Monday, May 18, 2009

Summer Memories

Only a few days of school left, and then a whole summer stretching out before me. As a kid, these last days of school and first days of summer were exquisite and priceless. I have a different perspective as an adult, but I still remember those first days of childhood summers. These things stand out in my mind:
  • Early morning chores, that once finished--the whole day was mine.
  • Doing laundry in an old wringer machine and then hanging clothes on the line to dry. (I still love burying my nose in a load of laundry straight off the line.)
  • Spending time in the garden with mom. Weeding, planting, and harvesting.
  • Weekly trips to the library in town where I would load up on enough books so that I wouldn't run out of something to read before the next trip. (Little orange and blue biographies were my favorite!)
  • Playing in the barn with my little sister. She loved the cats. I loved the hayloft.
  • Paper dolls!
  • Leaving surprises in the mailbox for the mailman: lilacs and once in awhile we'd close up a cat in there. (Bet that was a surprise! Nothing like an angry cat leaping at you to liven up the mail route!)
  • The creek: shell races, sailing homemade boats, and swimming.
  • Riding the bus to swimming lessons in town.
  • Vacation Bible School: the songs, the smell of the craft projects (paste?), and memorizing Bible verses.

Adult summers are great, too. They just aren't quite as carefree!

Monday Memories

Quoth She

2 comments:

Gayle said...

I love your list! There is nothing quite like the summers of childhood. A cat in the mailbox? haha. That mailman must have been shaking in his boots when he got to your mailbox not knowing what he'd find! Oh, and the smell of craft projects! Love that memory!

Thank you for joining Monday Memories!

Gina said...

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Summers as a kid are so amazing aren't they, although I gotta say I never closed up a cat in a mail box. I do remember that paste smell though!