Skipping Church

Just remembering the time my sisters and I skipped out on children's church.

We were attending Calvary Temple in Seattle.  Children's church was held in the basement of our church, while the adults had services on the main floor. Well, there was some kind of restaurant and store at the end of the block that sold some snacks, candy and gum.  We decided to go.  Since we didn't have any pocket money, we must have used our church offering dimes.  I don't quite remember.  I don't remember if we actually made it to the store.  I do remember being mortified our grandparents drove up late in the back of the church where we hid behind some big rocks.  I know they saw us.  I waited for something to happen after church... but nothing did.  

The Jungle in our little House

Just remembered a recurring dream I had as a child. I think it was a night mare, though

When I was very small our house was only 4 rooms, a Kitchen, a Living room, one bedroom and a utility room off the kitchen.  (Yes, there was a bathroom too.  Does that count as a 5th room?)  I remember that room very well. It was used to store lots of things and it was where we had an old wringer washer. You had to walk through there to get to the back door. In the kitchen, just to the left of that utility room door was a nail where the "doctor" hung, ready for action. But that is another story.

Occasionally I remember the dream I had. In the dream when I opened the door and entered the "utility" room it became a jungle with real wild scary animals like tigers and lions. Why do I still remember that dream??

Mushmallows

Just remembering the fun times when the kids were much younger. I would sneak up to their door and open it and begin to bombard them with marshmallows. I still remember the delight on their faces. Great memories!
Then, at a much earlier time, I must have been very young. I was next door at my friend, Karen's house. Her mother was at work, if I remember correctly. The marshmallows were in the highest cupboard in the kitchen. Of course we climbed high to get them. We called them "mushmallows" in those days...

Christmas Past

I sure wish I had pictures of Christmas when I was a child. Those Christmases were so memorable.

Christmas Eve was so much fun!! We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve. I remember that we had to go to bed very early and take a nap so Santa could come. One time I was laying there and laying there and actually thought I heard Santa's bells on his sleigh. When we got up we found a mountain of presents around the tree that were not there before our naps. Many gifts were labeled "from Santa"

Our Aunt Eva and Uncle Jim would come to share the evening with us. They were my favorite. They were full of fun, especially Uncle Jim. They always brought us gifts, Christmas or not. They brought us our first hula hoops. We would open all our gifts, which included our clothes for the year, toys, and other things. We always got bubble bath. We did not get expensive gifts but we loved them all.

On Christmas Morning Grandma and Grandpa Schrader came with more gifts. I think they brought us each three gifts and one was pajamas, always a little big for us to grow into. We had Christmas meal with them.

I was always glad we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve because, unlike all the other neighborhood kids, we had the whole day on Christmas to play with our new toys.

Such fun memories!!

Old Photos- Treasures

With Grandma Martha and Grandpa Gus at Mt Rainier

Old pictures are treasures.  They can tell stories or bring back old memories long forgotten.  I have searched for and "borrowed" and made copies of many of these pictures.  So glad I did!

I actually remember this time with my grandparents.  Those deer must have made an impression.  I must have been 4 years old since Sheila, our 3rd sister, is not here.  My grandma was only about 44 here.

Wrong Guy!

How Grandma Jo met Grandpa Willard.
"I used to hang out at a resturant for coffee etc after movies. One night my friend Jolene and I met these two boys, Willard and Bob. Bob asked me for a date and Willard ask Jolene. So later on in the week , we had been out on a double date and were sitting across from each other in a booth and Willard looked at me and "mouthed the words, will you go out with me? And I nodded my head and we went together from then on and married in 6 months after we met."

Going to Church

Church was a given in our family when I was growing up. I never remember a time I did not attend church. There is the wonderful memory of when I received Jesus as my Saviour. I was 7 or 8 years old.  We had Children's Church with Uncle Jack. He and is wife were always there. They were so much fun! I remember marching around the room knocking down the walls of Jericho, I remember the missionary stories of witch doctors, I remember all the childhood songs, like Climb, Climb up Sunshine Mountain, When We all Pull Together, and Jesus Loves all the Children of the World." Still the best memory is receiving Jesus as my Saviour. I was so happy! He made my little heart so light. 
Another memory is when my sister and I had snuck out of church and went to the corner store and bought gum?? When we came back, my Grandma and Grandpa, were just pulling up. We hid behind some big rocks. Uh oh!

A Brother Found

Never thought that posting my stories here would lead to something so good! A niece, I never knew found me by reading this blog this week that was posted to facebook. What a surprise! Now I  am looking forward to meeting her father who is most likely my brother, and the family. I feel like it is a special present from God! The missing pieces of my life are being found. And there will be more stories to hear and share with family. I wonder about 2 other siblings who are out there somewhere.

Dad Time

Out with Dad! What a memory! He had come to church with his wife to take my sister and I out. The memory is pretty vivid even at 61. We went out to eat at some kind of dime store fountain. Everything, I said I liked, he bought for me. I remember thinking I better not say I liked anything else because he would feel he needed to buy it for me. Too bad I didn't know he was my dad. He was my "Uncle Bud". We went home with lots of goodies.

Coat Patch

Oh! Was I ever in trouble! I was in 2nd grade, 2nd girl from the left. I loved to play on the bars. We would hang our coats on the ends of the bars when we weren't using them under our knees as a cushion as we were twirling round and round on the bars. Well, my mother had told me not to play on the bars. I don't remember what I said to my mother when I found that someone had cut a square of fabric out of my coat. My mother came to the school. Don't know if we found out who did it but I am sure I learned a lesson in obedience, or did I?