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Childhood Memories

1. What was your favorite childhood family vacation? Where did you go and what do you remember most about the trip? (this doesn't have to be a big trip... even a camping trip - or whatever you remember!)

I can't think of a specific vacation that stands out in a huge way. When I was about 5, Mom and I visited her cousin Peggy in Reno--no clue how we got there though...flying probably? We spent a lot of weekends and vacations in the mountains in our little house, so that's probably my favorite, but again it wasn't a single vacation. And we flew or drove to Milwaukee to visit my sister several times. It actually wasn't until I came along that Dad would take a vacation of ANY kind: my siblings have wonderful memories of driving to out-of-town jobsites with Dad. They once spent the night in a mortuary he was building in Hobbs, NM. Workaholic much?

2. If you knew your grandparents, what do you remember most about them as a child? If you didn't know them, what stories do you remember being told about them?

My mom's dad died 22 years before I was born. I think I have a vague memory of sitting on the bench outside the side door with my dad's dad, but he died when I was around three. My mom's mom was in a nursing home; all I remember about her was cold hands, a kind aura and long lovely white hair that she let all of us kids brush. She died when I was around 7. Dad's mom died two years later; while I remember her taking care of me once when I was sick and I must have been pretty little. I was on the sofa in her house, and she was listening to religious radio. I got to play with the only toy she had left in the house: a small cheesecloth bag of marbles (they'd be worth a fortune nowadays, I bet!). Then she went into the same nursing home my other grandma was in because she was unable to care for herself. She was deaf as a post, a little Alzheimer-y, and bald. We were always bringing home her wigs to wash so the nursing home wouldn't ruin them.
Weird?
My favoite story about my grandparents is of dad's dad falling off a hay wagon he was emptying and somehow landing so that the pitchfork went through his neck, missing all vital parts. Good thing: there were no doctors near enough to do anything for him anyway. Grandma pulled the pitchfork out of his neck, bandaed him up, and I suspect he got back on the hay wagon PDQ.

3. Do you have siblings or not? What do you remember about growing up with or without them?

There were 5 of us originally. My oldest sister is 20 years older than me; my nearest sibling is my brother and he's 10 years older than me. I was a surprise, obviously. I'm closer in age to my two oldest nieces, who are 5 and 8 years younger than me. Up until I was about 30, I totally idolized my brother. Ten years ago (almost exactly in fact), the bloom went off that rose permanently. We still get along fine, but I don't stand up for him like I used to when others pick on him.

4. What did you like best about summer vacation from school?

The warmth, the boredom, being able to do whatever I wanted, from TV to books to jumping rope.
And then, by the end of the summer, I was so desperate for company that I couldn't wait for school to restart!!

5. Did you like school or dislike school? What is your most memorable school moment?

I loved the learning part; I could have done without a lot of the other students. Sadly, the one moment that just popped into my head is running face first into a brick wall during gym class. At full speed (and I was a good runner, too). It's always a good idea to keep facing forward when running as fast as you can. Lesson learned.