So here's my FIVE questions about ONE topic, the back yard, at 9257-86 Street. Where I grew up. Well, sort of.
I remember these things about the back yard, in part also the front yard, My only question, (which might seem like five), is, GRANNY, what can you clarify, about my fading memories?
Ice rink, I was very young, couldn't skate yet, but I remember at least a few years where Dad flooded the main part of the back yard to build an ice rink. I would guess it as being before '65. I can only see the image, but it was our back yard.
This one is very easy to remember, for Me at least, because the images are much easier to see...there was a toy in the Seventies called a 'Slip and Slide', Dad made a cheaper version for the back yard, a long strip of yellow heavy plastic, down the back slope of the back yard, and the hose running at the head of the strip, and We (My Brothers and others) would take running starts to slip down the homemade water slide. Was good fun.
The sandbox. I remember the swing set Dad put up, and the sandbox before it had swings. (Two swings, one rocking horse). When We still had the clothesline. On the subject of the clothesline, I remember stepping on a nail, in a loose board at the space near the clothesline, nail went all the way through my foot, I stumbled into the kitchen, My wonderful Granny Morrison, who was looking after us while M and D were somewhere travelling, pulled out the board and nail, washed it out with soap and water, and bandaged it up. No tetanus shots. And I'm still alive. I miss her.
The tent trailer. The two Bros and I would sleep in it all summer long, because our room upstairs was hot as hoot. Even maintained the usual habit of the nightly bowl of vanilla ice cream in bed. Both tent trailers, the soft top, and the hard top, had a zip out screen window facing into the alley, and We loved the clean air coming through the plum, and the apple tree.
NO, I'm not going over there to take any pictures, GRANNY has seen it already, and She's not pleased, but, the two large pines in the front yard, also, I'm not sure, but perhaps also the blue spruce in the front yard, and a few smaller pines in the back yard neighbour side garden, the little seedlings each of us got in elementary school, I think perhaps for graduating from grade whatever....I wonder whose seedlings were the ones to grow big. I know i got one, i don't think it survived the lack of space.
Does any of this make any sense, to anyone? Anyone?
(I haven't moved into my new neighbourhood yet, the lovely old region of Edmonton known as Strathcona, (also went to Strathearn elementary and junior high, coincidence, yes), I move in on Saturday, but I think there might be posts someday on beautiful old houses, gardens, squirrels, and a pleasing lack of squawking magpies, or whatever. Rabbits too. And people walking or biking by seem to smile as they pass. Weird eh?)
Too bad I was long gone from home during this time period...but what cute little brothers I had.
ReplyDeleteI do remember the tent trailer being the outdoor guestroom when Stuart and I came home to visit way back when.
Good memories.
and i always thought the deck was always there, guess i was wrong. slip and slides are always fun, i'll definetely have to get the kids trying it out next summer. On a show i saw they got huge amounts of plastic and put it on a hill and did the slip and slide that way with the hose at the top. it looked fun.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, the sandbox was there before the swings, until it got to be a haven for the neghborhood cats to do their business, then we decided to do away with it....you can see why. And Dad built the patio while he was putting in time, during the three weeks I was in Raymond Hospital recovering from the car accident we had near Poulson, Montana. It was to be a surprise for me when I finally got home, there it was in all its glory. That was what, 1988 I think. From that time on, we earmarked $100 a year to buy plants and dress up that patio, it was flower-bedecked every year, very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, we did have an ice rink in the winter time, probably a couple of years. Dad was a fantastic speed skater, and thought his children should all learn to skate too, so he went to a very great deal of trouble to build a little skating rink for his kids, where they could learn how to balance and where they were close to the RESCUE TEAM when they fell on their little noggins. What else did you remember, oh, the slip and slide. Yes, Kristy, it's a dandy and inexpensive toy, very good for balance coordination for kids too.
And as to Granny Morrison being there looking after you kids, those were the times I took a few days to go to conferences in Salt Lake City, (Dad would be at work) and once , no, twice, I went to Lumbermen's business conferences, in Saskatoon and Winnipeg. I never worried about my children when my dear, precious mother was there taking care of things, I knew they would be fine, and any eventualities would be well taken care of. How much I owed her, and how much her grand-children loved her because of those precious times when they grew so close to their granny. It can't have been easy for her, you were a lively bunch. And she never made you eat reams of applesauce with rice, like Mrs. Michelman tried to foist off on you-all. As I recall, she was not your favorite babysitter-housekeeper. Does everybody remember the colored live-in babysitter, Yvonne, and her little girl, who was half Indian, half Negro and mostly wild. At meal time she would scramble up, sit on the table (in the middle of it) and grab all the food she could stuff into her mouth, as fast as she could. And beat the crap out of Randy, who was about the same age, and half the size. She didn't last long, I personally gave her her walking ticket. Although I felt very sorry for her, all strikes were against her, no husband to help her, a wild animal for a kid, sorry, she had to go.
Thelma Gamble...wasn't that the babysitter's name? I wouldn't eat sandwiches that she made, or anyone else's except yours, Mother.
ReplyDeleteI still have that phobia. LOL
Well good thing you ate mothers sandwiches cause dad sure didnt. His lunchbox came home every day still full. We scrambled to see what was in it just in case it was banana bread..yum. I hated old mrs michelman. I spent alot of days locked in the closet cause they had big locks on the outside of them. I still will never have a closed closet door, weird that way! When I learned to talk you got rid of her.
ReplyDeletei don't remember sister michelman babysitting at all. i was told she babysat me too, but i don't remember. i do remember her singing in church louder than the whole congregation, and her grey patterned dresses, some type of stern matter. i think her voice over the rest of us contributed to my love of opera. but deb, if you got rid of her before i came along, THANK YOU!!
ReplyDeleteOOOHH, LINDA RAE, did you say you would walk up the hill to King Edward school? cause if you did, i'll take some pics for you. it's two blocks from my new place.
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