Monday Memories #11 #FixThePlus

Continued from the last Monday Memories #8

There was a break for Memorial Day

If you know what a dune buggy is then you know where Glamis is. 

Our family's camper got a workout going there. Whenever we were going to go on a trip my chore was to clean out the camper. 

It was the kind of camper you attached to the top of a truck which at the time I thought was pretty neat.

Living in the desert there was always sand involved getting into everything. I would wipe the inside all down and make the bed that was on top in the front. I would check to see what we needed then bring out the supplies putting them away.

Glamis is a big square desert with miles and miles of dunes. My Dad, would buy an old Volkswagon and turn it into a dune buggy. There was welding and 'don't look' cautions that just made you want to peek at the welding. I loved the welders helmet making my dad look badass. 

The garage had tools hanging on the back wall and a bench that my dad built with those big red tool chests and welder machine underneath. I used to go out and sit and talk to him while he would be working away or trying to get out of being grounded which worked 99% of the time! 

The finished dune buggy would look awesome and off we all would go to Glamis to try her out. Try and imagine 100 or more Chevy engines starting up at once and following a trail to get to the best dunes. I was in heaven. 

One camping trip I remember quite well there was a full moon around Thanksgiving. It had just gotten dark with everyone climbing into their dune buggies starting them up. With all those V-8 engines starting up all at once, the roar was deafening and my eyes would sparkle with anticipation. 

With the full moon, you could see quite clearly as if it was a cloudy day all the dune buggy's one by one started down the trail that has been traveled over thousands of times heading for the best dunes. These dunes were so big that when you are on top and look down, the people and vehicles looked like ants. This place is huge and I will never forget the weekends of endless fun we as a family had.

I found this video for you to watch.

Where was your favorite place to have fun at?

Thinking Back Tuesdays Story Time #1

I started writing my story at the urging of my kids, several years ago. Personally I think they wore weary of all my stories, just kidding kids! I would think about it a lot finally putting pen to paper fingers to keyboard when my first grandchild was born. You are my motivation dear one. I never knew I could love anyone else as much as my own children for which there is none like a mother's love which is where the term "I love you to the moon and back" comes from. I have made mistakes, moved mountains, motivated by my children, raising them to be strong, independent people, and to be better off than I was. I wasn't prepared for Empty Nest Syndrome which hit me hard when my son spread his wings and flew off to the military.You would of thought the sting of separation would of been lessened, he had been going to Florida to see his father and his wonderful now wife since he was five or six. I remember that was the very first time I had ever sat foot in a commercial airline, my son looking so tiny in the seat. That was the day my heart broke, just a little. I think the oceans are really made of all the mother's in the world's tears.

The stewardess assured me he would be watched over all the way there and I managed to hold back my tears until I stepped off the plane watching it fly my little son away from me. Hours later I got the expected phone call that all was well, I could finally relax.
Now when my daughter grew up and decided she wanted adventure I gave her my blessing, smiling and waving good-bye, I wished her well breathing a sigh of relief that she had the strength to leave the go nowhere town we lived in, closed the door and cried, my heart breaking a little more.
I am lucky that despite all the miles and years that go by we are deeply, completely bound to each other staying in touch through Skype, Facebook, phone calls, letters and cards and visits. Also talking to everyone I know I have drawn comfort that I am not alone in missing my children. I started this story while you were still in your mommy's belly. You were early, you little early bird! Grandma loves you already.
So without further ado here is Grandma Rose's story, my gift to you. Oh yes, You have a little brother coming and we all are going to have a wonderful time!

                                         GRANDMA ROSE'S ADVENTURES

Hello, little one and by little one I'm talking to you while you are still in your Mommy's belly.I already have an idea of what you will look like from your sonogram. Your parents are really looking forward to meeting you and so is everyone else.

Your name has changed a couple of times, but that’s just normal and what parents do. Your Aunt Amy who is my oldest daughter was born June 21st, 1980 in Palm Springs, California where I was raised. I wanted to name her “Summer” and it just happens that “Summer Begins” is June 21st which I think would have been too cool but at my mother's insistent nagging, I ended up naming her Amy and I think now it may be Cindy but hang on...I'm getting ahead of myself! You will read about Aunt Amy later.

How Grandpa C. and I got your daddy's name was we made a deal. Grandpa C. was in charge of the first names, I was in charge of the middle name. After you were born, I chose to name your father after my grandpa who is with the angels now. It's a nice strong name.

I asked your mommy on Facebook how she got her name and she told me, “My mom just liked the name”. “My middle name is my mom and dads middle name together”.

Now your Aunt Ariel came by her name from the Movie The Little Mermaid. I loved the spelling, not to mention the movie, which me and your daddy watch at least a million  hundred times, and her middle name Chelsie was a name I really liked from a man who's daughter was named, thinking it sounded like a song. I love the way your Auntie's whole name sounds like singing.

Okay, kiddo Grandma's Adventures is about to begin... Stay tuned for the next installment of  GRANDMA ROSE'S ADVENTURES next Tuesday's Thinking Back Tuesdays Story Time.

