Being Part of History

This morning we were part of something very special. Together we came together, students and staff, to place items into our time capsule. As I sat in the crowd I kept thinking how the people who open this time capsule fifty or so years from now will comment on these things.

What about the styrofoam lunch tray? The aerial pictures of the school? The book fees student families paid at the beginning of the school year? The grocery ads and the prices? The styles of hair we all have in our yearbook pictures? The pictures of our current city? There are so many things I am wondering right now and unfortunately I will probably never know the answers.

As I sat in the audience I felt excited to be a part of history...maybe not for the world...but for me (and us).

A Favorite Place

I have so many favorite places. One of my favorites is still a closet I had in my bedroom when I was growing up. It had shelves on one side and a place to hang my clothes on the other. One of my favorite things to do was to crawl as far back as I could to hide from the world. Once I was secluded I would read, write, or take a nap. It was always so peaceful back there. One of the best things about my favorite place is that I could hide from my brother and sister. What could be better than that?

My parents no longer live in that house. I hope that some other child has found my special place and has learned to enjoy it as much as I did. It's one of the best in the world!!!

Good 'Ole Bessie

Growing up my family had a lime green station wagon. That's right...I said lime green. My family loved that station wagon and even named her Bessie.

If Bessie were still around and able to talk I wonder what she might say...

• That hurt when you bumped me into that pole!
• Is there a good reason why you crammed so many people into the back of me just to drive around town?
• The Colorado Mountains sure were hard on my lungs!
• Did you have fun learning to drive me?
• The salt on the road made my body itchy!
• Why didn't you give me baths more often?
• Your family always made me laugh.
• Sorry when I didn't start for you.
• Your band friends were always my favorite because they knew how to have fun.
• Having you, Amber, and Paul lying in the back of me and looking out my back window made me smile. I still do not understand why looking at the reflection of headlights made you laugh so hard.
• Can you believe how many mosquitoes were at the drive-in the times we went? You and your cousins were crazy to stay outside to watch the movies instead of coming inside me!
• I miss the good 'ole days.

Those days with Bessie were filled with so many memories it would be hard to write them all down. It is fun to imagine what she might have said given the chance and ability though.

Horses

Tails flapping in the wind
Heads held high
Eyes wide with excitement
Galloping through the fields

Stopping for a moment
To catch their breath
Resting their muscular legs
On the earth beneath

Neighing noisily
To their friends in the field
Waiting for an answer
Running once again

Grandma's Greenhouse

Growing up some of my best memories were in Grandma's greenhouse. The greenhouse was only two blocks away from my house and I LOVED to spend time there. When March rolled around that meant that my mom and aunt would be busily working to transplant each little seedling into pots. The smell of the earth in the greenhouse is something I will never forget. There are many pictures with my sister, brother, and cousins in the dirt pile with the dirtiest faces...ever! I look back at those moments and am so happy my mom was okay with me getting dirty.

There is one thing that Grandma taught me early in my life...Cherry Coke is the best. I remember on hot days going to the garage in the cooler to get two bottles (glass not plastic) of Coke. On the super special days Grandma would have cherry juice that we would add to the Coke (those were before the days of cans with the cherry already in there). Grandma and I would sit outside the greenhouse on the white cement bench and just talk. We talked about everything from the happenings in the greenhouse, the depression, what it was like for Grandma growing up, and the things happening around our town and with me. Grandma always had an ear that was ready for listening.

I am sad to say that the greenhouse is no longer. Sometimes things happen for a reason. I think that someone upstairs decided Grandma was not able to take care of the greenhouse any longer and brought about a big snowstorm that was more than the roof could handle and it collapsed. That sure was a sad day.

To this day, when I go to Grandma's house I look at the vacant lot where the greenhouse once stood and become sad. That greenhouse made me into the person I am today and I am forever grateful for that.

A Historic Day

This day goes down as one of the days I will never forget as long as I live. The days where I remember where I was when I heard the news...

The day I ran home from Girl Scouts because I had learned that President Reagan had been shot.

The evening my mom drove me to Murphy Mart to buy John Lennon's 45-record, "Just Like Starting Over" after learning he had been shot.

The day my mom took my sister, brother, and I to her friend's house to mourn the death of Elvis.

The night my mom woke me up in the middle of the night to watch Lady Diana and Prince Charles' wedding in England.

The day I was home sick watching live as the first teacher made her way into space...but never made it the way she had planned.

The night I stayed up long into the wee hours of the morning watching as the world learned that Princess Diana has been killed. And then, days later, watching her funeral.

The day I learned that John F. Kennedy Jr. was missing. Hoping he would be found safe somewhere...only to mourn his loss with many.

The day on September 11th when I was handed a piece of paper telling me the events that were currently unfolding in New York City with second grade eyes on me as I tried with all of my might to fight back all the tears that welled up inside me to stay strong.

And now, the day when the people of the world watched along with me as the 44th President of the United States was sworn in. A man who has promised change. A man who is the first African American to be elected as president. A historic day we should never forget.

No matter how old you are, we all have a special place to house those historic days in our lives. They may be full of happiness, met with tears streaming down our face, full of sorrow, fear, or apprehension, but they are all historic.

20 Things to Do Inside on a -17 Degree Day

1. Bundle up in a bunch of blankets and watch a movie.
2. Drink a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
3. Give lots of kisses and hugs.
4. Use sheets to make a tent in the living room.
5. Read a book.
6. Write...write...write.
7. Play board games.
8. Bake cookies.
9. Litter the kitchen table with Playdough galore.
10. Arts and crafts of all kinds.
11. Create a movie theatre in the living room and make popcorn to eat.
12. Play card games (like Go Fish).
13. Put puzzles together.
14. Lay down and rest (under a bunch of blankets).
15. Scrapbook.
16. Work together to make the biggest GeoTrax system ever.
17. Play hide and go seek.
18. Jump around the house with Twister Hopscotch.
19. Convert the living room into a store and go shopping.
20. Have fun together:).