 |
Our dog in those days. |
1. When I was little, my mom and the neighbor’s mom walked us to the bus stop. Even the dogs got
to go. I actually remember
walking to the bus stop before I was in school.
The times that I would get to walk back with my mom and Michelle and the
dogs. Connected to this memory of
walking to the bus stop and back is the memory of coming home and eating a banana,
but only if my mom sliced it up for me.
I can better remember the years where we walked to the bus stop and I got on the bus. There were a lot of kids that got on at our stop. Sometimes this caused problems. Sometimes it was dangerous. The older kids would threaten us so they could get on first. I think it was Michelle who made numbered cards and made all the kids pick a card and this determined the order we got on the bus. There was a girl in my grade that would run around with a stick. I thought of her as wild.
On really cold, snowy days, my mom and Michelle would take turns driving us to the bus stop. In Michelle's care there were only 2 seat belts in the back. We would cross them over and the kid in the middle would be secured with both belts. In later years she got a van and this was no longer a problem. She would always say “buckle buckle.” She wouldn't move an inch until we were all buckled up. Her son had fallen out of a car once and his ankle and been run over. She wasn't taking any chances.
As I grew up, there weren't as many kids at my stop. I was the last one in the neighborhood. My mom drove me to the bus stop a lot. Lots of times she would even let me wait in the car with the heater on until the bus got there. She is awesome.
I really didn't like the walk home. It was uphill, and usually by myself. I would cut through the woods, which was sometimes really scary. One time, I think I almost got kidnapped. I guy drove by and watched me walk into the woods. Then he turned around and drove by watching again. My short cut through the woods opened up on the next street. I was almost to the top and he drove by on that street staring in the woods but I hid behind a tree. I waited for him to drive by one more time because I knew to get out of that neighborhood he would have to come the way he came. He drove by and I started running home, looking over my shoulder the whole way. It was a really scary experience. But even with that experience, I have enjoyed remembering the good times.
I can better remember the years where we walked to the bus stop and I got on the bus. There were a lot of kids that got on at our stop. Sometimes this caused problems. Sometimes it was dangerous. The older kids would threaten us so they could get on first. I think it was Michelle who made numbered cards and made all the kids pick a card and this determined the order we got on the bus. There was a girl in my grade that would run around with a stick. I thought of her as wild.
On really cold, snowy days, my mom and Michelle would take turns driving us to the bus stop. In Michelle's care there were only 2 seat belts in the back. We would cross them over and the kid in the middle would be secured with both belts. In later years she got a van and this was no longer a problem. She would always say “buckle buckle.” She wouldn't move an inch until we were all buckled up. Her son had fallen out of a car once and his ankle and been run over. She wasn't taking any chances.
As I grew up, there weren't as many kids at my stop. I was the last one in the neighborhood. My mom drove me to the bus stop a lot. Lots of times she would even let me wait in the car with the heater on until the bus got there. She is awesome.
I really didn't like the walk home. It was uphill, and usually by myself. I would cut through the woods, which was sometimes really scary. One time, I think I almost got kidnapped. I guy drove by and watched me walk into the woods. Then he turned around and drove by watching again. My short cut through the woods opened up on the next street. I was almost to the top and he drove by on that street staring in the woods but I hid behind a tree. I waited for him to drive by one more time because I knew to get out of that neighborhood he would have to come the way he came. He drove by and I started running home, looking over my shoulder the whole way. It was a really scary experience. But even with that experience, I have enjoyed remembering the good times.
2. My first job.
 | |
| The only picture I could find. Graduation Day. |
I started working when I was 14. I learned young to earn my money and appreciate what I could do with it. Most of my friends didn't work. At times it was frustrating that they got whatever they wanted without working for it but it didn't take long to realize that I really appreciated what my hard earned money got me. The store I worked at was very busy in the summer. It was called Peninsula Market. It is under new ownership now and not the same. You can tell how cute of a store it was if you check out the background of the picture above. How cute is it that the bananas are hanging on the "tree" pole. The fruit is spilling out of baskets. Everything was very fast paced and I loved it. I got to work with other young people and the time really flew by. Every summer a new batch of young employees would start. I remember feeling cool when I was experienced enough to train them. I feel that this job taught me work ethic. My current job is not really fast paced and I often miss that.
3. "I climbed to the top of Mt Lassen".
When I was in second grade, I climbed to the top of Mt. Lassen for the first time. For us, Mt. Lassen was cool because it was a volcano but it was also a part of our daily life, so we didn't think too much of it.
You see, we could see Mt Lassen on a daily basis as it is very close to our hometown.
But we were very excited to "climb" it. My parents were encouraging us to make it to the top by telling us they had presents for us but we had to make it to the top first Although we were young and had lots of energy it was a pretty good hike. They had to keep reminding us that we got a present when we got to the top.
My parents got us shirts that said "I climbed to the top of Mt Lassen." Hence why we needed to make it to the top. I honestly can't remember if we made it to the top, but we got the shirts. I wore my shirt to school on the next Monday. On Monday mornings, the teacher would ask the class what they had done over the weekend and write it on one of those big pads of papers they use in elementary schools. When I got called on to say what I had done over the weekend, I was so excited and proud to say, "I climbed to the top of Mt Lassen".
I wish I had a picture of us in our shirts but I don't think we do.
But here is they daily view we had of Mt Lassen.
 |
| Winter |
 |
| Summer |
Yes, you needed encouragement. Giving you a piggy back part of the way seems familiar. On the way up someone warned us that it was cold up there. Do you think they thought we were abusing you? Surely we must have made it though; you got the shirt. I'll ask mom, she remembers everything.
ReplyDeleteMiss ya
PS you want to do it again this next summer?