Thursday, May 27, 2010

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES / MOVEMENT CHALLENGE

Look at how funny we look.
The girl that used to baby sit us, Marilee, my cousins Harold and Jimmy, my little brother Richie, my cousin Connie and the sexy one with the 2 piece sun suite on is ME! Oh and the small photo is of my Mother when she was 14 years old.

This really bring back memories of my childhood growing up on a farm. My Auntie Maxine, the mother of Connie, Harold and Jimmy was so much a part of my childhood. After my Father passed away when I was 7 years old, we moved into the upstairs apartment of her farm house.

I have memories of Harold and Jimmy milking the cows and of course they would have to squirt milk in my face. We would gather eggs from the chicken coop and ride along on the hay wagon when they picked up the hay bails.

The farm was a milk farm as well as a hay farm. The dairy truck would come and pick up the milk cans each day. I can still smell the stinky barn and hear the milking machines as the cows were being milked.

The most fun was waiting for the bakery truck to come everyday and we would get to pick our favorite doughnut or jellyroll or maple bar.

My Auntie cooked for the hired hands on the farm and she was a great cook which is why I have had a problem with my weight all my life. She would pour the raw milk into all the glasses and she made butter from the fresh cream that was skimmed off the top. She made the BEST cinnamon rolls on earth and lemon and chocolate cream pie. Often she would find me sneaking into her pantry to find a cookie or one of her other goodies.

I guess all these memories came flooding back when I visited my home town last month. Since I left, the farm house burned to the ground and the farm was sold to developers who built houses all over the rich farm land.

Our babysitter Marilee is still in my home town. She married a nice man by the name of Ron and soon after they married she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. It did not hold her down believe me.

Harold became a scientist discovering vaccines for cows. He was a medic in the Vietnam war and passed away 2 years ago from cancer.

Jimmy was the tease. I loved him so much. He was such a big help to his Father on the farm after old age and a lung disease took over. He lived in the little house on the farm with his beautiful wife and 5 children. He passed away in the 90's from the same lung disease that his Father had.

Connie is still the same old Connie. We had so much fun playing paper dolls and going to town with Auntie Maxine, swimming in the canal. We used to go asparagus hunting in those days. It grew wild around the canals.

Richie, my brother married at the age of 17 and twice since then and has 5 children. He is a truck driver.

Me, well you all know about me, I never wore a 2 piece sun suite since this one.

These are my grandparents, Herbert and Marie Corder. This is their wedding photo. They were married on October 28th 1915. They are both gone but I still have fond memories of them. My Grandpa was a character and Grandma was so quiet and sweet. She used to call me Pretty Patti.

Well there you go.....Childhood Memories.
Do you have childhood memories to share too?


Click on the image to view closer

This is my latest collage done for Digital Whisper Challenge using the background image. The challenge was to make it look like it has movement....How did I do?

4 comments:

Brenda Salzano said...

oh yea, You found the linkwithin widget! :-)
Your post reminds me of my growing up on a eastern oregon ranch. We were sure blessed to be able to do that!! Too few people even know where food comes from anymore. My sister met a lady who had no idea what cows really were! what?
hugs my friend!

Art From The heart said...

So many memories,what would life be without them.
My dad ( papa ) we called him was full of fun. He called me snooklebumps, he was my hero. A druggest who cared for so many and charged so little, Mom thought we'd starve. We didn't,when they couldn't pay for medicine,they brough food (homemade) and lots of it. Didn't have much but we ate well.
Love you Papa

Anonymous said...

So many wonderful memories Patti. Reminds me of many stories from my family. Love the digital collage. It very much looks like movement.

linda said...

How did you do?
WOW!