Everyday memories

§       Riding our bikes up to the Dairy Mat for ice cream

§       Participating in a bicentennial parade~ I remember decorating my bike with streamers

§       Playing board games like Life & Monopoly

§       Feeding the ducks at Quarton Lake

§       Going to Lincoln Hills to watch the fireworks

§       Many joyous summers spent relaxing & playing at Forrest Hills

§       Helping me memorize my lines & make my costume for the play Robin Hood.  I got to play Maid Marion. We found the dress at Jacobson’s.  You sewed lace on the front & sleeves to make it look old

§       Being able to knock out the wall in between Mary’s & my bedroom

§       The time you spent on our bedroom~ wallpapering & matching fabric for a pillow to put on the white bench

§       Letting me have my own gerbils~ Chocolate & Chip

§       The endless trips you made so that we could try so many different activities & sports

§       The countless meals you would make us like macaroni & cheese, goulash, beef stew bake & one of my favorite salads~ carrots, raisins & mayo

§       The sound of the dinner bell~ we knew it was time to come home for dinner

§       Sledding at Lincoln Hills

§       I was about 10 at the time.  There was a huge rain storm (no thunder or lightening) & you let us play in the ditches & run around in the rain

§       This was in about sixth grade.  It was such a cold winter; there was ice on the streets.  You let us put our skates on & go skating  on the actual road

§       Being able to ride my bike up to McDonald’s at 14 & Coolidge for the 1^st time with Patty Boyle

§       Summer booklets for school~ this would help us stay on top of learning

§       TV charts.  You would take time to make charts for how much tv we could watch

§       Making & designing plates

§       Summer reading program at the library~ I remember the huge set up they had with different push pins & levels to achieve

§       Shrinky dinks & baking them in the oven

§       Sunday mornings after church when we would stop & get Dunkin Donuts

§       Taking my Carrie doll to the doll hospital for repair

§       The big doll house

§       Trips to find furniture for the big doll house

§       School clothes shopping at Jacobson’s (It was so exciting to be able to get  into the Junior section)

§       Training bra shopping at Jacobson’s

§       Reading books together~ Ameilia Bedeilia,  Sylvester & The Magic, Alexander & The Terrible, Horrible No Good Very Bad Day were just a few of my favorites

§       Going to the Franklin Cider Mill~ apple cider & donuts

§       Letting Mary & I have a lemonade stand with chocolate chip cookies in front of the Patterson house (I think we ate & drank all of our profits)

§       Bakers square~ I loved when we would get Dutch Apple Pie or French Silk Pie

§       One of the best teachable moments on unconditional love: I had gone to the pond by Kim Santee’s house & brought back tiny little frogs.  As they started to die, I remember asking your opinion on what to do.  You encouraged me to think in the interest of the little frogs.  I remember riding them back to the pond, Frisbee with frogs in hand

§       Beauty Class.  I got to go to The Birmingham Community Center & learn how to apply makeup, set tables, etc.  It was a blast! I experienced my first steamed facial.

§       Trusting me enough to allow me to try Pre-algebra in 8^th grade

§       Allowing me to baby sit overnight when I was 15 (my goodness, were those parents too trusting!)

Holidays, birthdays & special occasions

§       Going to the Ice capades

§       My angel costume that you slaved over for Halloween

§       Going to Farrel’s for birthday parties~ The last room filled with barrels of candy was my favorite part of the whole experience~ I loved the long white paper that had the little hard candy buttons you could eat

§       Treasure hunts (You would hide clues all through out the house) to retrieve our Easter baskets

§       Christmas mornings waiting at the top of the stairs to see if Santa had come

§       The Christmas angel who would play Silent Night

§       Themed birthday parties.  Our birthday parties were always the most fun.  You had numerous games so everyone received a gift before they left

§       Going to the puppet theater, having my name mentioned  & receiving a puppet as a gift

§       Receiving one of the best letters from you on my confirmation (I remember the stationary was blue).  It talked about how much you loved me and how proud you were of me

§       Letting me buy the prom dress I wanted (It was truly awful wasn’t it!?)

§       Making birthday books with our names in them

§       Carving pumpkins for Halloween 

§       Decorating the Christmas tree~ I remember one year in particular, I got to put the tinsel on the tree at the Kennesaw house

§       Making birthday treat bags to take into the class (I remember sweet tarts as one of the items used)

§       Amazing Thanksgiving dinners~ Twice baked potatoes, pumpkin squares, Turkey, stuffing

§       Girl scout camp~ you took the survivor course (learned how to bake a cake in a box) so you could come to Girl Scout camp with me

§       Getting into the back of the station wagon, dressed in pjs to go watch Clash of The Titans at the drive in

§       Having you in the audience when I performed in a long white tutu at the Birmingham Ice Arena to “Isn’t She Lovely”

§       Making the haunted house in the garage at the Newgate house

VACATIONS

§       Carter Caves vacations.  I loved going into the caves & looking for different rock formations

§       Car ride booklets… You would make these booklets for each of us kids to entertain us on the long trips to Kentucky

§       Driving down to Grandma Rufie’s with the hill that always caught our stomach

§       Camp Dearborn

§       Sixth Grade Disney World vacation

One of the BEST memories, for me, has been walking through “Coffee Talk” on Memorial Day of 2005.  To see the dream materialize and share it with you has been a gift. Happy Birthday mom. I love you!