to see what it's about.
If you don't want to play along you don't have to off course. It's just for fun.
Take care,
Monique.

Yolanda said...

This was a lovley post . I too enjoyed reading it. You look as though you are enjoying PUddleDucks.

ancient one said...

I loved this post!! We always had to run across the road and wait on my grandmother's porch for the bus. That was the side the school bus door was on.