The Key

Memories unfold like scents carried on the wind one breath of lilac, crisp bacon, coffee, or freshly toasted bread can transport us back in time.

For me, the scent of mothballs lingers strongest, forever tied to the narrow, enclosed staircase in my grandparents farmhouse. That dark passage, designed to keep the main floor warm, held the scent of stored goods, protected from tiny pests by the sharp odor of mothballs. It was a place of mystery, a gateway to adventure in a home that stood firm through the Great Depression and the harsh Dakotah winters.

Winters were so fierce that children, including my parents, were sent to stay with town families where school remained open. Meanwhile, my grandparents and other farmers kept their coal-heated homes running, waiting for the plows to carve paths through the deep snowdrifts.

Even in summer, the house carried its secrets. The coal cellar and hidden storage areas held the whispers of the past, each one an invitation to adventure.

Mary Callaghan is an author that grew up in Montana and spent much of her summertime youth on the family homestead/farms of her relatives in the Dakotas. She is an accomplished musician in Celtic drumming and teacher of social sciences and aerospace studies. As a parent she has been blessed with her two sons, Gavin and Brady. They are the inspiration behind her writing and have been making their home in Colorado since 2000.