I am from

I am from green grass and pine trees and hundred year old Oaks, from homemade biscuits and fresh sweet tea, from the strong scent of Vicks Vapor Rub and my mother rubbing it on my chest when I was sick.

I am from the brick house that my Mother and I convinced my Daddy to buy, where the thermostat was never touched and the belt hung on the refrigerator door (just as a reminder).

From the wonderful, outdoor smell of cedar when I opened up my Mother's cedar chest to rummage through her childhood memories and the pungent smell of tobacco as I dusted my Daddy's old pipes.

I am from the yard that had a vegetable garden out back and beautiful red roses that my daddy grew. Fresh cut grass that you could smell for days and pecans that needed to be picked up from the ground.

I am from Hydrangeas in my Great-grandmother's yard and climbing the apple tree next to her house, the screened front porch where her lady friends came to visit and talk about how cute my brother and I were.

I am from watching "Rudolph", "Frosty" and "Charlie Brown" every year at Christmas with my footy pajama's on. I am from Shirley and Earl and Evelyn and the sister of Joey.

I am from The Beauty Shop that my Granny owned and the money drawer where I got the 15 cents to get a coke from the coke machine (over and over).

I am from Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and stuffed animals that slept with me every night.

I am from First Baptist Church with it's big steps to the front door, church bells ringing on the hour and Vacation Bible School every summer.

I am from singing "Jesus Loves Me", "Jesus Loves The Little Children" and "Do Lord" and accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and Baptism in lukewarm water while holding my nose tight.

I am from Alabama and middle class living, peas and butter beans fresh from the garden and the best tomatoes in the world. I am from shelling peas and beans all summer long and "putting them up" for the winter.

From the years without my Daddy, because he was in Vietnam and learning to change our daily schedule and eating habits when he got home (no spaghetti,casseroles or macaroni and cheese),then the homemade ice cream (even though I had to crank it manually) and the best grilled hamburgers in the world, because he was an excellent cook.

I am from a tape recorder that we put on our table at night , so we could "talk" to our Daddy and then another time," listen" to his message back to us from so far away and sometimes just to hear the sound of his voice so we didn't forget it.

I am from " Reel to Reel" movie projectors that house our family history and Kodak Instamatic's with little flash tubes on top. From the slide film that my daddy loved to use and sitting for hours alone in my room looking through them on the slide carousel.

I am from Polaroid cameras and waiting until it was "ready" before you pulled it apart to see the image and from a history of people who loved photography and catching life on film as much as I do now.

This idea came to me from Mary at Owlhaven. You can find the cheat sheet  guidelines to write your own at Fragments of Floyd. I changed mine a little and I could write all day, so many memories are spilling over in my mind. It was amazing to me how the sights, smells and memories came flooding forth as I began to write this. I am a very sentimental person, so this was right up my alley (you are right Kate). Hope you will consider trying it. Let me know if you do so I can read yours too. Thanks Mary, for posting yours and sharing this idea.

p.s. Don't forget about Treasure Tuesday tomorrow!!

Comments

[Carrie K.]

I did this a while ago on my blog. You can see it here:
http://carrie.homeschooljournal.net/2005/05/05/where-im-from/

You mentioned pecans - for us it was filberts that needed to be picked up. We hated it at the time, but now laugh about it. Funny how memories change over time.

[Leah]

I posted Where I'm from on my blog after reading yours. I loved it, and it brought back some great memories, some not so great, but it is always good to remember from whence I came.
Leah

[Rebecca]

That's beautiful! I love the idea, and the original poem on the link. I may have to try it!

[Kate]

Wow, you took me right there. I could smell the food, feel the Alabama summer air, and see the beautiful outdoors. But I had to laugh at the footie jammies! I had those too (maybe that's why we can do such weird things with our toes!) I SO enjoyed this :) I still want some of your homemade ice cream!

[owlhaven]

This was wonderful!

Mary, mom to many

[Diane]

Faith, we share a lot of memories. Mine is up, you can read it here:
http://lenadianejennings.blogspot.com/2006/04/i-am-from_22.html

Like you, I could write about this for pages. :)

[Cheeriobutt]

Oh I am soo glad to read yours! I was hoping you would do it! I like to ride back on your memories and get a taste of your life! Cool!

[Carol]

It's amazing how our memories of dads in Vietnam are so similar. The tape recorder (portable reel-to-reel for us), the slide film and projector, so many adjustments when he came back home after being gone a year...both times! It'd be fun to compare 'Nam Brat notes sometime.

Mine is set to post on Friday. I totally enjoyed reading yours.

[Kristie]

Lovely post.

[Katie]

Loved the post Faith!!

[no_average_girl]

that's so cute!

[sarahgrace]

Okay, I did it too. Loved this post. Got me thinking and remembering!

[Tanya]

This is beautiful and has inspired me to do one of these (one day). Before, I'd read them but never feel compelled to write one myself. I hope I can fill mine with half as much enthralling nostalgia as you have captured - I felt like I was right there in your home with you.

I can't believe I haven't come across your blog before now. I've just spent the past half hour reading several of your posts. I love your style.

About the frog in my blog - I don't like touching them either. I ended up scooping it up in a plastic bowl and taking it outside so we never came in contact. Still, he was very cute - much cuter than the ugly cane toads we see here all the time.

Okay, this is the length of a regular post, not a comment. Sorry. Will come back again soon.

[Susan]

I loved this post Faith. It's one of my favorites so far!

[Michelle]

What a wonderful post. i am going to have to do that on my blog soon. i will let you know when I do.

[Susan]

I did this too! It was tough for me! I hope everyone enjoys it.

Susan :o)

[Heather]

Thanks so much for this. What wonderful memories. I especially identified with the smell of fresh cut grass. Ahhhh... Wasn't it great to be a kid?

You're welcome to read mine here if you like.

[Heather]

Forgot the link.

http://magicallymama.blogspot.com/2006/04/where-i-come-from.html

[sixletmama]

This is great!

Awhile back you posted on the blog I shut down (I'm the homeschooling mom of 6). I wanted to share the new link and password with you, but can't find an email address for you. If you're interested email me, please.

Wendy