I grew up in the Mississippi Bluff area of southeastern Minnesota with six siblings. My parents were young enough when they had us to actually participate in "fun", from long informative walks with my father to sledding with my mother. They were strict Catholics but also loved to tease. My sisters, brothers and I were raising knowing without a doubt that we were precious to them and loved.
In the summer, after chores,(mainly involving weeding the huge garden) we ran wild as indians, tanned brown and healthy as anything. The return to school in the fall was always met with disgruntled comments and more so as my mom HAD to have a picture of each signifigant accomplishment, including proceeding to a new grade. She would stand at the end of the driveway and photograph us getting onto the school bus.
Fall was raking the big yard, burning leaves, bright autumn days and cool nights. Of course we had to jump into the piles of leaves a million times before carting them off to the burn pile....
I remember hiding in the leaves and calling the dog, giggling with one of my sisters when he would come snuffling up trying to find us.
Winter was the holidays and the house being full of family. As my mother came from a family of 13 kids and my dad from 9, from Halloween through New Years, it was (and still is) a round of one family event after another. We greatly looked forward to seeing all of our cousins! I loved falling asleep to the dull murmer of the grown ups downstairs or whispering ghost stories while tucked into the big bedrooms upstairs with sibs and cuz's.
Spring was a mucky mess but also a time for adventure. Often we would go where the melt off was fairly deep and sail little boats made of whatever we had at the time. We got the chicks for that year.(though no egg layers, my family raised them for meat.)
The garden was planted. And the smell of green growing things and just being ALIVE was filled with promise.
Today, it is much the same, though I am one of the "adults" now, though I dont think I will ever be so in my heart.
I got thinking about all of this during the weekend while watching my nephews at the family place. Its a warm feeling to know that though things shift just a bit, it essentially stays the same, the most wonderful place I know. Where reality seems just a bit off and anything can happen.
In the summer, after chores,(mainly involving weeding the huge garden) we ran wild as indians, tanned brown and healthy as anything. The return to school in the fall was always met with disgruntled comments and more so as my mom HAD to have a picture of each signifigant accomplishment, including proceeding to a new grade. She would stand at the end of the driveway and photograph us getting onto the school bus.
Fall was raking the big yard, burning leaves, bright autumn days and cool nights. Of course we had to jump into the piles of leaves a million times before carting them off to the burn pile....
Winter was the holidays and the house being full of family. As my mother came from a family of 13 kids and my dad from 9, from Halloween through New Years, it was (and still is) a round of one family event after another. We greatly looked forward to seeing all of our cousins! I loved falling asleep to the dull murmer of the grown ups downstairs or whispering ghost stories while tucked into the big bedrooms upstairs with sibs and cuz's.
Spring was a mucky mess but also a time for adventure. Often we would go where the melt off was fairly deep and sail little boats made of whatever we had at the time. We got the chicks for that year.(though no egg layers, my family raised them for meat.)
The garden was planted. And the smell of green growing things and just being ALIVE was filled with promise.
Today, it is much the same, though I am one of the "adults" now, though I dont think I will ever be so in my heart.
I got thinking about all of this during the weekend while watching my nephews at the family place. Its a warm feeling to know that though things shift just a bit, it essentially stays the same, the most wonderful place I know. Where reality seems just a bit off and anything can happen.
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