Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Memories of building things

 I picked a prompt from "5-Minute Writing Prompts" again today. The prompt is "Write about your childhood experiences with experimenting or building. Did you play with LEGO blocks, mix crazy concoctions in your kitchen, make bottle rockets, grow crystals from a kit, or build elaborate forts?"

I didn't think LEGOs were invented yet, but I looked them up and they were invented in 1958, but my family didn't have any as far as I can recall. I definitely had "science kits," which included all the ingredients for various experiments. That was fun, though I don't remember actually learning any science. 

When my little brother was maybe 6 or 7, or possibly older, I built a castle for him. I used a cardboard box. I don't remember exactly, but there might have been the cylinder-shaped oatmeal containers as the towers. It had a drawbridge that opened. I think I connected string to that. I don't remember much else about the construction, but my brother loved it.  I think we all (my brother, sister and I) played with it. I regret that there don't seem to be any photos.

I just asked him what he remembers about it. He said, "For my toy knights? Yes... I don't have pictures either. It had turrets at each corner, and maybe a staircase inside? I can't recall it exactly."

The castle lasted for years. I think my brother was a teenager when our mom suggested he allow her to throw it away. He reluctantly agreed. 

No photos, but maybe that's a good thing. It lives in our imaginations.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Fire, Fire, Burning Bright

 I found a prompt about fire in "5-Minute Daily Writing Prompts" that reads "List your memories of fire (bonfires, forest fires, fireplaces, candlelight, matches, burned objects, etc.) Develop one memory, incorporating sensory detail." I consider this just a suggestion.

Anyone here remember the great East Coast blackout? I had to look up the date - November 9, 1965. I also found out that the blackout started at 5:27pm and affected the northeast coast of the U.S. and Ontario. Many people in New York City were trapped in the subway and in elevators.  

We lived in Connecticut at the time and my dad commuted into NYC every day. My mom drove him to the train every morning and picked him up in the evening. When the blackout started, my sister, brother, and I were all home from school, but my dad was on a commuter train, which stopped in Harlem. Harlem was not a very safe place at that time. My Dad told us that one man decided to get off the train to look for other transportation. He got back on shortly, minus his wallet.

This was, of course, way before cell phones, so we didn't know exactly where our dad was. I remember my mom starting a fire in the fireplace, so it must have been chilly. 

I don't remember how my Dad got home, though he did get home that evening. I also don't remember how we got news of what was happening -- maybe from the car radio?

More recently, here in Illinois, (maybe 2011?), we had a power outage in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. It was summer. My husband, son, and I were all living at home; our daughter was off at summer school in Indiana. 

We lost power for several days, so I bought big bags of ice and filled our large cooler. We cooked on our charcoal grill. We enjoyed sitting around cozy fires in our fire pit, which is sort of like a low, wide Weber grill. There was no television, of course, or radio, so we spent time sitting outside, often around the fire, talking. 

It was amazing. We slowed down. We had a wonderful time in the back yard, just talking and enjoying the summer.

But eventually the power came back on. And everything went back to normal.


Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Musing on Shoes

Searching through prompts for an idea to write about, I found: "Write memories of your shoes (cheap shoes, expensive shoes, dream shoes, shoes you loved, shoes that embarrassed you, shoes that hurt your feet, etc.) 

When I was a child I had to wear corrective shoes. I think this was because I tended to roll inward on my arches, flattening them out. These shoes were always saddle shoes, always black and white. I was so jealous of other girls who got to wear other kinds of shoes. Here I am in my saddle shoes:


Eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime, a shoe salesman said he didn't think I needed corrective shoes anymore. My mother was okay with that and my shoe wearing expanded.

Regional vocabulary: In Wisconsin we wore tennies. When we moved to Connecticut, they were sneakers. Now I think these shoes are called gym shoes everywhere?

I have indeed worn shoes that hurt my feet - are there any women who have never worn shoes that hurt? Surreptitiously slipping them off while sitting to give my toes a break -  I'm done with that now. 

For awhile I wore shoes with the negative heel - the heel is lower than the toe, so your calf muscles get stretched. I liked then, though they were definitely not stylish. My daughter is sold on the shoes that are completely flat, no arch support, so I got a pair of those. They're fine, though sometimes you do need that arch support. 

If I had to choose a favorite footwear, I would pick sandals! I love my Teva sandals, but I really can't wear them in the winter in Chicago, sadly. It's hiking boots all winter.

I'm really not obsessed with footwear, but it turns out there is quite a lot to say about shoes.