I first encountered that phrase when I read Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind, as a teenager. What a curious phrase! And what a curious book! I’d discovered the book in an old box– it was a hardcover “Hollywood” edition published in 1940. It had beautiful color pictures from the movie version, all in Technicolor! It was probably a collector’s item, though I didn’t know it. Unfortunately, this favorited book of mine burned in a house fire in the 1980s, along with a vast collection of other books I’d collected (some printed as far back as 1870s).
I loved Gone With the Wind so much that I did my senior high term paper on it, “The Southern Woman Versus the Southern Lady.” It was about what the Southern woman had to do for survival in the Reconstruction days of post-Civil War era. My English teacher had said that in his 35 years of teaching English, I was the first to do a paper on Gone With the Wind, which surprised me.
Getting back to molasses in January, I’m thinking of that particular phrase because that is how I feel today– this glum, frigid day in January. I’m slow, the weather is slow, and New York travel has slowed to an absolute crawl. New York travel is so slow, it’s almost dead. Such is travel in the doldrums of winter. Travel attractions really don’t pick up until Memorial Day, although a few brave ones do begin trickling in around the Ides of March. It’s hard to find places to go in January. Too bad, because January is so dull, anyway: no gardening, no home improvement, no barbeques.
We have to drive out toward Syracuse in a week or two. I’m hoping I can dig up something to visit while we are out that way!
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January 28th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
How terribly sad that you lost all your books! I am really sorry to read it.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I deeply regret losing that book, and some of the others. some were so delightful! A Victorian lady’s encyclopedia of decorum and womanhood (had the weirdest recipes, too) from the 1880s. A children’s book of nursery rhymes, with original lithographs (1879). They all burned, as well as all my artwork and paintings I’d done through the years. Needless to say, I’m a bit jumpy about house fires! Thanks for your sentiments. Life goes on.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Have you thought of doing a driving tour of cobblestone buildings when you head toward Syracuse? I wrote a guidebook called “Cobblestone Quest - Road Tours of New York’s Historic Buildings” that tells the history of building with cobblestones and provides 17 driving tours to see these pioneer unique structures. One of the tours is just west of Syracuse. You can view parts of the book at footprintpress.com. If you’d agree to do a cobblestone tour (some day - not necessarily with your upcoming trip) and write about it in your blog, I’d be glad to send you a free copy. Just email me your mailing address.
Also, for ideas of things to do around New York State, you might want to peruse my blog: newyorkoutdoors.wordpress.com
January 28th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Hello, Sue, and thanks for visiting. I usually frown on links in my comments, but your websites seemed genuine and genuinely interesting!
I’ve actually never heard of cobblestone tours. I’ll do some searching about it, as it sounds interesting. My husband loves cobblestone houses.
I’ll be linking to you on my blogroll. Maybe you’d do the same for me.
Looks like I have a new NY traveler friend!
January 29th, 2008 at 1:03 am
How funny! My husband always tells our Lambies that they are “slower than molasses in the winter”. I didn’t know it came from Gone With the Wind. I have read it, but it didn’t register!
I appreciate your thoughtful remarks in regard to my comment on Life in a Shoe. We all have lots to think about!
Blessings!
January 29th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Howdy, Momma, and thanks for visiting! I can’t remember who said it– maybe Scarlett was complaining about… what was the name of the young slave girl portrayed by Butterfly McQueen? I plumb forgot!
The conversation is always lively at Life in a Shoe, especially when it comes to politics!
Thanks for visiting. God bless!
February 6th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Prissy! The young slave girl in Gone With the Wind was named Prissy. Took me a few days to remember that, lol.