Childhood Friends

Have you ever heard this song? I heard it somewhere, and it's always stuck in my bank of songs. It goes something like:

I don't want to play in your yard, I don't love you anymore,

you'll be sorry when you see me, sliding down our cellar door.

You can't holler down our rain barrel, you can't climb our apple tree,

I don't want to play in your yard, if you won't be good to me.

There's more, but that song always reminds me of one of my best friends as a child. She lived right across the street from me, and it was heaven! We'd play ALL the time, when we couldn't play, we'd stand out in our yards and yell back and forth to each other over the road.

We were so close; like sisters. So close, that we often fought like sisters, and that's why this song reminds me so much of my own sweet friend. We used to each take one of our shoes and trade it with the other, so that we'd go around with mismatched shoes. I'd always hear her mother say we were "ragamuffins". I had no idea what a ragamuffin is, but I took it as a huge compliment.

One thing that stands out in my memories of her, is that her room was always messy. Really messy. I loved it! My mom never let me have my room a mess like she got to have hers. I would sometimes try to hide some of my messes in my closet, or under my bed, but I don't know why I never caught on that my mom would look there. Linda got to have her messes right out for all the world to see. She taught me about ABC gum. I had no idea about gum until she informed me that is was called ABC for "Already Been Chewed". She also showed me how she put her ABC gum on her headboard of her bed. I can't tell you how surprised I was that people would actually do that! I knew I may as well forgo trying that at my house. I think my mom had some kind of phobia about gum anyway, that she passed onto me. I would hear her say to my dad, "Did you see that kid playing with his gum that way?" Meaning the kid was pulling it out of his mouth at arm's length, he was popping bubbles that landed on his face, fun stuff like that. When I would chew gum, she would say, "Would you chew your gum the right way?" I can remember slowly chewing, concentrating hard on how to chew gum. To this day, I can't stand gum. I'm ruined for it. It reminds me of someone chewing on their dental floss. I can't stand it when I find gum on something. My kids may be ruined, too lol. And no, our family wasn't what I'd call disfunctional, we were just trained to not like gum.

Back to Linda. And picnics. We would pack up a lunch in our basket and go out in the pasture, and have ourselves one of many wonderful picnics. We'd of course bring our dolls. We would play house, we would be friends as moms, just like our own moms were best friends. We'd pack our babies around, and powder them, and change them.

The doll box above is way older than the kind we had. Ours were shiny plastic, from the 1960s. I've got this one listed in my Etsy shop, my own that I played with is in storage. What kind of stories and memories are contained in this little case? Makes me wonder.

Did you mention books?

My title was going to be something like "My Husband Scares Me!", but I thought I might get a bunch of hits on my blog with people thinking he's abusive lol.

Floss, over at Troc, Broc, and Recup, was talking about books today, and I've mentioned before that my husband likes books, but she got me inspired to share my troubles with books. Well, actually, I like books, too, but when we married, all those years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I know, I know, a lot of us can say that, right? He probably has at least thought it himself!

Let's just say, every time I was with my husband, when we first met, he was ALWAYS smiling! When we were together, he laughed ALL the time! I thought to myself, we are EXACTLY ALIKE! What I didn't realize, is, he's actually very serious, very quiet, very contemplative, and when I thought we were exactly alike, was more that he was "in love!" I hadn't noticed that he's not really like that with everyone else, for some reason. Well, one of my first clues, was when we went to my first class reunion. If you knew me, you'd know, I've always been...talkative...loud?...laughing.... I could go with him to his class reunion, and when I left, I'd probably know more people than he did! I can't help it! Seriously, I go to little get-togethers of all kinds, and before I go, I tell myself, "Be quiet!" "Don't talk." "Don't laugh." But then, all of a sudden, something comes over me, and there I go again! On my way home, I wonder, "Is it because I'm home all the time, with kids, with homeschool, living in the country, like they don't let me out?" No, I've always been that way and there's not a thing I can seem to do to change it, try as I may.

But now, back to Randy. When we are alone together, we laugh, we have fun, but he is...intelligent. I think he had a lapse of some sort when he met me. I didn't know he loved to read. He loves to study. He loves God and he reads a lot of early Christian history, missionary biographies, study books, all that kind of stuff. He has a library that I don't often venture into, but it's so packed with his books that I don't even know how he manages to get them in there. He's sold a couple of HUGE collections a couple of times, and he still has books! I tease them that the mustier they are, the more he likes them. OK, it's not just books upstairs. He has pictures whever he can put them, like on the ceiling of his cubby-hole study, of things the kids have drawn him. He always has them sign them, and date them...all that. He collects books for them, too. The family room has a large shelf that is full of the Nancy Drew's, and other literature from the earlier 1900s. Just this morning I mentioned that we have a LOT of books, are they really reading these books. Yes, as a matter fact, they are!
Well, since Floss, my new blogger friend in France, was sharing her "book story", I thought I'd share some of my husband's problem. I didn't go every in the house he has book shelves, but here's a taste of what you'd see if you visited me. I got one of his clocks, and some of his family's heirloom stuff, too. But OK, I'll admit, he does have some pretty neat books, don't you think?

I've got to find some time! I lost it and can't find it!

Sometimes I feel like I'm always behind, probably b/c I am! I know fall is hectic. Life is hectic. But I also know that God gives us all the time we actually NEED in a day, whether we use it right or not. I think I've been doing pretty well with priorities. We got a decent start on school, figuring out how much time this was going to take, what to expect, etc. Since we're using the dvd's it's a lot easier for me than recording our classes and burning dvds.
I picked up my gorgeous peaches this morning, for a pretty decent price, considering how high everything is lately. Those will be ready to can in a few days. I finished the pears today. I collected the salsa ingredients and will probably get a small bath done this weekend. My tomatoes are not ripening as fast as I need them too, but at least I've got some.
I am really wanting to get some time to work on my Etsy shop. I've got some dolls I want to put on there, made by a pattern from Sweet Meadows Farm. I just love the folky look of these dolls and I had a blast making them. I'm working on a hooked pumpkin-head shaker that I am really having fun with. I've got a LOT of vintage stuff I've collected that I need to get listed. AND we're having the cider-pressing party in a couple weeks to get ready for. It will all come together, it just takes time.
As I'm typing I have cardamom bread in the oven for a show tomorrow with Kristin, then we'll HURRY to Youth Group, where I will get to sit and visit with friends and pretend like I have all the time in the world. Actually, it is nice to get together with friends and SLOW down. It's important stuff! Here's a pic of my dollys.