Friday - Snow, Memory, Mama

On television and radio
They are talking about snow

The skies look like snow

I don't think I am ready for snow.

But what does that matter - right?

Its coming anyway -

And when it does - the world will be softened and lovely

- for a while.

The first snow of the year always touches the sweet chord of the first time I remember seeing snow.

I was about 4 years old. We were living in a two story house on 9th Street in Charlotte, NC.

One morning, so early I was still wearing my pajamas, Mama called me and my younger sister Lynda to the windows in the kitchen. "look". She pointed to the backyard where the world was lightly touched with white. "Snow"

Mama ran out into the backyard where she scooped the white snow off the bushes into a bowl.
She was laughing when she came back into the kitchen. "Lets have some snow-cream."
She poured milk, sugar and a drop of vanilla into the bowl, stirred it and gave Lynda and me each a class filled with the white liquid.
It was delicious.

"My grandma used to make this for me." she told us.
She was quiet. That's all she said.
I knew it was really special.

The sun came out and the snow dripped off the bushes.

The house is still there.
It and the street look exactly the same - like magic has preserved them as they were in 1941.
I like to park my car on 9th street and wander through my memories.

Wth Mama.