Man it's been a while since my last post.
I received a comment from my dear friend Duane (his name seems to show up in almost ever blog).
When I saw Duane's comment, it made me think of a time when I spent the weekend at the house he was living at out in the country. I still smell the hay in the air. I remember playing into the evening building forts out of the hay bales. I also remember that Duane and Johnny had a mini bike but it had no throttle cable. I rode double with Johnny and I had to reach down to work the gas. The tricky part was not get your hand burnt on the tail pipe when working the gas.
I remember it was very hot that weekend and that evening we were begging Duane's mom to go to the store and get some sodas. All of us were broke but we scrounged up enough for 4 Cokes. Well Duane's mom got back from the store and our mouths were watering. Johnny took the carton from his mom she had taken her Coke out already. Now you have to remember the cartons for Coke were just made from thin cardboard and had a cutout handle. Well when Johnny lifted the carton from the seat (reaching in the car through the open window) as the carton cleared the car..Whoop! the bottom fell out of the carrier and the remaining 3 Cokes hit the garage cement floor!!! We all coulda cried. Duane's mom had already had a few swallows of her Coke but she gave it up to be split between the 3 of us , That was ok but it wasn't the same as having your own Coke. Poor Johnny things always happened to him. I remember that same weekend he was trying to force his way in Duane's room and we were both laying on the door trying to keep him out. Somehow he gave a big shove and the door opened just enough and his thumb slipped in. Now when he shoved in we shoved back and his thumb was in the way ! I still remember hearing him scream. It all ended when Duane's mom was the next one trying to open the door.
You know everyone needs friend like I had in Duane and Johnny. If I could be a kid again I'd ask that Duane could come along too.
I'm hoping if you read this Duane , that you'll look me up. You can find me on facebook or call mom, she's still in Tulare. I'd sure like to hear from you. Did I ever mention Duane had the coolest scar on the top of his foot. As a kid it seemed like it was about 4" long, it sure looked neat. (I don't know if Duane thinks it's neat, but as a kid I wished I had one)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Friday, November 7, 2008
Just a normal summers day.
I remember as a kid that a normal summers day was being up in the morning and usually on my bike (if it didn't have a flat) and as long as I was home for dinner all was o.k.
Days could consist of scouting the town for that perfect cardboard box or spending the afternoon in the field by the tracks playing Evil Kenevil. I can remember the day that Duane, his brother Johnny and I went by the old laundry mat by Duane's house. In the rear of the laundry mat they had some old dryers that were out of order. We would take turns getting in to the dryer. Then with the door open we would spin the drum by hand and give whom ever was inside at the time, a crazy ride. Of coarse we never stopped when the occupant was screaming that they were going to throw up lunch. I remember we stopped Johnny upside down, boy was his head red!
Other days were spent up and down the sidewalk on my block on our bikes. We would take a run from the corner at the south end as fast as we could to where the tracks were. At the right moment we would slam on the foot brake and spin a hooker. (leave a big black hooked skid mark) Feet brakes were great!
I also remember other days spent finding the best piece of scrap wood and some clothes pins then making rubber band guns. Once made, then we would get on our front porch and shoot flies (could it get any better!) Eventually shooting flies would get boring and it would turn into a big gun fight. You know we thought that whole neighborhood belonged to us. We would hide in every yard , hop over any fence, run across any porch and we never got into trouble (at least thats my story).
The evenings usually ended by playing out in the street throwing a tennis ball up in the air and watching bats swoop down. We would scream as they got sooo very close. I have another story about bats, a sword, and a trail of blood to our front porch but I'll save that for later.
I miss playing out in the street with all the neighborhood kids. Everything was fun. Nothing bad to look out for. Hiding in the shadows, playing tag til you couldn't run anymore, the warm breeze in your face. Man that was fun.
I sure hope heaven is created up of all the things you loved doing in your lifetime. I'm looking forward to ridin that bike again and "spinin a hooker"(now thats a phrase that sounds bad, especially in heaven.)
Jamie.
Days could consist of scouting the town for that perfect cardboard box or spending the afternoon in the field by the tracks playing Evil Kenevil. I can remember the day that Duane, his brother Johnny and I went by the old laundry mat by Duane's house. In the rear of the laundry mat they had some old dryers that were out of order. We would take turns getting in to the dryer. Then with the door open we would spin the drum by hand and give whom ever was inside at the time, a crazy ride. Of coarse we never stopped when the occupant was screaming that they were going to throw up lunch. I remember we stopped Johnny upside down, boy was his head red!
