The morning is dark and rainy with a heavy rain I can hear hitting the windows and falling on the roof. The wind is strong. It is a day to stay warm and dry inside the house. I have turned on all the little white lights around my fireplace and the red pepper lights in the kitchen. The house feels cozy. 

When I was a kid, I’d read away a day like today. I was never without a book. I’d get comfy in bed and read by the lamp hanging over the headboard. A blanket would keep me warm. I liked the quiet. 

The other day my sister and I were talking about all the nickel bars of candy we liked which have disappeared. Now, of course, a nickel bar is $2.00 or more. Snickers is still my first choice followed by Butterfingers. When I was young, I loved Midnight candy bars. They were a dark chocolate Milky Way. Sugar Daddies were my Saturday matinee choice. They lasted a long time. I used to have fun biting the top of the Sugar Daddy then pulling it while holding the stick. I tried to get the longest strand. Wax Bottles came in what looked like a milk bottle holder. They came in four flavors. When the bottles were empty, I chewed the wax. I always liked Semi-Sweet Hershey bars. I used to hold candy cigarettes between my fingers and pretend I was smoking. I even blew out imaginary smoke. The black Chuckles were my favorites. There were so many more. I never forget a chocolate bar.

When I was a kid, a penny had value. Every corner store had a glass case filled with boxes of penny candy. I had favorites like Fire Balls, Mary Jane’s, Bullseyes and those strips of colored dots on paper. Sometimes the paper stuck to the dots, and I’d just eat the paper along with the dots. We used to have contests with Fire Balls. The winner kept the hot ball in her mouth the longest. Sometimes I won.

This morning I had two pieces of rye toast with black mission fig jam and a few cups of coffee, Vietnamese coffee. They were a delightful way to start the day. 

Though the morning may be cloudy, it is warm and somewhat bright. It is actually 72°, for the first time this spring. I was out for a bit on the deck without my sweatshirt. It felt like a sort of seasonal freedom. 

When I was a kid, the future was a day away though I did keep track of how many days to the big events like Christmas, Halloween, my birthday and the end of school for the summer. I woke up every day, got dressed, ate breakfast, walked to school, sat at my desk for hours, walked home, changed out of school clothes and played until supper. I never thought my life was

repetitive. Every day seemed to bring something new. This time of year I watch the buds on the trees over the sidewalk turn into bright green leaves. I saw the shoots in gardens grow tall. I saw the buds appear. They were my favorites as soon enough yellow and white dafs bloomed and chased away drab winter. I sometimes skipped on the way to school. It felt joyful. 

I haven’t been back to my hometown for a long time. I haven’t been off cape. When I used to visit, I’d get off the exit where Spot Pond and the pool were. I liked to take Main Street all the way through the square. I never thought about it being called the square when I was growing up, but when I was older, I realized it was actually a square with a police box in the middle. We also used to call it up-town. Boston was in-town. I liked to remember what used to be there, in the square. Long gone are Woolworth’s and Grant’s, Hanks Bakery, the drug stores, the shoe factory, the small rectangular restaurant beside Finnegan’s Men’s Clothing Store, the shoemaker and the fish store. The 1978 movie The Brink’s Job filmed scenes in Stoneham Square as it still looked a if it had been caught in the 50’s. Stoneham burns brightly in my memories. 

My dance card has been empty of late, but I really don’t mind staying home as I have books and movies to keep me company. Today I have a uke concert, and I’ve been resting up for it. I’m ready.