A week or so ago, my sister Becca and I were chatting and somehow we got talking about the "good ol' days" There's always been a running joke in my family about pictures, whether it was that my mom was never known as being the best photographer, or the joke that even when the pictures were taken the film was never developed. We used to hassle my mom (and probably still do sometimes) about seeing pictures sometimes with heads cut off, off-centered, etc. Anyway, mom and dad DID in fact develop the old pictures they took and they were stored in a little metal lunchbox. When we were kids we used to take the pics out and enjoy looking at them. So, anyway...Becca and I were talking about that and she told me that mom took the pictures out to her one time and my brother in law Dallas had scanned all the pics into their computer. I asked her if she could send them to me, as of course many of these I had not seen for many years. It was lots of fun to look back at these pictures and remember the life we had in Paonia (and for a short time Arizona)...the good times we had growing up. My family has always been close, not just my immediate family, but also with my cousins that we lived near, we always seemed to be doing something fun or special with Aunt Sharon's family or Aunt Laura's family. I had lots of good friends, and since seeing these pictures I have since e-mailed two of my friends Kevin and Cameron and talked to them via e-mail for the first time in many years.
I remember back in elementary school that always on the last day of school we had a field day. I looked forward to that day about a month before it happened. I've always been very competitive and even though I don't remember being that fast back then, I liked to race and try to win. I remember this picture sitting on the grass with a few of my friends, I can't remember the girl's names, but the other boy is Pete Gentzler who was in my class. Like most American kids, I was into Cub Scouts as a boy, although I never really enjoyed trying to earn badges, I'm not really sure why. I did like some of the things like the Pinewood Derby and going camping. I remember getting my block of wood that would be my car, and my dad helping me cut it, and then I remember I sanded it for hours and hours and hours. I wanted to win so bad. I actually don't recall how I ever did, but it was always an exciting time. In the picture I actually remember everyone's name (me, Grant Arterburn, Colby Hice, Kevin Carville, Dan Shaw, Mike Hansen). The other scout picture is a camp-out the scouts took to a nearby ski area called Powderhorn(me, Mike Hansen, Cameron Winters, Ryan Rowley, Dan Shaw). I think it was one of my first times away from home and I remember my dear, sweet mom gave me a little bag with a note she had written for each day. She told me to open one each morning and read it so I would know she loved me. She put some candy in the note and it made me not so homesick, she's always been so kind and thoughtful like that. The other picture is me practicing trying to be a catcher. My friend Kevin was always a pitcher when we were kids, and I remember he threw harder than any other kid. Actually, I always hated catching (although I loved baseball) but Kevin wanted me to catch for him, so I tried. I got some odds and ends to make my catchers equipment, I always laugh looking at that picture as I am wearing swimming goggles, HA! Not sure why, but anyway. I got hit in the legs and shins many times, and always hated that. Finally I decided I wanted to pitch and I remember mom would be a catcher for ME! HA! I wish I had some pics of her catching, I just remember one time I threw one really low and it bounced up and hit her shin. I felt awful and it turned a nasty shade of purple and black, but mom never was upset and I know she liked trying to help make me a better pitcher.
Birthdays were always a special time, like most kids I loved having my own party and of course loved going to my brother, sister or cousin's parties as well. I never really realized it when I was a kid, but looking at these pictures now, my mom is very talented at making cakes! She always made some fun cakes (like the sports cakes with football,the football players inside the TV) for my brother and I also remember a baseball stadium she made that had graham crackers for the outfield fence. One year, I don't remember how old we were, but my brother Mer and I helped make some little side cakes for Becca's birthday, she probably wasn't but a baby, so I was maybe 3 and Mer maybe 6. Becca said Mom still makes the special circus cake for the grandkids, I think it's on their 4th birthday. I think that's really awesome and I appreciate all the time she spent making those. I always loved the time I got to spend with Papa and Gram Langston. My grandpa passed away March 20, 1981 a little before my 6th birthday, but I do still have vivid memories of sitting on his lap and taking a pic with my birthday cake. Mom and dad always got us some fun presents and it was always a great day to see my cousins and eat some cake and ice cream. I don't remember too many specific gifts, but for some reason I remember very well that my cousin Deb got me a really nice sketch book and pencil set one time. I think she was always good at drawing, and I remember I really wanted to be an artist when I was a kid. My friend Mike Hansen was also very good and I think he had inspired me, when I'd spend the night at his house we'd get out the National Geographic magazines and he'd always have some amazing picture of a big bull elk, my picture of the elk looked like a sideways piece of brown cheese! HA! Anyway, I remember Deb got that for me, and I was so excited, but my pictures never amounted to much, and even though I think I drew something on each page, they were not very good. Another thing I love about kids and birthday parties is how, if they are pure kids, they are so happy with anything. I love that picture with my sister where she has some very small money (looks like a dollar and maybe a quarter she's holding up) and you can see my cousin Darrell in the background with a grin on his face as if Becca had just won the Powerball Lottery!