Other days were spent up and down the sidewalk on my block on our bikes. We would take a run from the corner at the south end as fast as we could to where the tracks were. At the right moment we would slam on the foot brake and spin a hooker. (leave a big black hooked skid mark) Feet brakes were great!
I also remember other days spent finding the best piece of scrap wood and some clothes pins then making rubber band guns. Once made, then we would get on our front porch and shoot flies (could it get any better!) Eventually shooting flies would get boring and it would turn into a big gun fight. You know we thought that whole neighborhood belonged to us. We would hide in every yard , hop over any fence, run across any porch and we never got into trouble (at least thats my story).
The evenings usually ended by playing out in the street throwing a tennis ball up in the air and watching bats swoop down. We would scream as they got sooo very close. I have another story about bats, a sword, and a trail of blood to our front porch but I'll save that for later.
I miss playing out in the street with all the neighborhood kids. Everything was fun. Nothing bad to look out for. Hiding in the shadows, playing tag til you couldn't run anymore, the warm breeze in your face. Man that was fun.
I sure hope heaven is created up of all the things you loved doing in your lifetime. I'm looking forward to ridin that bike again and "spinin a hooker"(now thats a phrase that sounds bad, especially in heaven.)
Jamie.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Halloween memories
With Halloween almost here I had a few memories as a kid I wanted to share.
I can remember when Halloween was safe, all the homes in my neighborhood had families that watched out for me and my brother. No razor blades in apples, no drug laced candy. The worst thing I probably got was raisins, walnuts or when Mr. Dias gave me pennies. I thought it was cool going door to door with brother Stuart in tow. I think of how fun it was at school on Halloween. We got to dress up and wear our costume all day. Later in the afternoon we had the costume contest. I think it was broken up into two groups, 1st through 3rd then 4th and 5th graders.
All in our group would get in this big circle, then walk single file around and around while a few of the teachers stood in the center and picked the kids with the best costumes. Once the field was narrowed down the rest of us were excused. Then a winner was picked from the remaining few. Talk about disappointment, I was in that contest from 1st grade to 5th before I was finally picked as winner.
The class parties were the best. Mom was always a room mother and made lots of cookies or cup cakes. Another mom always made punch. I remember Denise Hale's mom always brought some dry ice and set in in a cup of water. I could watch that cup bubble up smoke all afternoon.
I recall the carnival they had for Halloween (I think it was in the second grade) they had a real camel that night, and they were giving rides! I remember being sorta scared setting on that huge beasts back, I didn't feel very secure and could imagine falling off, I was glad when my turn was over.
I remember one year dad got this really goofy mask. It kinda was a cross between a caveman and a hobo. I can remember him telling mom, me and my brother to watch as he ran over to our neighbors house where Ethel and Granny McCurry lived. Our neighbors never locked their door and dad just sorta stumbled in on our poor unsuspecting neighbors and yelled some kinda jibberish...ooogah booogah!! You could hear them yelling and laughing!! That wasn't the last time dad ran over to the McCurry place for a laugh. They never did start locking their door.
I just hope my kids have fond memories of Halloween. I've used them all Cody, Tanner and Calli as makeup guinea pigs. Ever so often each of them at one time or another have gotten flack about wanting to be gory monsters on Halloween. I say the gorier the better. The makeup washes off it doesn't stick to your soul. So have fun, be scary, eat lots of candy. Just don't accidentally eat a bunch of pennies.
Happy Halloween!!
I can remember when Halloween was safe, all the homes in my neighborhood had families that watched out for me and my brother. No razor blades in apples, no drug laced candy. The worst thing I probably got was raisins, walnuts or when Mr. Dias gave me pennies. I thought it was cool going door to door with brother Stuart in tow. I think of how fun it was at school on Halloween. We got to dress up and wear our costume all day. Later in the afternoon we had the costume contest. I think it was broken up into two groups, 1st through 3rd then 4th and 5th graders.
All in our group would get in this big circle, then walk single file around and around while a few of the teachers stood in the center and picked the kids with the best costumes. Once the field was narrowed down the rest of us were excused. Then a winner was picked from the remaining few. Talk about disappointment, I was in that contest from 1st grade to 5th before I was finally picked as winner.
The class parties were the best. Mom was always a room mother and made lots of cookies or cup cakes. Another mom always made punch. I remember Denise Hale's mom always brought some dry ice and set in in a cup of water. I could watch that cup bubble up smoke all afternoon.
