Tag Archives: childhood

Apr20

miracle mile.

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built in 1960
less than 3 years after i was born
this magical miracle mile movie drive-in and i grew up together
i never got over how wonderful going to see anything was
pajamas with feet, blankets, popcorn, sticky lemonade
jockeying for space with my sibs in the station wagon
never made it through a second feature
carried sound asleep into my bed
stories still playing out in my dreams.
—
“isn’t if funny how day by day, nothing changes, but when we look back, everything is different.”
c.s. lewis

 

 

Jan8

real courage.

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seven year-old ernest hemingway, fishing at horton’s creek in michigan, 1906

—

“the thing is to become a master

and in your old age

to acquire the courage to do

what children did when they knew nothing.”

-ernest hemingway

Sep8

seeing magic.

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and, the magic has begun.

the kinder find an extended family of roly-poly’s in the trunk of a tree

everyone runs over to see them. 

 

 

 

—

“children can see magic because they look for it.”

-christopher moore

Apr28

outdoors.

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another beautiful outdoor adventure day

—

“in this modern world where activity is stressed almost to the point of mania,

quietness as a childhood need is too often overlooked.”

-margaret wise brown, american children’s book author

Mar15

bridge mix.

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when we were growing up

our mom would buy bridge mix

for when she had company coming over

 my sibs and i

would quietly sift through and pick out all of our favorite pieces

leaving the rest

we each chose our favorites

until there were not many left at all

i think we left my mother

the giant nuts covered in chocolate and perhaps a cream or two

probably no one’s favorites

 we just couldn’t help ourselves

reasoning out if we each only took a few

no one would notice

but the math was not on our side

nor was our mother, in this case.

—

bridge mix info: (you never know when you will need this info):

bridge mix:  consisting of nuts, fruits, and cremes, covered in milk and dark chocolate.

Brach’s is the major US producer of Bridge Mix. Hershey Canada sells it under the name “Bridge Mixture.”

Bridge Mix was formed mainly when the former employee of Hershey Foods dropped the candies from six conveyor belts on a foot bridge. The bridge was used in the plant to repair equipments and was made to tilt to remove the fallen candies. The candies were then placed in big containers around the facility and the staff was allowed to have candies from the “Bridge Mix”. The Bridge mixture was then given a formal name of “Bridge Mix” by the new management. It has also been found that the name “Bridge Mix” comes from the game of cards, “Bridge” since Bridge matches have been considered notorious for getting snacks and candies on the tournament tables.

—

“one of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats.”

-iris murdoch

 

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source credits: brach’s candy company, hershey’s canada, ifood.tv

Mar2

now you see me, now you still see me.

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a very cooperative model, not me, but she has a similar look

can you see her?

—

when i was young

i was shy

and used to believe

that if i had sunglasses on

i was invisible

 which worked well for me

until i found out

it wasn’t true

 tried to remember all that i had done

while thinking i was invisible

and wow.

—

“i am more than what you see.”

-ray bans

 

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photo credit: pinterest

Dec20

memories gather and dance.

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Toy Department during Christmas season in the J.L. Hudson store, Detroit – 1957

 loved this view of the toy department at the store during the Christmas season.

toys were displayed on shelves, tables, and display cases,

with decorations featuring elves, a sleigh, and reindeer in background.

—

this is where i went every year

all dressed up fancy

to buy little gifts (with help from the elves) for my family

to see santa

to have a special lunch

 always, always amazed

by the glamour and magic of it all.

—

“like snowflakes, my christmas memories gather and dance –

each, beautiful, unique, and gone too soon.

-deborah whipp

 

—

credits: detroit memories, linda yates rudnicki, j.l. hudson’s

Dec15

unicorn license.

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These images released by the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control and posted via Instagram, shows a created a unicorn license tag, right, and a plush toy unicorn, after a young girl requested permission to have a unicorn in her backyard, if she could find one. Animal Care and Control Department officials said this week that they granted the unusual permit to Madeline, whose last name was redacted. (Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control via AP)

A girl named Madeline, with a vivid imagination and remarkable awareness of how bureaucracy can dash dreams, got her wish when she asked Los Angeles animal control authorities for a license to own a unicorn — if she’s able to find one.

The first-of-its-kind permit came with strings attached, however: The mythical creature must be provided ample exposure to sunlight, moonbeams and rainbows and have its horn polished at least once a month with a soft cloth.

Director Marcia Mayeda of the county Department of Animal Care and Control sent the girl a heart-shaped, rose-colored metal tag with “Permanent Unicorn License” emblazoned on it, along with a white fuzzy unicorn doll with pink ears, purple hooves and a silver horn.

The department’s response came after the girl wrote it a brief letter last month: “Dear LA County, I would like your approval if I can have a unicorn in my backyard if I can find one.”

Mayeda commended the girl for her “sense of responsible pet ownership to seek permission in advance” and for thoughtfully considering “the requirements of providing a loving home to animals.”

Its five conditions for unicorn ownership also require that any sparkles or glitter sprinkled on the animal be nontoxic and biodegradable, and that it be fed watermelon at least once a week.

—

“reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.”

-C. S. Lewis

 

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credits: los angeles county animal care and control, AP

Nov19

the land of your childhood.

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first snow of the year – outdoor adventure day

—

first time with sustained snow play for many

running, jumping, sticks, snow angels, footprints, chasing,

snow picnic, snow story, snowballs, duck,duck,polar bear game,

lost mittens, noses running, rosy cheeks

eating lots and lots and lots of snow

one said it was the best snack in the world

and it just might be.

 

—

“there is no land like the land of your childhood.”

-michael powell

Oct31

hot stuff.

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i loved wearing the costumes of my childhood era

and happily ‘suffered for my art.’

recent neighborhood nextdoor comments on the halloween costumes are wonderful:

They were so ugly but if you made your own costume, it wasn’t cool. We had to buy these things…jumpsuit tore easily, and elastic snapped off mask. And the sweat…and trying to breathe through the tiny mouth hole!

Those masks were so HOT! Didn’t hold us back tho! Was so safe then and went out by ourselves.

You couldn’t see out of them, sometimes the parts that touched your face were sharp, the elastic that held it on got tangled in hair. It is a wonder we survived Halloween in these masks!

then the elastic broke so your mom tied it and was even tighter and hotter! 

 and tangled it whatever hair was still left!

I’m surprised there weren’t thunderstorms inside the mask with all the condensation from breathing too. My favorite was my Hot Stuff costume. I still have a picture of me in it!


I totally had one of these costume with the mask…but this…this looks like a Pink Floyd video.

It was miserable wearing those masks, but we didn’t care, we wanted that candy !!

Looking back at those costumes, they were actually a little creepy!!  

How about the little tiny slit near the mouth so that you could attempt to get air? Your parents couldn’t understand why you had to take it off before you went up the steps of the next house. Your face would be drenched with sweat but you would wipe it off and keep going.

Made of suffocating plastic but we loved them anyway.

happy halloween!

—

“when you’re wearing an animal costume and something bad happens,

your facial expression doesn’t change. the animal is deadpan the whole time.

if you’re skiing in a gorilla suit and you fall, you just see a gorilla who has no emotion.

it’s just a stoic gorilla wildly falling down a hill, out of control.”

-dimitiri martin 

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photo credit: vintage pinterest