Thinking about, without actually, reading

Today the weather was fine. Never in my life would I have thought I'd ever think 59 degrees Fahrenheit "warm", but there you have. Compared to -15 it's beautiful.

 I have been thinking about reading recently. I don't have a lot of time, and I waste what time I have. Today, though, we spoke a little about Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, a throwback to freshman year of high school for most of us. It made me nostalgic, and now I am sitting in the quad because the weather is fine and because I want to be quiet and think about reading.

I am thinking about Winter nights when the sun went down sooner. Naturally, it didn't actually, but that's how I like thinking about it. I am thinking of the frost on my mother's car when she came in to pick me up from school. She used to smell like mint, if it was near Christmas time, because her old company used to hang garlands that smelled inexplicably of it. Some bizarre, likely carcinogenic air freshening agent, no doubt.

I am remembering how I used to be sprawled on my stomach, hanging upside down from chairs, or curled on my side, reading. I always pretended not to see her.

I am remembering the warm light in our old house, the way it was absorbed by the pages of a book. It was so wonderful to read about other people eating when I was skinny and hungry, and then go down and eat. I used to like reading at the table, something my parents never tolerated.

I am remembering also the shed in the garden, where I liked to repair to, with a glass of milk and a bag of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. I read Pollyanna there, and Helen Keller's autobiography. I also read some book about a boy named Jeb, and his friend, Onion John. I can't remember what it's called.

It smelled so musty in there. It was always too warm, and I don't know why I liked hiding in there so much. Maybe it was that no one ever thought to look for me there.

When we spoke of To Kill a Mockingbird, I also thought of Pan, and Asta Solilja, and Per Petterson. I should like someday to go to Norway.

It is already 5, and the light has not gone. It was fine today.