Mater and Pater when we were being pretentious, Gims. LOL! But it's Mom and Dad. My children call me Mother although I refer to myself as Mom. My grandchildren call me Lola but, sometimes it's Grandmother. The other set of grandparents are called Nan and GrandDad. You're lucky for Granny Pearlie. I was scared of my grandparents who were of the old thought and practice: children seen not heard.

My grandparents on both sides were called abuelita and abuelo.

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You still play jacks Lola! Do you play with your grandchildren?


Oh yes Gims; trying to kick branches while swinging. I forgot about that. I like the way you described swinging. Put me right there.


Oh and reading summer nights. I loved doing that too, Keyhole. The library was my second home as well. We also used to try to catch fireflies in the night. I never caught one.

Jabber, your childhood sounds like out of a story book. What a dream.

Chick we have three lilac bushes, and when they are in full bloom I think of my childhood too.

Oh yes, Dotsie jumping rocks across streams was my specialty.

And Meredith your frog story is great; should have been in a Tom Sawyer book.

I just had to comment on some of your experiences. I loved reading them, and it reminded me of so many of my own forgotten impressions.

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I remember sitting in the back of the car, all windows open, an orange lollipop in my mouth. The smell of beach and sand clung to our beach bag, and I held my plastic blow up horse tightly in my arms.

Mom would pack a huge red plaid bag, with large red plastic handles. It was stuffed full of goodies and plenty of watermelon slices. We had a sand coloured blanket that was just the right size for my brother, Mom and me. When I think about it, my Mother had to haul a lot to the beach; the umbrella, blanket and picnic bag.

The trip to Crane’s Beach was exciting within itself. I remember turning onto the road where the first sand dunes appeared, as if they were welcoming us into the land of summer time fun. The long country road seemed endless, while we passed hundreds of sand dunes, dotted with clumps of high grass. The suspense as to who would discover the ocean first heightened my brother’s and my senses, till we finally screamed in unison “I see the ocean”, as we spied a triangular shaped blue between the mountains of crystal white sand.

Thanks for bringing me back to this delightful time.

Yep. I still play jacks but the grandchildren just watch. Then I show off while they gasp in awe and laugh at my variations: piggy in the pen, double falling stars etc.

All of you have shared memories that triggered some favorite childhood moments.

EW, we used to catch lightening bugs and put them in a glass jar or plastic container with holes punched in them. Then we'd sleep in a tent in the back yard or on the front porch and use them as night lights. We caught many. I still recall the stench of my hands after cupping them and putting them in the containers.

Meredith, I recall being very young and running through a sprinkler. In fact, I have pictures of our youngest son doing the same on our front lawn with a young neighbor child. It's great. One of them is sitting on the sprinkler with this hysterical look on his face.

Lola, what is piggy in the pen? And what is double falling stars? I'll have to see if my older sister, the queen of jacks in the old neighborhood knows about them.

gims, good old Mom and Dad, and for grandparents - I only had one living until I was three and she was Mom-Mom. My kids call us Mom and Dad, except my daughter very occasionally calls me Momma and I love it.

Softball games, Good Humor ice cream, sitting on the front porch in our pj's..a BIG DEAL!

Vacation, sewing lessons for me at Singer (while my two older sisters were working and my younger brother was in day camp), walking through the park, stick ball, "V" ball, touch football, bowling, riding bikes...

Friends "sleeping over", babysitting and playing Osmond records...

Wearing shorts and knee socks, hot pants, driving down the Jersey shore and baking in the sun (YOW!), walking the boardwalk, the smell of Coppertone or Sea 'n' Ski....

Going shopping w/Mom for "back-to-school" clothes and shoes. Then the excitement of finding out what teacher you get!

Piggy in the pen is a variation of "over the fence", Dotsie. LOL!

Pen: The left hand is open cupped on the surface and the stars are slid into it onesies on the throw and before the ball bounces.

Over the fence: the left hand is put flat or knuckled and the stars are put over it onesies on the throw and before the ball bounces.

Falling stars: Pick up a star on a throw and catch the ball before bounce, throw them up together catching the star and putting it down before the bounce.

Double falling stars follows the same except the left hand catches the star while the right hand picks, moving the pile to the other side of the table. I can do it without miss.

Does your sister still play? My sisters and I are still mean jacks players. When we get competitive, we make ridiculous rules like playing lefty for the righty and vice versa...or no smiling

Trade your glow worms for one of my grasshoppers. I remember catching a cricket once. Thought that I can press its tummy and have the sound associated with it on demand. Much like those little tin ones. Anyone remember what they were called? It went clickety-clack. Anyway... pressed the tummy once too often until it popped. I had this odd fascination with bugs and crawlies when we went upstate. Earthworms were my favourites. I remember stretching them to see how long they'd get. I loved snails, too.

Gee for a minute here I wanted to run outside and play with you girls, it all sounds so fun! SNAP! I'm a grown up at a computer. LOL
My summers were spent mostly in the company of Citters, riding horses, had a pet crow "Crowie" how creative is that? Dogs, cats, chickens, cattle...Meridith's story of bugs in a jug reminded me of the year we redid our bathroom. Nails came in little matchbox type containers with clear covers. Perfect for those tiny brown lizards, dime size frogs and jar fly hulls..same snooty relative came to our house. LOL I had on little shorts w/ deep pockets full of those boxes. she inquired as to what was in my pockets. So, being polite I unloaded my pockets into her lap. Well, Bless my BUGS! My stash went flying all over the living room, lady bugs, lizrds, frogs, my hulls got smashed!!! What in heck was wrong with this woman? Had she never played with a frog? Good Grief why was I in trouble, she was the one that spilled everything? Dancin' round flappin' her arms and sqwalking.. I do remember swimming lessons too, they started at 7AM, we shivered and turned purple lipped till 11, then it was over and hot in the car, so we'd stop for ice cream. I'm drifting...what a wonderful topic,,,,,,memories are popping from each post,
QB

QBall, I'm laughing at the picture of your flying/jumping menagerie on the loose! Snooty relatives, beware!

QBall,
That was fun! A farm girl knows about bugs. In fact, I have a current neighbor called "Bugs!" Funnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyy!!!