I really really want everyone's input and I have a thick skin and am willing to learn so please comment what you all think!

Memories Of A Valentine's Past

I am going to try my hand at writing a story at the encouragement of my friendly blogger 'tribe'. I read that somewhere deciding I love that feeling same as 'village'. I'm making up my own quote. "It takes a village to raise a blogger". I like that. I hope you enjoy.

                                                  Memories Of A Valentine's Past

Wendy sat dreamily gazing out the window. It was the day after Valentines. In her mind's eye, she was that young girl of fifteen sitting at the edge of the local pool sunbathing. Tanning was very important to her loving the golden brown color she had been working on for the last month. The Californian sky was a vivid dark blue, a slight breeze was gently moving her long brown, sunbleached hair.
As she tilted her face towards the sun closing her eyes through the gate came a couple of boys armed with a big black plastic inner tube throwing it into the pool making the water shift slightly, a loud  noise of plastic hitting the water rang out. One boy was dark-skinned, the other she recognized lived in her neighborhood. She went to school with his sister.
Taking a running jump, they both cannon-balled into the pool making a huge splash jostling each other for the innertube. Meanwhile, she would glance over when the boys were submerged then looking away as they came up shouting, continuing to nonchalantly sunbath.
After a few more minutes of horseplay, the boy Matt from her neighborhood came swimming over to the side where she was sitting telling her as she blushed slightly, his friend would like to meet. Thus began Wendy's 'first love' affair.
They dated for the rest of the summer meeting at the pool. Wendy was in love with this handsome, dark-skinned, slanted green eyed boy.
But alas circumstances changed making it so difficult to see each other they had to break up. Wendy was heartbroken, crying at every sad song that came on the radio.
Days, months, then years passed as time does, Wendy's pain faded into the past. She never forgot about her green-eyed, dark-skinned boy at the local swimming pool.
One day in January Wendy went to visit some old friends she had gone to school with. They were two sisters having been married living side by side in an Apartment complex.
They all had to go to work leaving Wendy with instructions to turn off the oven when the timer went off. Wendy was sitting waiting when the door opened and in came Dale, her first love was right here in front of her!
They started to see each other again, January turned to Febuary turning into Valentine's Day. Wendy stared at the phone deciding to give Dale a call at his place of employment to wish him a Happy Valentine's day.
"Hello, I'd like to speak to Dale if he's available please"? Her heart sped up with excitement as she anticipated the sound of his voice. She never knew what that saying, "time stopped" truly meant until she heard what came out of the phone's receiver, "I'm sorry, he died".
Wendy hung up in disbelief and after that, valentines day was never quite the same.

                                                       The End

MemoryLaneMonday

In honor of the holidays, my first Memory Monday post will be about my past Christmas holiday memories with the kids. I'm excited and I hope you are as well. If you didn't catch my past post about my experimenting just follow the link above.

The kids were young, preschool ages. My idea of Christmas was a huge real Christmas tree all decorated with bright shiny bulbs, Christmas lights, tinsel, that particular year I had made popcorn to string around the tree. And tons of presents.

The kids would sit with me and help while I made snowflakes out of white paper and tape them on the two windows in our living room with Christmas songs playing on the radio, telling them stories about when I was growing up and Santa Claus. I was pleased my daughter has remembered the snowflakes on the windows to this day.

We would watch all the Christmas specials in the evenings with the Christmas lights twinkling against the red, blue and gold bulbs hanging down from the tree. Baking and decorating cookies were a tradition, sugar cookies were hung from the tree branches as well.

The shopping never ended until Christmas Eve. I was a great fan of Christmas stockings often over filling them. Christmas Eve was for the stocking filled with candies and little-wrapped presents. Later on, I got the kids off to bed often letting them sleep together they were so excited.

Nice bright and early I would be woken up to Christmas morning and I don't know who was more excited, me or the kids, having my camcorder in hand filming our little family as the kids excitedly opened up all their gifts then we would watch it later on after Christmas dinner.

Do you have a favorite Christmas memory? I love stories so do tell.

To Comment or Not To Comment?

Don't you just love thoughts or an idea or thoughts of an idea that just won't go away? For me once it's in there unless I forget it its there for good!

I have been on the net for a long time. Longer then some but not as long as others. Like my husband who is 5 years younger then me has been on computers since they were ungodly huge and bulky.

Anyways I love when a new hobby comes along that shows you the "other side". In this case, the other side of blogging.

It's the comment section awareness. There should be a comment awareness month. Why not? It could make a lot of people happy as long as its nice and helps. No flaming please...or rudeness which reminds me of being careful what you wish for.

For me looking over my posts and seeing a comment perks me right up. So I imagine how someone else would feel as long as no being rude and hiding behind the internet to make someone else feel bad. 

So the conclusion to all this rambling is...I'm making more of an effort to comment when a post appeals, moves or inspires me and you know what? It makes me feel good taking a few seconds to make someone else feel good as well.

What do you think about commenting?