Yesterday I wrote on the two forums that I am on about what I would love to relive with my family for one day. The response was so precious. Ladies were thinking back in time on their favorite days. and writing me back. I would love for you to respond to me if you don't mind. I don't care how long it is.
I just turned 57 this year. I don't feel like I am old, but I am not young either. It has been 15 years since I have been to Alaska. I have not been back home and I still want to go at least one more time. If I could go I would want to take all 18 of my immediate family with me. I would show them all the things I did growing up homesteading with my parents and siblings in Alaska. I would have them all walk the road I used to walk every Sat. and we would walk to the Mendenhall Glacier and sit at the counter and eat chili with oyster crackers. We would then climb the mountain behind the glacier and look out at Auke Lake where as a child my family would go ice skating. In the evening we would build a big fire in the middle of the lake for light and I would teach all 9 of my grandchildren how to ice skate. The next day we would drive out to Eagle River and have a picnic on the beach and look out at the ocean. Then all of us would get into a big boat and go salmon fishing , so they could possible see a big whale like I did as a child. Maybe it would bump our boat to tell us that he new we were there. I wasn't scared then, but I sure think I would be now. I would still want my children to see a whale though. We would go out into the fields and pick a huge bouquet of lupins, Alaska cotton and fireweed, (maybe that is why I love flowers, we had lots of beautiful wild flowers in Alaska). We couldn't miss getting a large coffee can with rope tied on each side just like my Gramma did for me and then go to the woods to pick a million blueberries. I would love to see the blueberry stains on my babies faces!!!! I would show them lots more things like, have them swing in the highest swing my daddy made for me, so they could touch the sky, we would go on the beach and lift rocks to find the little sea animals, fish on the side of the dock for herring and come back and cook it on an open fire, we would gather tadpoles from other lakes and bring them back to the pond my Grandpa gave me, walk in the rain by the Governors' Mansion and pull at the trees to bring down a ton of rain on us and so many other things. Before we left we would all have to go on a huge ferry ship (like I did all the time growing up), we would all sleep on the sleeping deck snuggled in sleeping bags and we would look up in the sky and see the big dipper (seen on the Alaskan flag), the Aurora Borealis and the Milky Way, way up in the sky doing their Alaskan dance. I would relive with my family all the wonderful memories I had living in Alaska. It is my dream and I have it in my mind and I trust that one day I can have it in real life.
I am a huge memory maker with my children and grandchildren. I didn't have the easiest upbringing, but I guess I choose to keep the good memories in my mind. I think that is why my husband and I have so many Grammie and Poppa Camps with all of our grandchildren. So that they will one day want to come to the farm and bring their little ones and walk their children through some of their childhood memories that they had growing up here on our farm.
These are just a few of my memories. I would so love to hear a memory you would want to relive with your family or maybe just a dream that you have.
Blessings, LindaBlessings,
Linda
Oh Linda, Thanks for this post. It's great. I too did not have the best childhood, hence married at age 14! I do however like you remember a lot of good times very vividly though. I have helped my grandchildren experience a lot of my favorite things to do over the years but there are still a lot more I need to show them.
ReplyDeletePlaying in the creek with my cousins and building a fort nearby out of twigs. I loved the moss covered rocks and would pretend it was my green carpet in my home. The shade was so refreshing as the days were so hot. Kids today just don't know how to have fun playing in a creek unless it has a big swimming hole dug out for them.
Riding horses and ponies with my best friend, who is now my niece, and another friend from school. We would pack a picnic lunch and ride way back up in the woods tie the horses and have a great lunch. We would laugh and talk for hours!
One memory that was a lot of fun at the time was of my uncle, aunt and their 2 sons. We lived about 2 hours from them and my father and his brother coon hunted at least every other weekend. We would travel to each others house for the weekend. The men would go out hunting and stay out half the night or all night and the boys would go out on dates. My mom, my aunt and I would go shopping and always go out somewhere to eat. The men didn't like eating out so this was a treat for all of us girls. Both the ladies would drink just enough suds to get a little tipsy and be a lot of fun. They would come home and play records and we would dance around the house and sing at the top of our lungs. The cousins would come in from their dates and join in. We would have a ball. I know it wasn't the cleanest form of family fun but it was about the best I could get with my family. I always said I thought I was adopted and my uncle and aunt were my parents. They are both ailing quickly, he is in a nursing home and she has dementia and 24 hour care. It breaks my heart to see them like this now. A lot of my favorite times as a child was centered around them. I have a record player and a lot of the same old country and rock albums that we used to play back in the 70's. My grandkids have listened to some of them and danced around the living room with me. One night a couple years ago my daughter and grandaughter and I did the twist with Chubby Checker while my daughter and I had hair color on our hair!!! LOL!!
As a child my parents were always on the water either boating or camping. My husband was not raised like that so I had to fight really hard to ever get a boat or go camping. We now have the boat and a place at the lake and the grandkids all love it. I hope I have helped them to make some wonderful childhood memories!
You said the comment could be a long one!!
What great memories! It would be nice to pass those on!
ReplyDeleteI have yet another memory that just escaped my mind last night when I was writing my book above. LOL!!! I just had to share this one.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child we had an amusement park in the next county over called Lakeside. OMG What fun we had there. We would beg for ever and finally get to go as a treat for being good all year I guess. Seemed we only went once a year. Usually right before school started and right after school shopping so I had something really cool to wear!!!!! Cost was $7 to get in.....hahaha. I have so many really great memories from that little place. It was torn down when my children were just babies and there is a strip mall there now. I know my grandchildren would love it and I sure wish I could take them there.
Enough out of me now ;-)
Take care,
Becky
I am about the same age as you. My childhood was quite bizarre, but we lived close to the Atlantic ocean and I have many happy memories of digging for bottles, beads, beach glass, collecting mussels to eat, etc. The water is so cold we never stayed in the water for lonf.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started taking my children to the beach I made a resolution not to pick up anything, and I didn't bring a container, so of course I ended up with two clogs full of treasure. I love the trees, we used to buils alittle tree house every summer and we had a canvas hammock between the big horse chestnut and an oak tree. The milk was delivered, set in a wooden box under the horsechestnut tree, placed in the ditch. My father didn't want the milman to run us over, so he wouldn't let him don our driveway. My favorite visitor was the fish man, who would come very early in the morning, He had all sorts of fish on ice in the back of the truck. I would interrogate him about the fish, and he was always very patient with me, identifying all the bits and pieces.
I guess the one thing I treasure about my childhood is we never had a television in the summer, so I got to read so many books, and enjoy reading on a tiny little ships bed in one of the third floor roos of our house. My children are 22 an d25 and they have been bombarded with information all their lives. I tried to shelter them from some of it, because it is such a burden to be pounded with information about everything, very seldom do you hear anything good on the national news, etc. I homeschooled my kids from sixth grade on, and that was a treat. I was sent to boarding school at age 6. I finally managed to be bad enough to get kicked out of a school when I was thirteen...
Wow, what a blabbermouth I am today. I really enjoyed reading your story and all the comments. Your blog is very nice! Karin
Ladies, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your heart!! I loved reading your stories. They were so rich and full. I tell my grandchildren and children my stories. I want them to remember the fun things I did as a kid, but I have warned them of the evils that they need to stay away from. Sounds like you all do the same.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate that you wrote so much. I feel like I really got to know you! Thank you so much again.
Blessings, Linda