Sunday, December 25, 2016
Yakima Memories
We lived in three different houses while in Yakima. The first one had a coal furnace. The second one was white. The final house was the house we had built for us and was red brick. It was a beautiful house with many levels. The bottom level had a family room with a fireplace, a couple of bedrooms (Ron and Larry had one of these), a bathroom, and a door to the back yard. The "ground level" had the living room and kitchen. Then there were stairs up to Tom's blue bedroom, Linda and my aqua bedroom, Mom and Dad's bedroom, and a bathroom.
The elementary school we attended was Whitney Elementary. There were train tracks running in front of the school yard and I got in trouble for putting rocks on the tracks. To get to the school from our house, we had to walk next to a large apple orchard. When it was cold out and the apple flowers were just blooming or apples weren't ready to harvest yet, smudge pots would be lit to keep the fruit and/or flowers warm so they wouldn't freeze. This meant our noses would get quite black inside from breathing in the smoke.
We also lived next to a golf course and sometimes we would find golf balls outside of the course. One time I got paid a dime (which was a lot of money to me then) for returning a golf ball from outside the fence to someone inside.
I remember a school fairs (at the junior high I believe) where they had a cake walk.
For Halloween one year, Mom sewed Tom a clown suit. Dad would take us trick-or-treating when we were young.
Our church building was light pink on the outside and had stained glass windows.
Boise Memories
We moved to Boise from Pocatello the summer (August?) of 1971.
I was in choir from grades 7-12.
Mom harvested grapes off of a concord grape vine in the back yard and made grape juice from them. Some of them may have turned alcoholic as I remember she had to pour some out.
Mom and Dad harvested peaches off of a large peach tree we had in the back yard. Canning all those peaches seemed to take days and days. We all helped peel and slice those bushels of peaches while Mom canned them.
We also had a large willow tree in the back yard that was fun to climb. Eventually, it had to be cut down as it was getting into the telephone wires. There was a pine tree in the front yard that was considered to be Sharon's. Eventually, it got so big that Mom and Dad donated it to the City and they replanted it in Ann Morrison park.
I learned to bake while living in Boise. One time, I made sugar cookies, but didn't look at the recipe closely enough and thought the sugar ingredient was actually salt. So I added about 2 cups of salt to those cookies. I thought it seemed strange but was still new to baking so I went ahead and added the salt. Wow those cookies were bad.
When I was older and was attending BSU, I also attended the church's Institute for religious classes and participated in their summer productions. We did Now's The Time and Saturday's Warrior's at the Boise State Event Center, Those were great times.
We enjoyed playing games as a family. We played Scrabble quite a bit and Mom typically won those games. We played Sorry too. We also played a game of Tom's called Milles Bourne (sp?) that was a lot of fun. The kids played Monopoly and Easy Money.
Mom sewed my dresses when I was a teenager until I learned how to sew. Linda also learned how to sew and is quite the seamstress!
I was in choir from grades 7-12.
Mom harvested grapes off of a concord grape vine in the back yard and made grape juice from them. Some of them may have turned alcoholic as I remember she had to pour some out.
Mom and Dad harvested peaches off of a large peach tree we had in the back yard. Canning all those peaches seemed to take days and days. We all helped peel and slice those bushels of peaches while Mom canned them.
We also had a large willow tree in the back yard that was fun to climb. Eventually, it had to be cut down as it was getting into the telephone wires. There was a pine tree in the front yard that was considered to be Sharon's. Eventually, it got so big that Mom and Dad donated it to the City and they replanted it in Ann Morrison park.
I learned to bake while living in Boise. One time, I made sugar cookies, but didn't look at the recipe closely enough and thought the sugar ingredient was actually salt. So I added about 2 cups of salt to those cookies. I thought it seemed strange but was still new to baking so I went ahead and added the salt. Wow those cookies were bad.
When I was older and was attending BSU, I also attended the church's Institute for religious classes and participated in their summer productions. We did Now's The Time and Saturday's Warrior's at the Boise State Event Center, Those were great times.
We enjoyed playing games as a family. We played Scrabble quite a bit and Mom typically won those games. We played Sorry too. We also played a game of Tom's called Milles Bourne (sp?) that was a lot of fun. The kids played Monopoly and Easy Money.
Mom sewed my dresses when I was a teenager until I learned how to sew. Linda also learned how to sew and is quite the seamstress!
Pocatello Memories
While living in Pocatello, we took lots of day trips to visit various places nearby. We went to Lava Hot Springs (Mom didn't know how to swim, but she wore a bright red swim suit and splashed around in the shallow end), Balancing Rock, Craters of the Moon, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Scout Mountain, Grand Targee, picnics by the creek, and probably more places that I just don't remember now.
I do remember seeing the water falls and climbing lots of stairs to get to the top of one of the falls.
Mom made sure we learned how to swim and signed us up for swimming lessons at Ross Park. We carpooled with another family who had a daughter my age named Laura. When Laura's mom drove, she would make the car dance to the music on the radio by slightly weaving back and forth or slightly applying the brakes to make the car "bounce" in time to the music. It was a lot of fun and the swimming lessons were great too!
I remember playing hide-and-go-seek in the warm summer evenings, kick the can, red rover, and Truth or Dare during sleepovers in the back yard. I remember catching lizards on hot summer days and Larry, Ron and Tom catching snakes.
We lived on a hill (1334 El Rancho Blvd) and Dad planted trees and strawberries just over the side of the back yard. Tom had a bunny rabbit and a rooster in a hutch in the back yard (at separate times of course). Across the street from us there was a vacant lot with a large billboard size sign. I liked to climb the sign.
