The Swing

The Swing Mar 25, '08 4:22 PM for everyone Easter I went out with kiddo in mom's back yard.  He wanted to get on the swing set which has seen better days.  I put him on there and took a picture and at the same time this flood of memories came to me.  Just the smells and my young life there.  I had a good childhood.  My dad was absent sometimes mentally but my mom WAS June Cleaver.  She had a baby before me who died so I was doted on and spoiled rotten by both my mom and dad.  Look at those bangs.  She kept them that short until I went to Jr. High.  Pitiful.  Look at that wallpaper!  Even worse.  That picture above my head was a paint by number of dogs.  I don't know who did it or how it came to be there.  I remember things from when I was really small, like going in the bathroom and cutting my hair off when my cousin was baby sitting me.  I remember not being able to see out the car window because I was too short.  I got car sick a lot.  I took a book of matches and went on the side of the house and lit them and threw them in the grass after they went out.  I rode my bicycle away from the house and away from a baby sitter I had that forbid me to go outside, one of the times mom went to work.  She quit not long after that.  I really got in trouble for that one.  I was going to get a spanking one time and ran from my dad.  He got tickled and couldn't catch me so he gave up.  They used to make me rake leaves of the old cottonwood tree in the fall.  I didn't like raking much then either.  I remember Saturday morning cartoons and making cookies with mom.  I used to mix Heinz 57 and mustard together and dip fritos in it like dip.  We would go out on the back porch that dad made out of old bricks and put up blankets and make forts.   The boy across the street and I would use flash lights and flash morse code.  When we didn't understand what was being flashed we would yell what we were flashing.  We were supposed to be sleeping.  I guess I was a hand full.  I remember my mom going to the principal and asking why I was so good at school and so ornery at home.  He said usually kids act up at one place or the other and he thought it was always best if they acted up at home.  We didn't have a pool or know anyone that had one.  We didn't have cells or tv's in our rooms.  We didn't have a lot but we had a lot of nurturing and knew we were loved.  My mom is my role model for being a mom to my daughter.  Although in the 80's I had to make some adjustments.  When my daughter asked for something, it didn't matter if I had the money or not, I told her we didn't, and she would have to wait for it, what ever it was.  She asked me one time if we were rich and I told her we were rich in love.  All that from a swing and much more.  I have a picture of her on the same swing and this is a picture of me on the swing when I was about 9. It was starting to fade then.  Now all that's left is the glider and there are no seats on either end, but there have been three generations play on that swing.  A silent testament to three generations of love and family. Tags: swing Prev: Shiny Teeth & Smooth Heels Reply Edit Delete 68 CommentsChronologicalReverseThreaded Delete Reply snowlobster wrote on Mar 25, '08 HOW PRECIOUS!!! Those are some honest REAL memories. I love it when you share! (Spoken like a true AA'er) ;-) Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 snowlobster said HOW PRECIOUS!!! Those are some honest REAL memories. I love it when you share! (Spoken like a true AA'er) ;-)  Thanks kerri, I think I must have been in a past life. Delete Reply monaswe2007 wrote on Mar 25, '08 What a nice post about all them memories flooding back to you, and with pictures for us to see. You have a way with words and I could picture it all in my head. =o) Thank you for sharing! And you also started something... Now you got me remembering some of MY childhood memories! HUGS Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 Well, share them mona. I would love to hear. Delete Reply katzenjaammer wrote on Mar 25, '08 That was so nice. I was gonna make a joke about how hard it must've been growing up in the 30s but I decided not to :p It was really cute to see that first picture- you look so much like your mother, and your daughter looks like you. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 Ha, funny, my daughter says in the Viking days. My mom's side say I look like her and my dad's side say I look like him. I think kiddo looks like his mom when she was small. I will have to find some photos and put them side by side. Delete Reply j5uliana wrote on Mar 25, '08 Great photos & memories. I know my grandma doted on me but she died when I was 4. IF my parents doted on me I do not remember. And if they did, it ended when I turned 7 & my brother was born. My mom 's life revolved around him. And it still does. My other grandmother died when I was 4 also. I really missed them. I never had a swing set but we had a swing in the pear tree until it died & then it moved to a different tree. We collected locust shells as kids. They were cool. We all had roller skates even though the side walk in front of my house was bricks. Try that sometime!!!! *giggles* Life was easy & predictable back then. And so innocent. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 lol@roller skates on bricks. Funny. We had lots of cracks. I had messed up knees most of the time. We had those silver strap on skates. The ones you put on the bottom of your shoes. I am really dating myself now. Neither of my grandmothers were overly huggy people or grandfathers. But the rest of the family was. Delete Reply freyavalkyrie wrote on Mar 25, '08 You look like your mom lol. My mom would always keep my hair really short too because it tangled so bad...still does lol. Good memories... Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 I know and sweaty. haha Mine was so thick, but that was the style back then. Even big girls wore it. Delete Reply katzenjaammer wrote on Mar 25, '08 osuzana said I know and sweaty. haha Mine was so thick, but that was the style back then. Even big girls wore it.  I wore my hair in pigtails until I was just about 10. It stayed neat that way...I preferred it to having my hair pulled. My mother was impatient and not gentle. If it hurt and I complained it was about to hurt a whole lot more. OK when it was wet she was gentle. She wasn't mean, she just had 6 kids and no time to mess around. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 katzenjaammer said I wore my hair in pigtails until I was just about 10. It stayed neat that way...I preferred it to having my hair pulled. My mother was impatient and not gentle. If it hurt and I complained it was about to hurt a whole lot more. OK when it was wet she was gentle. She wasn't mean, she just had 6 kids and no time to mess around.  With six kids I'm surprised you had hair at all. My aunt had seven and they all had very short hair. Delete Reply j5uliana wrote on Mar 25, '08 Forgot. We had the same hairstyle!! Mom would set my hair in pin curls. Ugh. My bangs were always straight as a pin. I was the epitomy of fashion!!! Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 I think my mom used bobby pins and then spong rollers. Remember sponge rollers and curler caps? I wore them pre teen. We thought we were hot stuff. Delete Reply dews24u wrote on Mar 25, '08 Awww so cute with your little frown! And your Mom is very pretty. Love reading your memories :) My grandpa had a swing set like that one on the side of his house. I used to get up before anyone else and eat my cereal while sitting on it. I could never hang upside down like you're doing. I'd be afraid of falling. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 That's a great memory too Vanessa. I used to hang upside down from everything. I think I was part bat. I fell off the clothes line pole and knocked the air out of myself. I layed there and got my breath back and started laughing. Delete Reply jeepers1 wrote on Mar 25, '08 that's cool...and it's so true you are very rich in love Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 jeepers1 said that's cool...and it's so true you are very rich in love  Thank you jeepers. Delete Reply jeanngenie wrote on Mar 25, '08 How cool is it that the swing is still together. I think the one we had as kids eventually rusted and blew away in a wind storm. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 I know jeanette, it is rather amazing isn't it? The bolt is rusting through on the glider so unless we fix it I think it is a goner but it still swings good. I remember going so high I could see over the top of the swing set. Amazing some kids make it to 21. Delete Reply alabamastonethrower wrote on Mar 25, '08 What an awesome story...and very cool that you have the photos to share with it!! (Of course, you know me being a scrapbook fanatic is now visualizing ways to scrap my own stories about my children playing on the swingset in our backyard...lol) Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 I have so many pictures in albums. But they weren't acid free so they have yellowed. I have not scrap booked the old ones. I have only done the new weddings and a couple of the grandkids. Delete Reply alabamastonethrower wrote on Mar 25, '08 osuzana said I have so many pictures in albums. But they weren't acid free so they have yellowed. I have not scrap booked the old ones. I have only done the new weddings and a couple of the grandkids.  I'm so glad that I learned about acid free papers & glues years ago or I would also have photos and books that have yellowed. A couple of years ago I came across a few photo books my mother had made of me and my brother...took a long time to remove the photos from the pages in order to stop the acid process. I immediately scanned them to have digital copies cause I was so afraid the photos wouldn't survive. Sure enough, some of them have now deteriorated so badly that they crumble when you touch them. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 alabamastonethrower said I learned about acid free papers & glues years ago  You know I think that acid free was mostly known by archival people in the 50's. Probably wasn't until the 70's that you could start getting archival stuff more easily. I don't have a scanner any more. I used mine a lot. They corrected colors in psp. When I got the new pc it wasn't compatible any more and I didn't want one of those big giant all in one things sitting on my desk. Delete Reply alabamastonethrower wrote on Mar 26, '08 osuzana said When I got the new pc it wasn't compatible any more and I didn't want one of those big giant all in one things sitting on my desk.  That's the only drawback for me...I'm still using the giant all in one until it decides to quit on me. I DO have my eye on a very slim scanner that will take up less space on my desk, but the 12x12 printer I wants looks like it will need it's own desk!! ROFL Delete Reply rebkin wrote on Mar 25, '08 Good to have such great memories of a childhood filled with love. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 rebkin said Good to have such great memories of a childhood filled with love.  I do have some good ones reb but every moment wasn't wonderful. I think we all have those other times that we would just as soon forget. I think making your own good memories is the best way to live don't you? Delete Reply rebkin wrote on Mar 25, '08 osuzana said I think making your own good memories is the best way to live don't you?  very well put. Suz... Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 rebkin said very well put. Suz...  Thank you ma'am. Delete Reply donnak wrote on Mar 25, '08 How sweet! I love the 'rich in love' comment - great answer. I can see you in that little girl's face - no denying she's you. I agree with Vanessa, your mom is very pretty. And the wallpaper was a sign of the times, I like it; but I like the old fashioned (now called 'retro') look anyway. I'm glad you shared this part of you! :) Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 Thank you donna, MrP thought that comment was pretty funny. Yep, I wish I had that smooth skin still. lol I guess people are really into 50's stuff now.  Delete Reply missingbits wrote on Mar 25, '08 I knew that was you straight away ...hair is much better now of course Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 lol, yeah, most people can pick me out of a line up no matter what age I have been. They say I haven't changed much. It's the chubby cheeks. Still got em. I don't know about the hair. It was blowing bad outside today and I felt like I needed a scarf. When the wind gets under my hair it gets bigger and bigger. Delete Reply raenie1 wrote on Mar 25, '08 You had such a cute pugnosed little face. Bet you were a little "freshy" (lol). You have some really clear memories of your childhood! I don't remember very much ... clearly. hugs... Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 25, '08 I remember actually doing things which sometimes I think is strange raenie. I know a lot of people don't. My parents used to have a friend who said my nose looked like a ski slope. Said friend fell through their ceiling.lol I don't know what he was doing in their attic. Delete Reply bonobubba wrote on Mar 25, '08 You spoiled.. rotten ? Noooo ! LoL ! We didn't have a swing, just a lot of dirt and gravel roads to ride bikes on. Back then if you went down an old dirt lane you didn't have to worry about there being crackheads at the end doing drugs... I know I'm getting cynical in my old age.. Maybe I should put another pic of me as a little one on here.. Calm down ladies ! Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 bonobubba said Calm down ladies !  LOL, dale, yes, do and tell us about the things you did. Yep, I was pretty rotten. We had bikes too. Rode everywhere. We had drugs out here but they have pretty well been cleaned up. I hope things are changing somewhat. As a city gets bigger you are always going to have that element, and it will spread to the surrounding areas. Delete Reply bonobubba wrote on Mar 26, '08 osuzana said As a city gets bigger you are always going to have that element, and it will spread to the surrounding areas.  Unfortunatley it already has... You can find drug residue/paraphenalia at the end of so many farm and county roads.. hard to believe how rampant it is.. used to be you'd only find old beer cans or perhaps an empty bottle... Delete Reply ruralredhead wrote on Mar 25, '08 What a beautiful memoir and such a tribute to your parents! I hope you share this post with your Mom, I bet she'd love to read what you wrote, Suz. It sure brought tears to my eyes. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 ruralredhead said Suz. It sure brought tears to my eyes.  Thank you Steph, it kind of made me tear up at the end when I look at the pic of kiddo on that rusty swing. Delete Reply grannytazzy wrote on Mar 25, '08 That was marvelous..............clap clap MyHotComments  Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 Thank you granny. Delete Reply simplelife2000 wrote on Mar 25, '08 Awwwww what beautiful memories! I do remember the "pixie" haircut my mom always made me have and not only that....she pin curled it all the time. DROVE ME CRAZY! It's all her fault LOL To this day, I refuse to cut my hair short. I can laugh now looking back and see those wonderful memories....much like yours! Life was really wonderful back then....wasn't it? Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 I had the pixie when I got older. I became a hairdresser so someone at school was always experimenting on me. Now I will be that old woman with the long hair and bad dye job. haha. Life was uncomplicated. All you had to do was think about yourself. Delete Reply cricket1972 wrote on Mar 25, '08 What a beautiful blog! I never cut my hair when I was little, but I did go to sleep one night with like 3 pieces of bubble yum in my mouth and woke up the next morning to a huge tangled up mess of long blonde hair...had to cut it all off and my mom cried. :( Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 cricket1972 said my mom cried.  I either had friends who's mom's never cut their hair or it was always short. Hardly any in between. Pony tails were big. I guess everyone had a gum experience. lol Delete Reply vaguelyfamiliar wrote on Mar 25, '08 I really loved reading this. It makes you realize that the only "stuff" in life that kids ever really want is our time. And it is sad in this world, so many can't give their kids their time because they are out accumulating the "stuff" that doesn't really matter in the end anyway. What grown-up do you know says, I really love my mom and dad because they were never home so that they could always buy me designer clothes and make six figure incomes. But reading this was like opening a little treasure box into your life. It was so precious; thanks for letting us take a peek into your past. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 vaguelyfamiliar said thanks for letting us take a peek into your past.  You're welcome Jen, I agree, that kids only want our time, and don't care about anything else really. But I also see people just struggling to make ends meet these days and it seems so many women really have to work. I think it is a shame. And when there is more than one your attention is divided again. I remember when I was your age I didn't have as much time to give my own as I do my grandson now and I am relishing it. Little people are really more grown up sometimes than big people. Delete Reply danadane1 wrote on Mar 25, '08 that was awesome Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 danadane1 said that was awesome  Thanks Mrs. Depp Delete Reply woozina wrote on Mar 25, '08 you really are something special Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08, edited on Mar 26, '08 woozina said you really are something special  Well, that is really a sweet thing to say woo. You are going to make me tear up. Thank you. No more special than you. Delete Reply bonie2161 wrote on Mar 26, '08 Hey Red That was one Awesome Blog Memory you had there and wow your Mo had her hands full with you .. watch out for smokey the Bear with those Matches Girl if it was me I would of gotten My Butt spank . But you sound so Funny Girl !! Gee Thanks for stopping By MY Blog And Here I thought you were mad at me for what I did wrong with My sisters birthday Cake. we were just playin around those days and I didn't want you to taken it personally.your such a Brat much as I am Red !! Glad you had a Great Easter Day Monster !!! LOL LOL LOL! Did ya eat too many Raw eggs !..I Love your Old classic Photos of you Girl Very Cute Girl you were Red! glad we can related to it how bad we were then!! those were the Good Old days getting into trouble!! Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 I never got caught with the matches. I am sure I would have gotten a spanking. Heck no, I wasn't mad. I never would get mad at you. lol Delete Reply shiny08 wrote on Mar 26, '08 I know...the bangs.....my grandma didnt want us to have one....tee hee...Cute pictures though..*hugs* Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 Thanks Angel. My whole family was into bangs. hehe Delete Reply carolmcht wrote on Mar 26, '08 This is one of the greatest blogs I've read! Bravo! From the heart! Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 carolmcht said This is one of the greatest blogs I've read! Bravo! From the heart!  Thank you Carol, sometimes I think my past would be boring to others. Delete Reply blackhornet wrote on Mar 26, '08 wow - is this chapter 15 from the upcoming book? Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 blackhornet said wow - is this chapter 15 from the upcoming book?  LOL, no, I'm not that clever. I wish I was. I have seen some blogs that would make good books though. Delete Reply hyiidra wrote on Mar 26, '08 What? You aren't a handful now? I'll bet Mr. P would beg to differ ROFL. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 hyiidra said What? You aren't a handful now? I'll bet Mr. P would beg to differ ROFL.  Funny you should mention that. MrP was just telling a woman at the bank, who I went to jr high with how hard I was on him yesterday. Delete Reply olygirl wrote on Mar 26, '08 We had similar childhoods....not in the things we did so much, but in the memories of how contented our childhoods were. Mine started out a little sadder than most, but those times passed and I have great memories of my childhood....We raked leaves in gramma's backyard from the Oak tree, then we piled them around the old water tank, climbed up and jumped off into the big pile....Geez, that was fun! This was a great blog, and like Bonii, I just can't see where you would be so different now than when you were a child. Ornariness is what keeps us spunky and enjoying life! Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 olygirl said memories of how contented our childhoods were  That is nice. I Iike that and although like I told someone else, all was not perfect, I loved to be home. I think that is why I like my home now. I tried to make it the same kind of home that I was comfortable to be in growing up. One where you could be a little messy and have fun. As long as it wasn't illegal I tried to go with the flow. Thank you. I was so withdrawn and shy until I was forced out of it in beauty school I made myself miserable a lot of my childhood going through school. I had fun with individual friends but never went anywhere I had to talk to anyone on my own. Delete Reply riihele wrote on Mar 26, '08 Hei Osuzana Lovely reminisces of your childhood! Also, the comments are brilliant. lol Keep so grand and safe. Rii :) Gorgeous background, too. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Mar 26, '08 Thank you Rii, I love to hear other people's stories about when they were young. Hint hint everyone. Delete Reply epistling wrote on Apr 14, '08 wonderful... it is amazing the swing set is still there after all these years. Edit Delete Reply osuzana wrote on Apr 15, '08 It is barb. I think it is there as a reminder.