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Hello! Hope all is well with you. This entry is longer than what I normally put in, but I do hope you get a chance to read it.

Recently, I was lying in bed and began thinking about my childhood, so I thought I would put my favorite little adventures in a blog. Life moved slower and was simple then, and I will always treasure those days.

CHILDHOOD IS A TIME FOR KIDS TO USE THEIR IMAGINATIONS TO BE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO OR PLAY UNTIL THEIR HEARTS’ CONTENT.

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I remember…. playing secretary, teacher, post office, and house. It was always fun setting up a pretend classroom or office and cutting out cardboard boxes to make cabinets for my kitchen to go along with my Easy Bake oven. My friends and I would raise one of the windows in our house and use it as a post office window. We would take turns being the postal worker, handing out mail.

I remember….winning first prize at our church’s Halloween contest. My mother’s sister sent a kimono and obi attire from Japan, geta shoes and all. Mom dressed me from head to toe, and I even went trick-or-treating in that costume. What a hard time it was keeping up with my sisters in those shoes and tight little slip! LOL

I remember…. one Christmas I got a doll that I had wanted for some time. Little did I know, that each day Mom lovingly crochet and knitted an entire wardrobe for her when I was away at school, hoping Santa thought I had been good enough to leave her under the tree for me. You can imagine my excitement when I saw not only the doll with her high chair and bed, but all of the beautiful clothes that Mom had made.

I remember…. playing with dolls until I was almost 12 years old. Do little girls do that today? I know when I was teaching 3rd grade, most of them had lost interest by then.

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I remember…. sleigh riding after a big snow. Piling on the sled with friends and laughing all the down the hill was a thrill and then wondering if we would come to a stop before hitting the fence.

I remember…. Brownie meetings after school and all of the fun activities my Brownie leader planned for us. When it was time for Day Camp, I really looked forward to the trips to the big farm house in the country and sitting in a large circle singing songs like Kumbaya.

I remember….to add some fun to the boring bus ride home, I would sit in the back seat, so when the bus hit the bumps in the road, it would send me bouncing up and down, giggling.

I remember....being a sandlot cheerleader, cheering at football games and participating in the high school Homecoming and Christmas parades. What a thrill it was to ride with the squad in a convertible through the town's streets.

I remember….passing small notes through ink pens back and forth in class with my best friend. We would write a note, roll it up, and stuff it inside, then say, “Can I borrow your pen?” On it went, and the teacher never caught us.

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I remember…. in the summer staying outside most of the day playing with friends. It was safe to walk to their homes, go throughout the neighborhood and to the store to buy our favorite penny candies without an adult. There was no need to worry about what danger might be lurking around the corner.

I remember…. making jump ropes from long vines. They could be any length I wanted.

I remember….the big apple tree in our backyard and climbing to my favorite branch to sit and eat apples. The taste of the apples was sweet and juicy, though I did like the sour ones before they ripened and adding salt made them even better.

I remember….catching lightning bugs and putting them in a jar, then taking the jar to the bedroom. It was fascinating to lie there watching those little insects light up. There was no need for a night light.

I remember….the humming birds that flocked to our fence in the front yard where orange trumpet vines grew. Trying to catch one was always a challenge, and to my dismay they were just too fast fluttering about from one flower to the other. To this day, I’m still amazed at how quickly these tiny delicate creatures move their wings. Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a hummingbird.

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I remember…. lying in the grass looking up at the clouds and giving names to whatever shape they took, imagining how neat it would be to sit on a soft, puffy cloud and if I could do that, I would be able to see my entire town.

I remember….how much I loved listening to the stories Mom translated from her Japanese story books before my nap each day. I would listen so intently, until slowly drifting off to sleep.

I remember….Friday was hotdog night and piling into the car with family on the weekend to go to the Drive-In Theatre. Several stores also gave away free movie tickets to the downtown indoor theatre during the summer for any kid that wanted to take advantage of them. It was always packed, including the balcony.

I remember…. anxiously waiting for the ice cream truck that came down our street. I couldn’t wait to see what my choice of flavor would be for that day. Even now, an ice cream truck comes through our neighborhood but ever so rarely, not like it used to be. But when it does, the memories of my childhood come flooding back.

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Goodness! I guess I better stop or this blog will be way too long to read. LOL It was fun reminiscing about the past. Hope you enjoyed my entry, and it helped to remind you of your special childhood memories.

Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet and heartwarming comments!

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God bless and take care!

Love and hugs,

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Love,

Barbara