I was planning to continue with that "Post of the Day" list from long ago, but when I started thinking about just the sights and smells of my childhood, I became lost in so many full memories that couldn't just be limited to a simple visualization or aroma. So, instead, I thought I'd share a few snippets of very random memories I stumbled across.
- Surprises were the norm throughout my childhood. I remember when my sister and I were told, "if you clean up the playroom, we'll buy you a Nintendo." It took an entire day to clean and organize the room (I think we probably did a lot of playing in the middle of cleaning...). When we were finished, we asked if it was too late to go out and buy the Nintendo that very day. "Sorry, you'll have to wait until tomorrow." But then, suddenly, the Nintendo appeared, having already been purchased and in-house. What an awesome surprise!! Then, of course, there's the classic, "No, no, no, we're not the owners" event when we were given our first horse. I remember the Christmas we found a surprise computer, in the shower. Or, there was the day when Mom would pick us up from school for a "doctor's appointment", and we were surprisingly whisked away to Disneyland. I have always loved surprises, and I think my parents set the bar pretty high early in my life.
- Dogs, fish, ducks, horses, rats, cats, a bunny, guinea pigs...my childhood was filled with loving animal companions. I deeply regret feeling that caring for some of the pets was a bothersome chore, but I do have fantastic memories of bonding with all of them, especially the dogs and horses. I miss them all very much but am so glad to have carried that love of animals into adulthood.
- I remember watching "Fiddler on the Roof" while laying in the back of the car, driving between California and Oregon. Homemade beef jerky was one the favored treats, and the many stops along the way were always fun - "brown water", Anderson's split pea soup, "horse gone". I distinctly remember one trip, we were staying overnight at a hotel, and it happened to be Easter. I was worried that the Easter Bunny wouldn't visit us because we weren't at home; sure enough, we woke up to eggs hidden around the hotel room and baskets full of treats. What a clever bunny!
- The worst illness/injury I remember as a child was when I stepped on a bee. I was at a horse camp, having a water day of some sort. We were running around barefoot on a clover field, and I felt a sharp pain in my foot. I hobbled over to the port-o-potty and asked one of the other campers to go get an adult. She came back shortly and told me that the adult said, "Don't worry, you're ok", but no one was coming to help me. I asked her to go again, and finally an adult came. Apparently, this little "helper" had said I was upset because there were bees around me...she didn't mention I had actually been stung.
- We moved...a lot. It wasn't a negative experience, and while I can't say I had a favorite house, I do know my least favorite was the Schoolhouse Creek house. This was the first house we moved into when we arrive in Oregon, and it was up a long, dark, dirt road, slightly up a mountain. At the bottom of the mountain was an old graveyard. I absolutely hated driving passed the graveyard every time we came home or went out, especially if it was at night. But just knowing the graveyard was nearby made me extremely uneasy in the house itself. I was so relieved when we moved.
- I loved watching my sister play video games. While I would play them once in a while, I was much happier just watching.
- I remember the day my parents told us they were getting a divorce. It was really shocking, but my biggest concern was where my dad was going to live and how I was going to be able to still spend time with both parents. But there was no divorce, and life continued on almost as if the conversation never happened. At the time, I never even thought anything of it, but I know now how hard my parents worked to keep things normal. I have such admiration for the way they continued to mend their relationship and getting ready to celebrate another anniversary in September (38 years, right?).
- Ballet was a huge part of my childhood. I remember the first class I took at Stillpoint Dance Studio, when it was in the back of a hair salon and people used to walk through the studio in the middle of class. I felt so uncoordinated and out of place, but then the movements became so natural and are still very much a part of me.
