My Earliest Memories

We lived in a two story house. It wasn't very insulated so it stayed pretty cold in the winter. I can remember still being in my crib, my animal mobile was up. I can still hear the song it played, I have that mobile in storage somewhere. When I was around 3 we moved to a new house. My dad and I were upstairs in the old house making sure everything was packed. I looked outside the window and I saw a shadow. I just knew it was a man on the roof. My dad tried really hard to make me see that no one had been there, but I just knew what I saw.

I liked our house we moved into. It had a big backyard for me to play in and I had really nice neighbors. This couple lived there next to us, they didn't have kids but they had a Chihuahua named Butch. I loved that dog. You would say to him, "Butch, hate big dogs." and he would run to the fence and pace as he barked and kicked his back legs out flinging grass and dirt. I grew up doing a lot of things considered old fashioned now. Like May Day baskets. I loved making up the baskets and filling them with the flowers I picked from my yard then, going and knocking on doors. It was so much fun to knock then run hide so it was a surprise. The look on peoples faces when they saw the basket was so worth it. Holidays were a big thing back then in this small town. Halloween used to really be fun. The whole town would be out going door to door trick or treating. There would be costume contests and parties. Easter I would pick out my dress, new shoes, gloves, maybe a hat or bonnet. There would be Easter egg hunts at the park, Easter service at church, pictures in my new outfit. Christmas was magical. Yes, I was excited for the presents from Santa. Every year we would wait for the big book of toys to get there. Go through page by page and mark what I wanted. Two x's meant it was something I wanted the most. We had a Christmas parade each year and my grandpa and Dad would drive their old cars in it with the Antique car club. Then at the end we would get to see Santa, sit on his lap, get a picture taken. At church for several days before Christmas, we would all gather together, all bundled up warm. We would go out into neighborhoods and sing Christmas Carols. It seemed so magical to me, the streets covered in snow, the lights on all around, the quiet of the night, then the singing as we walked. After we were done, we would get on the hayrack and ride out to someones house for apple cider and snacks. At church all the kids would get a bag full of apples, oranges, nuts, and candycanes. It seemed like such a simple yet happy time.