My Favorite Childhood Memory is.....
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Sweet thread! One of my favorite memories is going up to visit at my Grandparents tree farm in N.J. We were little and he would take us out in a hay filled wagon attached to his tractor and he would talk about all the different types of trees and such until we got to this special place and there was the " surprise garden" he said he never knew what might come up as it was a magical place - peppermint trees, lollipops on stems, licorice bushes, salt water taffy stalks, you name it it was all there and we were just so excited. We talked about it for years! He was the manager of the old Haddon Hall Hotel on the Boardwalk which is now Resorts International and we would have such fun acting like Eloise having the full run of the Hotel. My Grandparents were just amazing and have wonderful memories of being up there with them in the country at the farm and on the boardwalk in Atlantic City and The Miss America Pagent! All wonderful memories.
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stanzie,
oh, how magical indeed. Did you ever read The Mouse and the Motorcyle series? Didn't he have full run of a huge house? I just thought of that...just go with me on it
This is the kind of memory that makes me wish I had children. I'd love to hear more!0 -
I don't know the mouse and the motorcycle but we used to read Anatole about the french mouse that becmes a cheese taster - it so cute - there was a whole series which I'd love to have for my kids, I just have the one book.
My Mom was also into creating magic for children - like the way she must have spent hours arranging all our Christmas presents in fun creative ways - always such a fantastic display - no boxes or packaging of any kind and all set up drawing us into the world of pretend play - I remember one present which was this cute rolling carwith different levels (aka Beverly Hillbillies style but nice) with this family of bear all in cute clothes. She had it all set up with a forrest scene and a picnic and such it was wonderful. Then on Christmas Eve she would throw rocks up on the roof for Santa's reindeer and go though the house with sleighbells. At Easter she used to handpaint all the real eggs she dyed and she was a wonderful artist I remember one that was robin's egg blue with a hill and painted on the hill was a single cherry blossom tree blowing in the wind. Another was an underwater scene with tropical fish and coral and sea horses. Wish we had taken pictures and I can't believe we cracked those works of art open and ate the eggs! I try and do things magical like my Mom did but how she did it all I'll never know. Thanks for letting me share.
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Stanzie,
Wow, just love it! She must have just loved doing this for you all, and I enjoyed reading it. Keep em coming, I love love love to escape into other worlds. I've been told it's because I am a Pisces
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Bonnie,
I've decided to believe in fairies again, I think it would be best
Alright, as we all know, there is a downside to childhood, so I thought I would share a very special memory with you all. Back to the Jarts game...we used to play this quite a bit, and we would often forgo the throwing part, and play "hula hoop" with the plastic rings. Mom and Dad had their annual picnic in our back yard...and it seemed like a great time to get out the Jarts game and start showing off our hula hoop skills. There I was with my sister, pre-hips, workin it, workin that hula hoop! I got some serious speed going, and then...it became clear why it is not marketed as a hula hoop. There is a flimsy plastic piece that holds it together. In my case, this became the past tense of "held it together." Off it flew, over my head, grabbing air, arcing over the guests to land roughly around the neck of one of the guests.
This was a special guest, my father's boss. The "hula hoop" made a few more rotations for effect, and my Dad's boss gallantly kept on with his potato salad, until it became clear he needed to address his unsightly plastic necklace. He laughed while I stood there and peed in my cute little "onesie." I could hear the laughter as I ran off upstairs to deal with my costume malfunction, alright, bladder malfunction.
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Bonnie,
Oh my God....that's hilarious! I am laughing so hard right now, can you hear me?
Sweet Dreams
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Very good Gg08-Bonnie, Can You do more then one?
I like to make cookies in my Bisquick kids oven.
Welcome Stanzie
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Oh Bonnie ! If only you had that one tape!!!! One of those things you could never do if you were trying for it. So glad your Dad's boss had a sense of humor. I know your were embarrassed but having a fabulous story makes up for it totally!!! Thanks.
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Bonnie,
I think it's sad that you keep trying to pin that story on me.
O.K., tonights little ditty is called Clogs, brought to you by the 7th Grade, circa 1979, the year of Dr. Scholls, Candies and Wooden Clogs. All worn by the Mean Girls.
I wanted clogs so badly, and not just any clog...they had to be a special wooden clog that looked fabulous with jeans. I knew exactly the kind I wanted, as every "top shelf" girl had them. Having a size 10 foot (I'm 5 10 1/2) always made getting cool shoes hard, and my clogs were no exception. I looked everywhere, as this was going to make or break my 7th grade experience. But the cool ones were gone, snapped up by all the popular girls? I was bereft, but determined. The only pair I could find were a full inch taller than your average clog (drag queen anyone?) They were shellacked wood, maroon plether with a tassle, and oddly shaped. Truly not top shelf. But I was determined to pretend I was cool, and so off I went to Junior High, holding my bright new folders and walking in with my best friend Stephanie.