I recall the carnival they had for Halloween (I think it was in the second grade) they had a real camel that night, and they were giving rides! I remember being sorta scared setting on that huge beasts back, I didn't feel very secure and could imagine falling off, I was glad when my turn was over.
I remember one year dad got this really goofy mask. It kinda was a cross between a caveman and a hobo. I can remember him telling mom, me and my brother to watch as he ran over to our neighbors house where Ethel and Granny McCurry lived. Our neighbors never locked their door and dad just sorta stumbled in on our poor unsuspecting neighbors and yelled some kinda jibberish...ooogah booogah!! You could hear them yelling and laughing!! That wasn't the last time dad ran over to the McCurry place for a laugh. They never did start locking their door.
I just hope my kids have fond memories of Halloween. I've used them all Cody, Tanner and Calli as makeup guinea pigs. Ever so often each of them at one time or another have gotten flack about wanting to be gory monsters on Halloween. I say the gorier the better. The makeup washes off it doesn't stick to your soul. So have fun, be scary, eat lots of candy. Just don't accidentally eat a bunch of pennies.
Happy Halloween!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Summer smells.
I was noticing the other day as I drove with my car window open , the smells in the air and the memories they were bringing back. Many people don't like passing a dairy because of certain odors. I pass a dairy and the smells take me back to when dad picked up milk for Neilsen's creamery. I smell the hay and there I am with my brother running across the tops of the stacked bales. We built forts and played hide and seek. I smell the grain and I'm taken back to the calve pens . Dad told us to stick our thumbs out and the calves would suck on them, boy they did and would keep going til our thumbs were raw. Sometimes the dairy owners would bring out the bottles and let us feed the new calves, that was fun. I can remember the smell inside the creamery , it was a clean smell and hard to describe but I'll never forget it. I have certain country smells that take me out to when I'd spend the weekends at my friend Duane's when he moved out east of Tulare. Playing football beside the cow pasture . Fun times. Wouldn't it be great to be able to go back.
I often wonder if my kids will have their smells that take them to their childhood and fond memories.
So ever so often turn off your air conditioner, roll your windows down and just drive. See if anything comes to mind when the breeze goes across you face. Just take a few deep breaths and soon you'll be a kid again playing in new mown grass or grabbing up pollywogs in a ditch.
I often wonder if my kids will have their smells that take them to their childhood and fond memories.
So ever so often turn off your air conditioner, roll your windows down and just drive. See if anything comes to mind when the breeze goes across you face. Just take a few deep breaths and soon you'll be a kid again playing in new mown grass or grabbing up pollywogs in a ditch.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Having fun on the mini bike.
I can remember dad coming home one day with a mini bike, I must have been 12, my brother Stuart 10. Dad would take us up the road by the rail road tracks, there we had a big open area to ride. Our friends on our street would always tag along. Duane , Johnny, Frankie and Romero would all wait for their turn along with Stuart and me. We run the heck out of that little mini bike. I can remember that before we could go riding we all had to find enough coke bottles to turn in to come up with the 45 cents for a gallon of gas. Can you believe it 45 cents! What do ya think were made of money!
One time dad came home this time with a mini bike frame with wheels, no motor. To make things more interesting we tied a long rope to the new mini bike frame and pulled it behind our motorized bike. I remember us all doing that for awhile. It was my turn to drive and I was towing my brother Stuart behind. I remember that it had rained earlier in the week and there was a big kinda mud puddle out in the middle of the field. Well I took off pulling Stuart behind me. I took a big sweeping turn and out of the corner of my eye I can see Stuart swinging way out over my shoulder. Well, just like in crack the whip Stuart came to the end of the rope. The next thing I remember is Stuart being drug through the big mud puddle with the bike on it's side. I can hear him yelling for me to stop but it took a little for that to register so he continued to be drug through the goo. (I'm sure I could have stopped sooner but why?) When Stuart got off he was covered in mud and everyone was laughing , dad included. I can close my eyes and still see it all happening as if it were yesterday. In all the time we had those mini bikes I don't remember any of us getting hurt, I do remember us all laughing a lot!
Later I'll have to tell the story of a go cart crash involving Stuart. I thought that was pretty funny too.
