Playing in ice and snow is normal where I come from. We were outside kids and not even snow and freezing temperatures could change that.
We climbed up the mountains with our skies, or went for a sleigh ride on an old inner tube. We build snow walls and ramps and were dreaming of becoming famous ski jumpers, because we all had been born with skies on our feet…so they say.
My Grandmother, the wonderful, wise woman who raised me, was a refugee. She left her home town right at the end of WWI in 1918, when she was 17 years old.
Both of her parents had been killed during the war and there was no place to call home anymore. She left town with her sister Emma, who was just 2 years older.
A very good friend sent me a link to an article in the Huffington post today, “10 Facts to impress your bored kid while apple picking this fall,” and I had to laugh. Not a very interesting article for many, but I do remember well and the article brought back some funny memories.
My Grandmother and I had THE TALK shortly after my 16 birthday. It was the talk, where she tried to explain to me what being an adult and being a woman meant. I tried to explain to her that I knew it all -or almost all- but she didn’t listen. She made me sit down and then she started talking and I listened.
Dear young one,
It’s me, your older –much older- self and that’s good news, because as of today, you will at least live to be 51. So stay in shape, you have a long road ahead of you.
The daily prompt today is spot on, yes, I turned out pretty good. I made it. I am a middle aged lady with a wicked sense of humor…I am still alive and kicking’ and hopefully will do so, for many more years to come. Since I turned out so good, why in the name of whatever God, would I want to change anything about my childhood?
It is a little bit sad, but I don’t think children today and future generations will still know what an apron is. The principle use of Grandma’s apron was to protect her dress underneath, because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But that’s not all…it was used for so many other things.