Maybe I wasn't overly clog savvy. Perhaps I had not practiced enough on dry land? Or maybe it was the wet tile as we walked in through the big double doors, that caused my clogs to begin to wobble, and then shake. I walked faster, as if to catch up with my clogs. But they were way ahead of me now, and starting to take sides, as if I had one foot on either side of the Red Sea as it parted. Yes, this was becoming Biblical. And then down I went, like a giant Red Wood tree in the forest....clogs airborne, my folders flew up, then seemed to gently float down around my sprawled body. I could hear the echoes of laughter in the hallway. I had introduced myself to many people that morning, from the floor up.
You would think my friend Stephanie would have been a help. No, she was doubled over laughing after having ran away behind the next set of doors. We are still friends, and yes I got her back.
Clogs.
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Whoops I keep getting people and replies confused on all sorts of threads.
Oh my the clog story is funny in hindsight but I can imagine how painful it must have been at the time. I guess we all have those stories....
Mine - for graduation it was a combination Baccalaurette / graduation where we wore white dresses in the big Cathedral. Well I had on a lovely white long dress and brand new shoes. I walked across stage shook hands with the headmaster to recieve my diploma and bible and preceded down the steps. So after two steps I thought whew I made it. Well there were these other six steps I somehow miscalculated so down I went and my shoe went flying down the aisle where I yelled my shoe went that way as 6 men are in pictures picking me up off the floor in front of 2000. people. They apparently talked about not doing what I did for years after I graduated.
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Stanzie, no offense, but I am laughing at your story. Hee! I love a good wipe out story (where only feelings are hurt.)
It's always when we are dressed to the nines, family in the audience, then....you become a what not to do story. Legendary.
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How about a game of twister
or Operation
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Loved those games! Can you imagine playing twister now? I have to call for Paramedics to be on standby.
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Thanks for the memories, ladies. I'm now online surfing for toe socks!
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riley, LOL.
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This one may send shivers down your spine, so brace yourselves!!!
The dreaded Dorothy Hamill Haircut, and yes, I looked the fool in it. So did all of my barbies after I gave them their new do's.
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Silly putty
Mcalls Magazine had cut out paper dolls
Girl scout cookies I sold for 50cents
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Foots, did you ever take your Silly putty, put it over the Sunday comics, and "pull up" the image onto your silly putty?
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Yes, I was told it was magic.
I did clay or play dough too
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I had a bit of a "run in" with playdough. I took all four colors, and set them out on my folding arts and crafts table, pulled up my chair....and "tucked in."
So I was sitting at the table, eating my play dough (ummm salty) and comparing colors, when the cellar door opened. I heard my father shouting "NO! PUT THAT DOWN! " I jumped up about five feet in the air, and spun around to see a look of sheer terror on my Dad's face. For the life of me, I couldn't sort out what the problem was. Just like that, my playdough dinner was over, and no dessert. I thought I had set such a lovely table too.
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Wow, what is in play dough that would make your dad react like that? Now they have recipes that you can make that are totally harmless but when I taught pre-school we would make up those batches and yes the kids loved to eat it. Funny it was your Dad and not you Mom! I'm betting the table was quite lovely and do you remember if you got a stomach ache at all?
reminds me of a weird story my Mom used to tell about my sister. She is sort of an odd duck but when she was little my Mom was having a small group of adults over for dinner out on the patio. My other sister and I were there and apparently some of her friends asked where my other sister was ( I was little probably 3 or something). Mother sort of hemmed and hawed about this not really wanting to tell. Finally they prodded it out of her. She was sitting all closed up in the garage which was fairly dark eating chipped beef on toast singingl loudly to her imaginary friends and wouldn't have come out for anything she was so happy!
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How about Bozo the clown, Lamb chop and Sheri Lewis.
Captain Kangroo,
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Bonnie,
you fell for the your mom is calling trick, LOLOLOL! Oh lordy, this was before hair extensions too. was it along the lines of a Dorothy Hamill or a John Denver? Cookie Champ, let me guess, were you a Girl Scout? I had a traumatic experience with the local Brownie Troups, and was so traumatized, I never went any further up the Corporate Girl Scout Ladder. Wow, yes I do remember shrinky dinks!