Another special thing that we did each year was the pinata party. For those of you unfamiliar with a pinata, it's basically balloons wrapped with paper mache and then filled with candy and presents. The pinata is attached to a rope and can be moved up and down, and a person is the blindfolded and tries to swing a stick or bat and break the pinata, once it's broken the candy and gifts spill onto the floor and it's a free for all. That was always SO fun for all of us. We usually did it right after Christmas, I think around my parent's anniversary (December 30th). I don't know if there was a reason for that date or not, and I don't know exactly why mom and dad started doing the pinata party. I need to ask and find out the history, I'm not sure if it was something one of them also did when they were younger, or how that all came about. Anyway, I remember mom would always let us help make the pinata and it was lots of work. After we finished we'd stuff that thing full of candy and presents, sometimes they were almost coming out the top! HA! I also remember that I always had to be very quick if I was going to get any candy, as Mer and Darrell were older than I was and much faster. When that pinata broke there were kids flying in from everywhere grabbing stuff. I remember we would all hold our shirt out like an apron and put the candy in there. Mom always labeled the gifts so even if kids didn't get lots of candy, they always had a gift. I really miss doing that, and maybe we can have a pinata party this year!
Christmas was always a special time at our house, I've shared lots of memories already on my blog about Christmas so I won't type much about it here. I always remember having great memories of presents and family at that time. Mer and I always wanted to catch Santa and I remember one year we hatched a plan to put out some fishing string with bells on it and when he came in, it would ring the bells and we could run down and see him. I think we were scared though that it would be "bad" and Santa might be angry and not give us any presents. I also remember that each year at the church Santa would come and the kids could sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted. I remember Becca was almost always terrified of Santa, but I don't think it ever bothered me. Once I got older and knew it was just some person from church, I always tried to figure out who it was! HA!
One thing I always appreciate about my parents is how they always wanted to be with us and share time with us, whether it was at ball games, birthdays or trips. My mom and dad are two of the least selfish people I have ever met in my life. If they could spend their time and efforts on us, they always did. As I have said before, I know my parents collectively were at probably 90% of my games. Sometimes dad had to be at work, but I'd say my mom came to 99.9% of my games. I know she loves sports like me, so I think it was always thrilling to watch us kids play. One of the most vivid memories I have was the summer before my senior year, we had a summer league tournament down in Durango (several hours drive) and mom came to see me, and then drove all the way back because she had some kind of church meeting that night. About the only time I ever remember her NOT going to a game was a game I chose to play on Sunday. It was the same summer, before my senior year and our team hosted a tournament. We were playing on a Sunday and I remember Mom said if I wanted to play it was my choice, but she would not go since she didn't support playing sports on Sunday. I find it rather interesting that on that day, I had one of my best games ever and hit a game winning 3 point shot at the buzzer against Bayfield and she never got to see it! HA! My parents are good and kind people and I feel lucky to have been in their care as a child. They always taught us kids to work hard, not complain and always do our best. Even when times were tough they still tried to provide good times for us. Two of the pictures here were a family boat ride we took at the Black Canyon. I have no idea how I can remember that trip, since I was probably 5 or so, but I remember riding in the canyon on that boat, with the wind in my face. I was scared I was going to fall into the water. The other trip I remember well was the pic that is quite blurry (no comment Mom! HAHAHAHA) we went on the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge train ride. There again, I have no idea how I remember that trip, but I remember taking pics and also looking out the windows at the snow, even though I'm pretty sure it was winter time. Thank you to my parents for their love and hard work...I know times were not always easy and money was tight, but they were always there for us. We learned that money isn't what makes life, but rather love. I'm reminded of a quote from Henry David Thoreau: "However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul." I'm glad to that I had a great brother and sister to share my childhood with as well as some really cool cousins, aunts, uncles and friends.