One time dad came home this time with a mini bike frame with wheels, no motor. To make things more interesting we tied a long rope to the new mini bike frame and pulled it behind our motorized bike. I remember us all doing that for awhile. It was my turn to drive and I was towing my brother Stuart behind. I remember that it had rained earlier in the week and there was a big kinda mud puddle out in the middle of the field. Well I took off pulling Stuart behind me. I took a big sweeping turn and out of the corner of my eye I can see Stuart swinging way out over my shoulder. Well, just like in crack the whip Stuart came to the end of the rope. The next thing I remember is Stuart being drug through the big mud puddle with the bike on it's side. I can hear him yelling for me to stop but it took a little for that to register so he continued to be drug through the goo. (I'm sure I could have stopped sooner but why?) When Stuart got off he was covered in mud and everyone was laughing , dad included. I can close my eyes and still see it all happening as if it were yesterday. In all the time we had those mini bikes I don't remember any of us getting hurt, I do remember us all laughing a lot!
Later I'll have to tell the story of a go cart crash involving Stuart. I thought that was pretty funny too.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Car- port Roller Derby
I can remember when I was in second grade, I found that my classmate Duane Vryhof lived just across the street and down by the tracks. We soon began to spend all our time together. One day Duane got a box of old stuff from his cousin. (which was a girl) In this box was some old shoe skates. Not only were they girls skates but they were both left feet. Seeing how we both wanted to skate we decided to each take one. I wore mine on my left foot but Duane couldn't skate on his left. So we skated, me with my one left foot and Duane wearing a left shoe skate on his right foot(ouch)
We skated in that car-port everyday after school. We were really flying. Duane's foot finally toughened up and he quit getting blisters from wearing that skate on the wrong foot. We both had learned to balance on just that one skate.
I can't remember how many months we skated. but it was a long time. Tulare eventually opened a skating rink over at the fairgrounds and we were liberated in to using a pair of skates! They had a left and a right and they had laces. It took us a little bit to learn how to use both feet.
My mom still lives at the same place. Across the street and down by the tracks is the place Duane used to live. The car-port is still there. The old roller derby track seems to have shrunk to 1/4 of it's size. Boy it sure looked bigger when I was 8.
I wonder.. do kids roller skate anymore? Well if they do they are probably spoiled and have a skate for their left and right foot.
We skated in that car-port everyday after school. We were really flying. Duane's foot finally toughened up and he quit getting blisters from wearing that skate on the wrong foot. We both had learned to balance on just that one skate.
I can't remember how many months we skated. but it was a long time. Tulare eventually opened a skating rink over at the fairgrounds and we were liberated in to using a pair of skates! They had a left and a right and they had laces. It took us a little bit to learn how to use both feet.
My mom still lives at the same place. Across the street and down by the tracks is the place Duane used to live. The car-port is still there. The old roller derby track seems to have shrunk to 1/4 of it's size. Boy it sure looked bigger when I was 8.
I wonder.. do kids roller skate anymore? Well if they do they are probably spoiled and have a skate for their left and right foot.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Getting started
Well here I go starting something new. Everyone will have to be patient as I have never Blogged before. I have enjoyed for sometime the blog of dear friends John and Melanie and their "Year in Exile" Both of these friends have urged me to start my own.
I have titled my Blog "My own Mayberry". I like to share stories of my childhood, stories of my dad, my mom and just things that all of us did as kids in a much simpler and safe time I.E. Mayberry. Wouldn't we all like to be able to go back and spend the day just riding our 5 speed stingray bike all over town, or scouring the neighborhood picking up Coke bottles to turn in for the deposit so you can buy up all the penny candy you can eat.
The Blogs will be in no particular order, they will be posted as things hit me during the day. A Blog may be spawned by a smell that brings back a long ago filed memory or a sound like that of a mockingbird that puts me in my grandmothers backyard when I was 7.
My hope is to get everyone who reads the Blog to just remember those times and share them. I hope as you read my memories you'll begin to remember too.
Jamie.
I have titled my Blog "My own Mayberry". I like to share stories of my childhood, stories of my dad, my mom and just things that all of us did as kids in a much simpler and safe time I.E. Mayberry. Wouldn't we all like to be able to go back and spend the day just riding our 5 speed stingray bike all over town, or scouring the neighborhood picking up Coke bottles to turn in for the deposit so you can buy up all the penny candy you can eat.
The Blogs will be in no particular order, they will be posted as things hit me during the day. A Blog may be spawned by a smell that brings back a long ago filed memory or a sound like that of a mockingbird that puts me in my grandmothers backyard when I was 7.
My hope is to get everyone who reads the Blog to just remember those times and share them. I hope as you read my memories you'll begin to remember too.
Jamie.
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