Last night was my daughters seventh birthday. To celebrate we took her to an Alan Jackson concert. She wanted to bring her friend to make it a mini birthday party.
On the way out of the concert her little friend said, “Wasn’t that the greatest night ever?” It was my daughters first concert and she seemed to agree that it was a fantastic time. I’m not a huge country fan myself but throughly enjoyed the concert as well. Alan Jackson is a great entertainer and I know he gained several new in our party.
As he was singing the song Drive I thought about my own dad teaching me to drive. He let me drive (steer is more like it) the car on the dirt roads in and around our mountain property. My thoughts traveled to other childhood memories. What I remember most about my childhood is the experiences; the traditions, the trips we took, and the time we spent together as a family. At the same time I remember very few of the Christmas presents I received.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are:
- Building a fort at Timberlakes (our mountain property in the Rocky Mountains)
- Camping at Timberlakes (we would spend much of our summer camping)
- The family trip to Yellowstone and being charged by a moose.
- Traveling and having a baby bear stop traffic because he sat down in the middle of the road and wouldn’t budge.
- Trips to the pizza parlor and watching the pizzas being made.
- Eating shrimp at The Hawaiian, a restaurant that had indoor thunderstorms.
- Playing cowboys and Indians. I know it isn’t’ politically correct, but hey we were just kids.
- The Utah Ghosttowns we visited. And the nightmares I had afterwards of falling in mine shafts.
- Wading in the creek at Timberlakes.
- Several trips to the Moab, Utah
- Visits from The Christmas Mouse
- Shopping for the annual Christmas Tree
- Watching the Disney Movie of the Week, together as a family.
- Going to the drive-in movies in our PJ’s.
- Watching Mini-series on TV - the Cowboys, War and Peace, a series about Johann Strauss, and more.
- Dancing. Dancing. Dancing.
- Visiting Arches National Park, Zions National Park, Bryce National Park, and more…
The gifts I remember getting for Christmas are:
- A So Big Doll - 1967
- A Chrissy Doll - 1968
- Little House on the Prairie Box Set (Year unknown)
How about you?
- What are your favorite childhood memories?
- What gifts do you remember receiving?
- What means more to you now? The family memories or the gifts?
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Alan Jackson? Never heard of him.
What a great post! It got me thinking about my own childhood! My fondest memories are from when we would go to what we called ‘the country’. A family friend’s old childhood farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere. We’d play and bathe in the creek and collect wild flowers and sit around the campfire and tell, what seemed to a 7-year-old, very scary stories. I got my love for the outdoors from those trips.
I also remember getting together with the entire extended family at Christmas… even though I too don’t remember many of the gifts. It was the feeling, not the things, that made the day.
I remember my Aunts playing in the swimming pool with me telling me the purple people-eaters were going to come get me because I was so cold I was turning blue but refused to get out.
I could go on… but have to clean the house. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Yes Alan Jackson. Chances are very good that you have heard his songs at some point in time. I’ve heard many of them and I don’t listen to a country music station.
He has received many awards including a Grammy.
ASCAP
* Country Song of the Year, “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” 1992
* Country Songwriter of the Year 1993
Academy of Country Music
* Top New Male Vocalist 1990
* Single Record of the Year, “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” 1991
* Album of the Year, Don’t Rock The Jukebox 1991
* Single Record of the Year, “Chattahoochee” 1993; “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” 2002
* Album of the Year, A Lot About Livin’ (And A Little ‘Bout Love) 1993
* Male Vocalist of the Year 1994 and 1995
* All time winner: Single of the Year 2005
Country Music Association
* Music Video of the Year, “Midnight In Montgomery” 1992
* Music Video of the Year, “Chattahoochee” 1993
* Single of the Year, “Chattahoochee” 1993
* Single of the Year, “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” 2002
* Vocal Event of the Year, “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” (with George Jones) 1993
* Vocal Event of the Year, “Murder On Music Row” (with George Strait) 2000
* Vocal Event of the Year, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (with Jimmy Buffett) 2003
* Song of the Year, “Chattahoochee” 1994
* Song of the Year, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” 2002
* Album of the Year, Common Threads: The Songs of the Eagles 1994
* Album of the Year, Drive 2002
* Male Vocalist of the Year 2002, 2003
* Entertainer of the Year 1995, 2002, 2003
Grammy
* Best Country Song “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” 2002
Angie,
What fun to go to a farmhouse. I remember bathing in the creek at our mountain property. We spent hours building dams in the creek if it wasn’t deep enough. So fun!
Thanks for visiting.
Well, I thought this would be a really fun post to answer . . . since we’re sisters!! I thought it would be interesting to note the different memories of childhood we had because I’m 15 years younger than you. Does 15 years make a difference? I guess so.
