My New Blog

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind
Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine

Quiet thoughts come floating down
And settle softly to the ground
Like golden autumn leaves around my feet
I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories,
Sweet memories

I chose this title for my NEW blog from an old Elvis song because this one is going to be memories. I had another blog a couple years ago and gave it up for lack of time, if nothing else. I just got bored with writing it. Now I've decided I need to be more disciplined and write again.

This time my blog is going to contain all kinds of little stories about all the memories that pass through my mind. All of us have many memories every day -- some good and some bad. I thought it would be fun to share them. Some will be funny, some will be bittersweet (probably about those that have passed on), and some will be either serious and/or entertaining. Regardless, I hope you enjoy them.

I close my eyes and the first little memory that comes to my mind occurred when I was a child - probably around 10 or 11. Kids stayed kids back in those days (around 1957). Girls my age didn't notice boys that much yet and since I lived in a very small town where we were all "raised by the village", male and female played together as one. One of my fond memories is sleigh riding. We all had "American Flyer" sleds and they got used hard. My gosh, it must have snowed a lot more back in those days because I remember sledding all winter. The snow came and it stayed.

My friends and I would meet at the top of an old hill and spend hours speeding down without the thought of a crash or freezing to death. On the edge of my town there was a sheep farmer and he didn't mind us kids using his pastures (I guess sheep like hills), for our pleasure. We would meet at the top of old Levi "Buck" Townsend's steepest hill and spend hours flying down. The paths made by the Flyers would freeze and become icy and then the next day we would meet again and fly even faster. What a wonderful memory.

None of us had anything fancy like the saucers and toboggans that kids have now days. Just an old American Flyer was sufficient and if your family couldn't afford one, you would share. Going down two to a sled was even more fun. We never minded walking back up the hill and we were always patient at taking turns so no one would crash into another.

Times have changed. Kids today probably still sled when there is enough snow and they aren't tucked inside playing their computer games. I hope they grow up with some good memories like I did.