Spokane Washington Memories

Tom and I used to play in a field behind the house.  There were yellow wildflowers/flowering weeds that grew there and we used to pluck the blossoms so we could taste the sweetness of the flowers.  We called it nectar and thought the flowers might be goldenrod, primarily because on car rides Mom would exclaim when she saw goldenrod by the side of the road.  Looking back, I doubt it was goldenrod but it was still fun to taste the blossoms that grew behind our house. 

Down the street a few blocks from our house there was a bent over pine tree.  We used to have horsey rides on the tree because it would bend.  It was a lot of prickly fun but required collaboration as someone would have to hold the tree while another got on it. 

I remember warm summer evenings and having to go to bed simply because it was bedtime despite it still being light out and prospects of fun still existed. 

There were a few trees that were planted in our yard.  Once, a few of the children talked about appointing one tree per child. 

I received a Jolly Green Giant stuffed toy while living in Spokane.  Mom may have sent away for it using labels off of Green Giant vegetable cans as Mom and Dad were quite frugal that way.  Mom and Dad may have started saving up green or gold stamps in Spokane as these could be exchanged for various items like waffle irons, etc.

I remember Dad helping to build the new chapel in Spokane.  He would bring home some leftover bits of wood, carpet, and screw shavings for us to play with.  His work on the chapel was impressive to me because it showed what a hard worker he was and how important service to others was. 

The Ashcraft family was friends with our family and our families would occasionally visit each other.  The father was a very fun and friendly man and enjoyed making us laugh.

Mom had an address list from those days where she maintained the names of the Pease family (although perhaps we knew them while we lived in Yakima?).  Their names were:  faither Leonard, Mother Alnora, Harold, Carolyn, Helen, Leonard, Verla, Larry, Rex, Becky, Cheryl, Eric Ricky, Joan and Judy.

Music from Mom's Japanese Jewelry Box

Attached is a video of the music from Mom's old Japanese jewelry box.  The background buzz is from the cell phone.  The music box mechanism has been perched on top of a piano so it can act as the sounding board. 

For me, this music and the jewelry box it once was in is another representation of Mom and Dad's love for each other.  I have happy memories of Mom showing me the jewelry box and playing its tune.