My Childhood Home

Mary at Owl Haven is doing a carnival about your Childhood Home. Which I think is a splendid idea and gives me good blog fuel to write something I hold near and dear.

My first childhood home was one that my dad and his dad actually built themselves and where my father spent most of his bachelorhood as my parents married at the ripe age of 33. I wasn't born until 7 years later. Needless to say when my parents got married certain items from the house had to be removed, such as the lawn mower in the living room.

The 3 bedroom house with a den and formal living room was totally hip for the 70's. My bedroom was painted a sunny yellow with the ultra yellow shag carpet. The kitchen had a bright red formica table top with green vinyl high back chairs that swiveled. The dining room had a huge wall mural of a fountain. I also will never forget the yellow and black flowered couch that always had some other floweredy sheet covering it in the den. The colors in my mind to this day are still as vivid as they were 25 years ago.

The huge back yard was were we spent most of our time. I remember being 4 or 5 years old, helping mom pick carrots and tomatos out of the huge garden. I absolutely can't forget about the huge strawberry patch we had as well. When I was upset at mom and dad, I would gather my clothes and favorite toys and "runaway" to live outside and eat juicy red strawberries. How I long for those strawberries ecspecially this time of year.

We moved out of that old house shortly after my sister was born in the early 80's. My parents still own it and rent it out to this day. When I first got married at the young age of 20 my bridegroom and I moved in. It felt so wonderful to live in the old house once again and to allow the old childhood memories to flood back in. We went through and did some major updating as the previous renters had pretty much left it all the same. New carpet and paint was replaced. The old wall mural was painted over. The big red formica table top remained, it was just to iconic to remove. We moved out a year later to persue opportunity in Tx. I hated so much to leave it but knew things happen for a reason.

My parents have thought about selling the old place, but I don't think you can ever sell off childhood memories and family history. I think about how stable and secure I was with living in only 2 houses all through childhood and to adulthood. I think about my boys and how we've moved to atleast 4 different houses since we've moved to Texas. Will they remember any of their childhood homes and if so, I wonder which they will remember the most? Someday we will have a home to call our own. In the mean time we will just create the best of memories we can where we are, where the heart is, there the memories will be.