During the wintertime, we went sledding down the side of the hill behind our yard in what was kind of a valley. One side was very steep and the other side not quite as steep.
I remember flying kites off the back yard over the back yard valley. One time, I had a kite up so high that I tied it to a pole that formed the car port (we didn't have a garage) while I went inside to eat lunch. When I was done with lunch, the kite was still high up in the sky.
Mom and Dad enjoyed music and we had a small record player that we could play our 78s on. I remember listening to Christmas records, a record of Primary music, the Tijuana Brass, the carrot seed (see another post for a YouTube link to the carrot seed song), Snow White and others.
At the bottom of the hill we lived on, on the far side, there was a large canal with big trees growing next to it. It was a cool place to go play when the summers got really hot.
We used to try to Trick-or-Treat the entire hill we lived on. I believe Tom actually accomplished that one year.
There was a park on another side of the hill where we could go play. One summer the city did crafts there.
Syringa was the name of the elementary school we attended.
We had Legos to play with and I liked to build houses with them. For Christmas one year, I received a Sooper Gooper and Tom received a plastic Thing Maker. They had metal pieces that we could cook our creations in. Tom's created plastic spiders, etc., that we could then play with. Mine created edible food in various shapes, although they were kind of rubbery and strange tasting. One Christmas, I received a Feeley Mealey game where small plastic toy objects were placed inside a box, you reached in and tried to identify the items by touch. Whoever had the most correct guesses would win.
I do remember seeing the water falls and climbing lots of stairs to get to the top of one of the falls.
Mom made sure we learned how to swim and signed us up for swimming lessons at Ross Park. We carpooled with another family who had a daughter my age named Laura. When Laura's mom drove, she would make the car dance to the music on the radio by slightly weaving back and forth or slightly applying the brakes to make the car "bounce" in time to the music. It was a lot of fun and the swimming lessons were great too!
I remember playing hide-and-go-seek in the warm summer evenings, kick the can, red rover, and Truth or Dare during sleepovers in the back yard. I remember catching lizards on hot summer days and Larry, Ron and Tom catching snakes.
We lived on a hill (1334 El Rancho Blvd) and Dad planted trees and strawberries just over the side of the back yard. Tom had a bunny rabbit and a rooster in a hutch in the back yard (at separate times of course). Across the street from us there was a vacant lot with a large billboard size sign. I liked to climb the sign.
During the wintertime, we went sledding down the side of the hill behind our yard in what was kind of a valley. One side was very steep and the other side not quite as steep.
I remember flying kites off the back yard over the back yard valley. One time, I had a kite up so high that I tied it to a pole that formed the car port (we didn't have a garage) while I went inside to eat lunch. When I was done with lunch, the kite was still high up in the sky.
Mom and Dad enjoyed music and we had a small record player that we could play our 78s on. I remember listening to Christmas records, a record of Primary music, the Tijuana Brass, the carrot seed (see another post for a YouTube link to the carrot seed song), Snow White and others.
At the bottom of the hill we lived on, on the far side, there was a large canal with big trees growing next to it. It was a cool place to go play when the summers got really hot.
We used to try to Trick-or-Treat the entire hill we lived on. I believe Tom actually accomplished that one year.
There was a park on another side of the hill where we could go play. One summer the city did crafts there.
Syringa was the name of the elementary school we attended.
We had Legos to play with and I liked to build houses with them. For Christmas one year, I received a Sooper Gooper and Tom received a plastic Thing Maker. They had metal pieces that we could cook our creations in. Tom's created plastic spiders, etc., that we could then play with. Mine created edible food in various shapes, although they were kind of rubbery and strange tasting. One Christmas, I received a Feeley Mealey game where small plastic toy objects were placed inside a box, you reached in and tried to identify the items by touch. Whoever had the most correct guesses would win.
Trip to DisneyLand
In 1975, we went to DisneyLand! We saved for a long time to be able to afford that trip. We drove from Boise to California and also visited Stanford where Ron was attending college. While in the Bay Area, we visited San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf, and ate spaghetti at a fun restaurant (? the Spaghetti Factory??).
The Move From Yakima to Pocatello
We moved from Yakima to Pocatello the summer of (July?) 1967. Dad had been living in Pocatello for a few months while we children finished the school year, he found a house, and we sold the red brick Yakima house.
On the way to Yakima, the tire blew out on the old green station wagon. I believe Mom had been driving and she managed to safely and calmly bring the car to a stop. Dad came back with the moving truck. I seem to recall Dad complimenting how sensibly the car had been brought to a stop.
On the way to Yakima, the tire blew out on the old green station wagon. I believe Mom had been driving and she managed to safely and calmly bring the car to a stop. Dad came back with the moving truck. I seem to recall Dad complimenting how sensibly the car had been brought to a stop.
The T-Bird Wheel
One Sunday morning while Mom was driving the T-Bird to church, the wheel fell off when she went through the intersection near the Bolander's old house. Luckily, she had been going slow which helped limit the damage and she was fine. In fact, she walked the block home to tell Dad about it.
Mom's House, plant hanging
Mom had a plant hanging in the living room and it was approximately 20 years old. She received it from a friend of Sharon's and the plant hung from the ceiling with some macrame. Mom carefully tended to the plant all those years!
Pocatello, Mark's golf set
When we lived in Pocatello, Mark received a play golf set (Dad was a golfer). He was young and called it "gawf", but he sure enjoyed playing golf!
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