The Good 'Ol Days

Well.... been thinking of a lot of childhood memories lately. It's amazing how "thinking back" can get you through a run or make you remember things you thought you had forgotten. It's nice, comforting and I just plum like it! With Christmas around the corner...here's a memory of my Grandpa.

1. I remember my Grandpa Brown, old, one glass eye, always wanted me to sit on his knee ... he always gave me a box of chocolate covered cherries with a $5 bill on top. I looked so forward to Christmas so I could get those from him.

2. I remember our best Christmas ever with a smurf picnic table and "adoption dolls" they were like homemade big dolls with yarn hair. My mama hung all kinds of outfits for them on our Christmas tree. Remember Amy?

3. I remember sneakin puppies inside and under my sister's bed so we could sleep with them. One pood all over the place and we cleaned it up and flushed the towel down the toilet which caused it to overflow and we had to fess up for it. :(

4. I remember going for the "Quiet Seat Prize" in children's church. It was a little bitty red change purse that said "I love Jesus" I wanted it sooo bad and was determined to win. I sat so still and literally tried not to blink my eyes the whole time. I WON! :)

5. I remember having like 14 cats at our house.. outside.... the routine was to pop the hood and check for kittys everytime we went somewhere. It was just part of going somewhere! :)

6. I remember going to "jazzercise" with my mom.... in an elementary school gym... while she kicked up her legs and arms to 80's music in her leatard and legwarmers! :)

7. I remember my Daddy taking me and my sister up the the Dairy Dip and we would get butterscotch sundae's with XTRA, XTRA butterscotch

8. I remember my mom pulling through McDonald's and would get us a happy meal and keep reaching back eating all our fries b/c she always did without.

9. I remember getting my front tooth knocked out with a baseball in the 4th grade and my parents driving me to the dentist at night. I felt so taken care of that night. Scared and HUGE lip but comforted b/c we were in my Daddy's truck with him on one side of me and my mama on the other.

10. I remember my 4th grade teacher sent me balloons to my house to get well after the tooth thing. That meant the world to me!!!

11. I remember going to basketball camp and making each other pass out... CRAZY!!!

12. I remember playing JAWS in the swimming pool with my Daddy and sister and neighbor friends.

13. I remember going to my Grandma Brown's and noseyin around in her "Elvis Room" and then eating the best country meal you ever heard of!

14. I remember making homemade sugar cookies with all diffent colored icing on Christmas Eve. It was tradition.

15. I remember getting so excited when Wizard of Oz would come on Tv... me and my sis would pull the chair up close and sit in it together and eat popcorn and watch the best movie ever!

16. I remember my Daddy taking me and my sis out to the Railroad where he worked and seeing all the trains.

17. I remember camping by the river with my mom,dad and sis

18. I remember wearing long red flannel gowns trimmed with white lace and a matching kerchief for Christmas with my sis.

19. I remember playing store out by the big tree at the end of our driveway and using leaves as money, setting up a lemonade stand and like no one comes b/c its in the country.

20. I remember playing in our garage in all my dad's tools.

21. I remember the Christmas my Daddy got my huge Sony stereo and my mom didn't want him to and he did it anyway.... I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I constantly would dust it and clean the door! Ha!

22. I remember all the fires my Daddy would build in our fireplace.

23. I remember laying in bed with my sis on Christmas eve and certain we were hearing bells and reindeer hooves on our roof!!!

24. I remember the ICE STORM... everyone lost power... slept on mattresses in the den by the fire and NO SCHOOL!

25. The downfall of the above was that my Daddy was going to make sure the "Lady Cubs" got to still have basketball practice. He offered to go get 1/2 the team in his truck! I was sooo mad at him! But now I think its hilarious!

26. I remember sitting out in my Daddy's shop just talking about anything while he mounted deer.

27. I remember my Dad making me and my sis wooden padels like the school teacher's had so we could play school with them. Then my mom would spank us with them!!!

28. I remember going to the nursing home with my mom and sis and taking fruit baskets to all the people with those socks that fold down with the stipes on them. I loved them!

29. I remember going to pick up kids for church. Sometimes I just wanted to get home but my mom was always was pickin people up. If they didn't have a way, she would get em! I love you Mama!

30. I remember that sqealing Oldsmobile we had. A belt or somethin but drove me bananas. We would squeal for a mile after pulling out of the church!!! I was soo embarrassed! Amy, I know you are LOL!!! :)

31. I remember my SURPRISE 11th bday party with a kitty cake cake that was strawberry... my favorite!

32. I remember playing in the barn at my uncles... it was FULL of corn kernels... do you know how much fun it is to play in corn? AWESOME! It was like playing in the balls except Tennesse style! :)

33. I remember my mama staying up till 2 or 4 in the morning cannin up vegetables for our family. I remember warshing :) the turnip greens in the sink.

34. I remember shuckin corn and those yucko worms.

35. I remember having a strawberry patch in our yard!

36. I remember playing hide n seek outside at night with my Dad! SOOO fun!!!

37. I remember shooting me and my sister's bow and arrow at my dad's big huge styrofoam sp? target.

38. I remember even after a date sometimes... coming and getting in bed with my mom and dad while they were watching tv and just talking to them.

39. I remember wanting an ice cream from the ice cream man so bad that me and my sis smeared mud on our faces and went by the road to make him feel sorry for us... it DIDN'T work! :(

40. I remember playing in the rain and puddles in the yard and driveway.

41. I remember playing in the snow and making snow angels and going sledding.

42. I remember going to Walmart or the grocery store with my mom just to go somewhere.

We didn't do too much of going when I was young. Never really went on a family vacation. That was the sacrifice for my mom to stay home. But, it didn't matter. When I think back I like it just how it was and wish it could happen all over again. The simple life... slow paced... country.... sometimes I feel like I am spinning in circles and barely keeping up. I like to slow down every once in a while and pull back, stay home and think about the good 'ol days and make some of those for my kiddos. Don't ask me where this post came from... just thinking a lot about my Daddy and my childhood lately. But, what's new? Just like the song..."Broken" My heart is still broken but I'm holding onto him. "Sometimes I feel as if I'm barely breathing but I'm holding on" and getting through it! My husband and kids made him so proud and even though he didn't know Emmie Lou.... he would have melted over her. I guess I am just so thankful for it all.

This time of year... I get a little mushy with the things I am thankful for. Today... I am thankful for the "Good 'Ol Days" Sometimes... it would be nice to go back to that quiet porch swing and slow paced life... until next time.... be still and have a good ol day! Hope you enjoyed the few of my fast paced youngens! :) Noah got his soccer trophy and us at his soccer party..... few home flics....