Remember…?

Check out these pages full of memories:

• Family Vacations and Other Adventures
• Gumnicks on the Move—Adventures in Relocation
• Imaginary Friends & Inanimate Companions
• Mom and Dad’s memories of childhood and their relationship
• Our Childhood Memories of Mom and Dad
• Places We’ve Lived
• Sibling Torture
• A Very Gumnick Christmas…—holiday memories
• What Kept Us Kids Off the Streets

Songs

There are a few songs that I remember Grandma, Mom or Dad singing to us as children. I googled one and was surprised to find it was a "camp song." Anyway, it's sweet--maybe you remember it too. 

TELL ME WHY
Tell me why the stars do shine
Tell me why the ivy twines
Tell me why the ocean’s blue
And I will tell you just why I love you.
Because God made the stars to shine
Because God made the ivy twine
Because God made the ocean blue
Because God made you that’s why I love you.
I really do think that God above
Created you for me to love
He picked you out from all the rest
Because God made you I love you the best.

And another favorite, Down in the Valley

Special People

Mrs. Chapin

(a.k.a. Mrs Chay, Mrs. Chay-chay, or [frowned upon by parents] just Chay-chay)

She was the perfect little-old-lady babysitter in our Pennsylvania days. She would let us get away with almost anything as long as we didn’t burn the house down. She had the patience of a saint. I can only remember her getting angry one time (I think it was Mary’s fault).  

Mrs. Ortlieb

The name just hit me for some reason today, but I cannot for the life of me remember who she was. A teacher? A babysitter? No idea.  

She was the old German woman whom Mom helped out with meals and housework and such, and she was a guest at the tour-de-force Thanksgiving feast where we had 20-some people.  

She also made all of us girls beautiful aprons in really cute prints. I still have a few. Anne

Pet memories

Jane had made a batch of pralines and had them laid out on the table downstairs in Oak Ridge, and Rebel decided to have a nibble. The next morning there were little teeth marks on all the ones close to the edge of the table.

Rebel busting through the front window in Houston to try to get at the mailman.

Gard hiding behind the sofa to try to hide from children. I remember crawling back there anyway and getting in his face.

I remember the Christmas when Shadow had just run away. Mom and Dad and Ed and I watched Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, about two dogs and a cat who are lost and trying to find their way back home. We were all blubbering by the end of it, when the kid in the movie was calling for one of the dogs, who happened to be named Shadow as well. The kid was calling, “Shadow! Come home, Shadow!,” and Mom said through her tears, “I wish my Shadow would come home.” And of course we all cried and blubbered some more. What a bunch of crazy animal people we are.  

Odds & Ends

Beth's Indian doll named "Machine."

Anne's friend Lucy's dolls named "Purse" and "Curtain."

STARFALL! This is not my memory, since it was before my time, so someone else should probably fill it in. Something about some kid with a tumor on her kidney and an evening walk and some pine trees and a miracle or some such nonsense.