This morning, I was reminded of how beautiful the snow is as it glistens under the first light of day. As I looked out my window, the winter wonderland transported me back to a time that seems not so long ago.
When I was a girl, I attended Cliffside Elementary School and one of the most exciting times for us was when a "snow day" was declared. Now, all of the kids who went to school there lived within a reasonable distance and many of us could walk to each other's houses. When it snowed in Cliffside, our favorite place to meet was the Bissette's house on Stimson Street. Our friend, Kim lived there and her mother was the queen of hospitality where young people were concerned. After enduring the layering of warm clothing by our own mothers, we began the trek; no less than ten kids would come (sometimes many more) and we would prepare ourselves with sleds, lunchroom trays and a variety of objects that would slide. After a quick inventory, we would walk down Stimson Street and then cut through the road that wasn't a road anymore until we got to 221-A. If it was frozen, we would slide down the road in front of the funeral home. If we got bored there, we trudged up the street until we got to the big hill near Cliffside Church (a Dollar General is there now.) We would spend hours sliding, building forts and having snowball fights--what fun!
After we got bored, hungry, tired, cold or any combination of those, we would drag ourselves back to the Bissette's house. Mrs. Bissette would always welcome us--all of us--with open arms. I remember that when she was still mobile, she would take our wet coats and gloves and dry them for us. She would fix homemade hot chocolate and nearly always had a pan of very large sourdough biscuits ready for us to devour. The best biscuits had a small chunk of cheese tucked inside and if you got one of those, it was like gold! We would always end up in the Bissette living room, where Mr. Bissette kept a roaring fire in the woodstove, and we laughed, talked, sang and played games. If the weather got really bad, Mrs. Bissette would invite us all to spend the night--boys AND girls, but don't get any ideas. This family were strong Christians and Mr.Bissette would see that the boys stayed downstairs in their son's room, which was next door to his bedroom and all of the girls would go upstairs and lock ourselves in Kim's room. Then, the next day, we would do it over again.
It seems like it snowed for days when I was a girl and I could almost promise that we were out for a week every time. The Bissette's don't live in Cliffside anymore; Mrs. Bissette and her son passed away and Kim and Mr. Bissette moved away, like so many from our beloved mill town. But the memories of those Cliffside snow days are tucked away and when the first flakes begin to fall each year--regardless of where I am--I am a girl once again.
Such sweet memories! Does a heart good! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Jana.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joyful memory that I'm so thankful to have. I remember Jeff Conner hitting me in the face with a frozen snowball!! Gloves that would be soaking wet and not caring. Warm fire at Ms. Thelma's! I forgot about the sleepovers!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I loved but my mom hated, was late at night, listening to the pines crack, heavy with ice! I miss the quiet of Cliffside. And it was never so quiet as it was on a snowy night.
It's been 13 years since I've been to Cliffside or the house on Washington St. Oh! Guess who lived in the Bissette house before them?? Some people named the Millers. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane!!