The Crick The big kids in Ames swam in the crick. I was not allowed. When I was little, my mother warned me not to swim in the tempting watering hole in the summertime. She said there were [...]
Child’s play is kid’s work and I worked very hard at playing when I was a kid. For me, my 1950’s childhood was a time of self-discovery during an era when it was safe to wander about the [...]
Mothers give directions and expect their children to follow them. My mother gave many directions. I listened to my mother and followed some. Others I ignored. “Don’t look under the paper [...]
Church. My family and I regularly walked there on Sunday mornings in Ames, New York, no matter the weather. Marching in a line, the six of us navigated the irregular slabs of the village’s [...]
Dear Santa, I need to know if you are real. My friend Joanie said of course you are real. She asked me, “Where else would all of the presents come from? Nobody has that much money!” She is the [...]
The frayed collar on my wool snow suit irritated my neck. My little fingers scraped the raw skin under my curls. There was no relief. The itching only made my neck bumpy and hot so I opened my [...]
My crinoline petticoat scratched the back of my skinny thighs. All ten of my tiny fingers reacted and dug into the plush velvet seat in order to carefully readjusted my skirt. I did not want to [...]
Initial Healthcare Birth: November 10, 1952 Location: Nathan Littauer Hospital, Gloversville, NY. Weight: 6lbs. 13ozs. Medical cost: $72.95. My Mom said mine was an uneventful birth. When my [...]
Lessons from a Small Town: Introduction “True stories can only be told backwards.” The speaker’s message delivered on National Public Radio whispered in my ear as I motored down the [...]
I grew up with three sisters. There were many whispers and a few shouts. Christine arrived first. I came eighteen months later. Jill and Vanessa joined us after a one year pause and settled in [...]