TALES FROM THE BAYOU: Don’t Rain On My Parade

Fall cocoa.jpg

 

Fall is probably my favorite time of the year. I’m far enough north to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Far enough north to have to wear a jacket to ward off the crisp autumn breeze once the season changes. And Fall always reminds me of growing up in the swamps where my mother performed the same ritual every school year when the weather changed from muggy, humid summer to cooler, wetter Fall.

I love rainy weather. The steady drum of raindrops on tin roofs. The drip, drip of droplets off leaves and gutters. And the sidewalk puddles to dance around or stomp through. But the further into Fall, the greater the chance my mother would have to prepare for her “babies” to slosh into the house after battling wind and rain on the way home from school.

There were three things I could always depend on after a long, rain drenched walk home on a chilly Fall afternoon…

 

HOT TOWELS

 

Our houses always had space heaters. Those clunky…take up a lot of space…heaters that could burn a layer of skin off your backside if you got too close, but offered little other warmth outside it’s immediate vicinity. But the one thing those heaters COULD provide was super toasty warm towels Mother would wrap us in once we shed our wet clothes, steam rising from shivering bodies as we dried off.

 

HOT COCOA

 

Cooler weather always meant the arrival of Mother’s homemade hot cocoa. Using a large gumbo pot, she would always have a vat of that chocolate deliciousness ready for us once we were in dry clothes again. 

 

A WHOLE HEAP OF LOVE

 

My mother wasn’t a person to shower her children with words of love. She was a no nonsense woman who fiercely protected her children and did everything in her power to provide for their health and well being. To me, those towels and mugs of hot cocoa wrapped me in more love than words ever could. Even now, decades later, all I have to do is close my eyes during a November rain to bring back the warmth and love of my childhood homecomings…

 

****************

 

***WINNERSS***WINNERS***WINNERS***

 

The winners of the Ship of Dreams Amazon reviewers contest have been selected. Congratulations to all the winners! I only have “handles” for many of you. Please private message me with your names and addresses so I can send you your prizes! 

@thewytchinghourblog

@drdeacondog

@bryanlunsford3425

@aliciafreeman40

@shayleenem

@roseharrydawson

@deerwood

Carrie Belaire

Holly McCoy

 

************.

 

donna - Copy

 

Best selling, award-winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest chapter book series is called HISTORY’S MYSTERIES. Book One, Ship of Dreams, is available in eBook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers. Also, coming to the Titanic Museums in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Book Two, A Chocolate Train Wreck, was released in November.

 

Donna L

Hybrid award winning author; aspiring sketch artist; and 4th Degree Senior Certified Taekwondo Instructor. Host of BOOK NOOK REVIEWS. Member of SCBWI. Mom to fabulous son and adventurer delving into the tricky world of indie-publishing.

2 thoughts on “TALES FROM THE BAYOU: Don’t Rain On My Parade

  • November 11, 2019 at 4:05 pm
    Permalink

    I made some of that homemade cocoa for your son when he was in high school so he could taste a bit of our childhood treat. He loved it. Another of Mother’s rainy Fall traditions was our indoor parties. She had a special box full of kid friendly recipes and games that she only brought out on rainy days. You were very young and I’m not sure if you remember them. I think of those parties when it rains in the Fall.

    Reply
  • November 11, 2019 at 4:08 pm
    Permalink

    If some of those rainy day parties involved our “clubhouse” under the dining room table, then yes, I remember them.

    Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *