Oh my goodness, where do I start! My sister and I were sharing the other day about summers at our Grandma and Grandpa Hardin's house in Eastern Washington. Every summer we would go stay for a couple weeks...oh the memories we made.
Being in a part of Washington where summer temps were often in the 100's my grandparents used a swamp cooler to cool the house. If your not familiar with this type of air conditioner, they have a very unique smell and sound, I'm sure if I heard or smelled one now memories of summer nights would come flooding back. Nights of listening to the crickets chirping, my Grandpa teaching me the Lord's prayer as we lay down to sleep, and so much more. Oh I cherish those memories...
If it was an extra warm night we would sleep in the basement cause it was always cooler down there. The basement...we had lots of adventures in the basement. Our grandma let us set up our own little house down there and we would dress up and play for hours. It was an unfinished basement except for the bedroom. The washer and dryer was down there, a small storage room with rows and rows of jars filled with canned goods. Beautiful deep red pickled beets, sweet delicious peaches, golden pears, sweet and sour pickles, yum! As you went down the stairs to the basement there were shelves for storage just above the stairs. She kept some of the most unique vases there, one was my favorite, it was shaped like a mother deer and her fawn, years later she gave it to me :-)
My Grandpa would take us trout fishing. He was the epitome of patience to take two little girls fishing! We would always creek fish, and were pretty proud of the fish we caught. One time walking back to the truck through the grass, I walked right up to a rattlesnake! My grandpa quickly got me out of the way and killed it with a rock! To me he was like a John Wayne, kind, soft spoken, always there with strength and courage! He was my hero!
My Grandma, she was 5 foot 2 and full of life and love! She was so dear to me, her home was always in order, but she was never too busy for her family. She was a gardener, an excellent cook, a keeper of her home and family. She also kept books for my grandpa's business, she was a true Proverb's 31 women and I'm sure she wasn't fretting whether she was living up to all the ideals of that Proverb's 31 women! She lived her life to the best of her abilities and it was enough, more than enough. She did what needed to be done and did it with joy, she was my role model, I miss her.
My Grandpa owned a Texaco delivery company. He would take us on deliveries in his big red Texaco trucks. It was the best going with him on deliveries, it made us feel so special, so loved. My sister and I would play in the warehouse, climbing on the big oil barrels while we waited for our Grandma to finish working. She used one of those adding machines that had the handle that you had to pull down to run off the numbers. I can still hear her pecking away at the keys and the ka-ching sound as she pulled down the handle! They were a good team my grandma and grandpa, a good example to us kids.
In Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson's book Let's Make A Memory, there is a poem at the beginning of the book. It's by Wm. J. & Gloria Gaither.
We have this moment to hold in our hand, And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand. Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come, But we have this moment today.
What memories are you making with your moments? The memories we have are mostly of everyday stuff, memories made in the midst of life happening all around us. The impromptu picnic of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a blanket in the front yard, blanket forts in the living room, folding laundry and watching a movie or walks as a family. Let's make everyday ordinary memories that leave lasting impressions on all those God has placed in our lives, living life to the best of our abilities each day and every day! Ta ta for now my friends!