My Olden days

Tonight, the Little Bit said a typewriter was from "the olden days". And just the other day, one of the girls said 80's music was "oldies". I was APPALLED! I used to use a typewriter and it's no secret that I LOVE Duran Duran. ( :p to my friend...you know who you are!) This whole conversation got me thinking about my parents. My mom is a bit kooky. A bit of an odd duck. I swore when I was younger, before I had children, that she would never be allowed to speak to my kids. The darndest things come out of that woman's mouth. Once, she asked me if anyone thought I was ugly. I didn't quite know how to answer that one.

I realize that my experience growing up was one a bit different than others. Once you get past all the stuff they wouldn't want me to say (which I am not saying), you get to the part where we were poor. All my clothes came from Goodwill...before it was in style to buy clothing at thrift stores. And when I did get "in style" clothing, they weren't even the right style! (stirrup pants, mom) That made it harder in high school. But I plugged along. Pegged my jeans, cut my sweatshirts and wore skin tight, super short skirts. Anyone who grew up in the 80's knows EXACTLY the style I'm talking about. AND...I rocked my L.A. Gears. With slouch socks.

We owned a pizza place. My dad hunted for our food. Found it on our table once when I got home from school....splayed open and being cut up. Blech! No telephone until I was 13! Can you imagine?! And then it was a PARTY LINE! We lived off well water....and it collected bugs. We had a chicken that rode in our car and my alarm clock was a giant collie named Lazer. I had to chop firewood....and bring it in. (yuck) I went to elementary school where there were 2 grades per room. 8 kids in my 6th grade class. I swore I would never, EVER, live in a town that tiny. Everyone knew everything about everyone before it happened.

We moved around alot until I was 11. Our home base had always been the little house on Cedar Creek Road. It's still there. My dad shoveled stairs out of dirt for me to climb up an embankment. Our dog Sheba is buried there. And more than half the people who lived on that road still live there. Once we had a dog named Toss-Up. My dad had to shoot her because she was chasing down sheep. Shot her right in the head. Buried her. 2 days later she came trotting back to the house. Never went near my dad. Didn't have any odd issues either. If you don't believe me, ask my parents. It's all true.

We had some bad times....arguments, fighting, not enough food. Only wood heat, no carpet. Yet, I do remember all the good times. My mom once wrapped all our Christmas gifts and put them into giant boxes. When we opened the giant box, all these presents were in them. I felt like I had hit the mother lode. Found out, years later, that she did that so we wouldn't realize how little we'd actually gotten. I remember food fights in the house, the water fights that followed. Sleepovers. Making dinner for my parents. Babysitting my sister. (eesh) Our giant picture windows. And all the trees. And the rain....I do miss the rain. It was hard, growing up that way. People scoff, but I hated it. I miss our pizza (yummier than the best pizza you can think of), but I don't miss that kind of living. So when my kiddos talk about the "olden days", my mind goes back to Cottage Grove. Some good, some bad. And I wonder....what will their "olden days" be? Where will their minds go? I hope to our little house, always brimming with teenagers. I hope they will remember Christmas mornings like this years, when they realized that most of my presents were in a Wal-Mart bag under Emily's bed....or last years with the great Nyquil debacle. I hope they remember when "spiders came to play" and how I decorated the house with them...so many pictures! I'm sure they won't all be great memories...but I'm trying my best.


FYI: I do NOT eat game meat of any kind. After growing up on it....well, I just can't. I do, however, listen to Duran Duran whenever I can. Just remember, God is good all the time, and ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!