I have no recollection of Yellowstone, either because I wasn’t born yet or I was to little. I’ve never been. One of my dream trips.
Drive in movies? Nope. Watching the Disney movie every week? Nope. But I do remember watching Star Trek Next Generation religiously as a family.
I’ve never been to a Utah Ghost town.
I have no clue what The Hawaiian is. Nor do I remember ever going to a pizza parlor.
Some of our similar memories, however,are of course Timberlakes. We would spend weeks up there during the summer. I remember the time I was scared by a badger, a squirrel came in the tent, Rachel feeding the raccoons, Dad showing us one of the visible planets, wading in the creek and seeing moose.
I loved playing in the sandbox. Always was building dams in the creek behind the house. Climbing the neighbors apple tree. Eating gooseberries, nice and green.
Always video taping a skit for my birthday parties. I remember the year we had my birthday dinner in the living room, reason why, I can’t recall. Walking back and forth from school by cutting across the neighbor’s field.
Playing Nintendo when it first came out and trying with all of my might to pass Super Mario Brothers. I finally became an expert.
I remember you came back for a summer, and we built you a room in the basement out of bookshelves. I remember “sleeping over’ in Rachel’s room. I can remember Rachel’s loud music always coming out of her room.
Another great childhood memory is when we went on a big California trip and we went to LA, San Fransisco, and San Diego. We went to Disneyland, the zoo, and more. I remember feeding seagulls.
Well, this is getting long enough. I enjoyed reading your childhood memories!
Natasha,
It is fun to see the difference 15 years makes.
You said: “I have no recollection of Yellowstone, either because I wasn’t born yet or I was to little. I’ve never been. One of my dream trips.”
True, you weren’t born yet when the family went to Yellowstone. But I didn’t get to go to Disneyland like you did.
You said, “Drive in movies? Nope. Watching the Disney movie every week? Nope. But I do remember watching Star Trek Next Generation religiously as a family.”
I don’t remember ever watching Star Trek Next Generation. The drive in movie near our house closed when I was fairly little. It had a play ground. Mom and dad would put us in our pajamas before leaving because we usually fell asleep. I remember playing on the playground in our pajamas. I don’t recall too many movies but I do remember a couple.
You said, “I’ve never been to a Utah Ghost town.” I’ve never been most of the places you got to go to.
You said, “I have no clue what The Hawaiian is. Nor do I remember ever going to a pizza parlor.” The Hawaiian closed when I was quite young as well and the pizza parlor I remember was from when I was in Kindergarten to 2nd grade or so. So you wouldn’t have been born yet.
You said, “Some of our similar memories, however,are of course Timberlakes. We would spend weeks up there during the summer. I remember the time I was scared by a badger, a squirrel came in the tent, Rachel feeding the raccoons, Dad showing us one of the visible planets, wading in the creek and seeing moose.”
I remember the badger incidence, I don’t recall ever seeing a raccoon, and when I was little we saw more deer than moose. Now we see more moose than deer.
You said, “I loved playing in the sandbox. Always was building dams in the creek behind the house. Climbing the neighbors apple tree. Eating gooseberries, nice and green.”
I too built dams in the ditch behind the house. I don’t know which apple tree you are referring to. We always climbed the cherry tree in our yard. I remember eating lost of gooseberries, and rhubarb. Eating the peas fresh off the plant and never having any left-over for dinner because us kids at them all.
You remember “Always video taping a skit for my birthday parties. I remember the year we had my birthday dinner in the living room, reason why, I can’t recall. Walking back and forth from school by cutting across the neighbor’s field.”
We did skits as well. But always for mom and dad’s anniversary or birthday. I once put on a dinner theater for them. Complete with a curtain. But we couldn’t Video Tape it. It hadn’t been invented yet.
I too remember cutting across the neighbor’s field to get to school. And remember running past the mean crossing guards house, but pausing long enough to pick-up the pods from the chestnut tree he had.
You remember: “Playing Nintendo when it first came out and trying with all of my might to pass Super Mario Brothers. I finally became an expert.” I do remember that as well. I had long since moved out, but I do remember playing it in the basement with you and Josh.
You said, “I remember you came back for a summer, and we built you a room in the basement out of bookshelves. I remember “sleeping over’ in Rachel’s room. I can remember Rachel’s loud music always coming out of her room.”
I don’t remember loud music of any kind coming from Rachel’s room. I remember the two of you sharing a room.
You said, “Another great childhood memory is when we went on a big California trip and we went to LA, San Fransisco, and San Diego. We went to Disneyland, the zoo, and more. I remember feeding seagulls.”
Missed that one. I’ve never been to San Fransisco or San Diego still to this day. I have finally been to Disneyland though.
Thanks again Natasha for posting. It is fun to see the difference that the 15 years made.
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