Motor Man and I took a day trip yesterday, and our travels took us by my childhood home. We’re by that way often, since it’s only about 30 minutes from where we live.
But yesterday, my thoughts went back to Sunday afternoons when I was a little girl. After Mom and I got home from church, my sisters would usually come to visit along with their little ones. June had four children, and Rose had two. I became an aunt when I was two and a half, and my youngest niece was born when I was twelve. As I’ve said here on the blog before, I grew up with my nieces and nephews feeling more like younger siblings, and my sisters seemed to be my Mom’s generation.
I think back on Mom’s tiny kitchen and wonder where all of us sat when they came for lunch. I really can’t remember; perhaps they came after lunch? We had no air conditioning, so we were all outside once we were done with lunch. We swung on the swing set or rode bikes/tricycles, played in the sandy driveway or with whatever pet cats I had at the time. Mom and my sisters were usually sitting in those ‘webbed’ lawn chairs out under a shade tree.
What happened when it rained? I don’t remember that either. Guess my selective memory only focuses on the carefree outdoor days. But, those days weren’t so carefree when we’d occasionally have a skinned knee or get stung by a wasp, bee or one of those ‘horned worms’. The skinned knees usually resulted in methiolate, which we hated, being applied. When we were stung, June (who was a smoker at the time), would wet some tobacco and place it on the sting. Somehow that made it all better.
I remember feeling sad those Sunday afternoons when everyone went home. Perhaps Mom felt that way, too, because often, we’d make the ten minute trip to Surry to the Tastee Freeze for ice cream cones.
I sure wish I had some pictures from those Sunday afternoons. But the memories will have to do.
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 