Stanzie,
My brother in law described our family as "scared bunny rabbits," so I think Dad was just reactionary. Little does he know I used to eat our "flour maps" and dried noodles. No I don't have pica
The story about your sister is hilarious. Chipped beef on toast...in the dark, whilst singing. You can't make that stuff up. any chance she joined the military for the cuisine alone? 0 -
I was a brownie and my mom was the leader, It
wasn't as fun, My mom was serious with me
I still have my girl scout pin.
Remember when Jiify Pop came out
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Ladies!!!!!!!!!!! Wow....I logged on...and went through the last 4 pages I had not read...and THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I LOVE all of these fun, crazy, and simple memories!!
Foots....I made tents out of blankets too! The boy next door, had plastic pipes, we used to hold them up! And rocks....not only did we look for them, but we would collect them, paint them..and take them door to door in our neighborhood to sell them!! haha...there was always one sweet elderly man, Mr. Mernah, and he always bought whatever it was that us kids were selling! I remember Capt. Kangaroo too! We must be around the same age. And silly putty was magical with the Sunday comics. I have bought some for my grandson, and showed him the same "magic"!
Squid...are you a comedian, or a writer? You are very funny, and have such a way with words! Like you....I would snack on play dough quite often! It was yummy...I am a salt nut to this day! The tv shows you mentioned...also were some I had not thought of in awhile. My fav. tv show was Bewitched!! I loved Elizabeth Montgomery and wanted her to be my mom...twitch her nose..and make anything appear or disapear!. I also remember the telephone party line. How strange to think of that happening now!
Bonnie...I had to laugh at the toe sock story!! I will go with "believing" that your mom WASHED those things everynight while you were sleeping! I actually had a pair that was the same...rainbow striped...and all...very cool!
Stallzie....the surprise garden that your grandfather had for you.....was just magical!! What awesome grandparents..and parents it sounds like you had!! Very blessed!
I will be thinking about all of these wondeful memories....all evening!!
Keep them coming.....
xoxo
Lisa
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oh yeah....Foots....I still have my brownie pin too!
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Lisa,
I am just wacky, that's all
I really like the idea of pulling up memories from times gone by. Little snippets of life that we share due to age, that helps define us. I mean, we had the Brady Bunch and Eight is Enough. All in the Family was actually more cutting edge than the shows now, as it was not geared towards being politically correct, but real. Now we have teens growing up watching Bad Girls, The Kardashians and Paris Hilton's BFF. I think we got the best of it. I am a fan of children's books for their multi-layered humor, and have thought about how to write a book for women going through chemo and treatment, where they can escape into another world. One that is safe, full of loving memories, tastes like chicken noodle soup, and you can hear the crackling or a fire in the fireplace as you turn the pages. Maybe we can all do that together.
plus, I had so many humiliating trials growing up (the 70's and 80's were not pretty to look at) that I need online therapy. This is as close as I can get right now.
But it's a great thread...nice and uplifting. We need more or that.
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gg08-bonnie- doesn't it always figure things like this happen just in time for school pictures! Do you have that picture by chance?
Squidwitch - my sister didn't join the military but I can see what that would be logical. What she did do was later to sign on to be a cook on a sailing ship even though cooking was the last thing on earth she could do. Apparently the poor shipmates were stuck will cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew! anyway it worked out as she later married the captin and they are still happily married today.
oh and Squidwitch I saw you had a Dorothy Hamill haircut well I must be a lot older I had a Peter Tork hair cut - why?? It actully wasn't too bad and I loved it at the time just seems strange now.
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Well, it's a good thing that the way to my dh's heart was NOT through hos stomach. When we were going out he told me his favorite food was fried chicken. So I made it one night. Even though I was a fairly good cook let us just say, the chicken was not a success but it sure didn't matter since we got engaged later that night.
The really funny part is - after we got married we moved to Toronto (where dh is from) and I learned from his mother that the "fried chicken" he was raving about was actually oven-fried chicken (baked with a crumb coating). She showed me how she made it and he still loves it.
Leah
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Stanzie,
I got such a kick out or your Sister's Dinty Moore Beef Stew love potion. Maybe if I put a little dab behind each ear, and behind each knee I could get myself a hubby? I have heard rumors of bacon bath oil to lure the men. Or Bears and wild game, whichever came first.
Leah_S, just love how you became engaged that fateful chicken night. The fateful part being the chicken itself.
So yesterday, I happened upon my neighbor's book sale, and I am going to go get my "new" books...A Wrinkle in Time, and two others I have not read by the same author (Madeleine l'engle) and.....Brace yourselves.....Little House on the Prairie Series!!!! ten bucks for ten books.
I may just Tester over there....
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
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