Celebrate summer fun #FlashbackFriday
Good-morning, kittens & dawgs! It’s Friday with the weekend kicking off soon. Memorial weekend signified the unofficial start of Days of Gold (song by Jake Owen). The summer of 1970 is a stand out memory for me. That summer, my folks got my brother and me a swing set and swimming pool. Also, it happens my baby sister was born that summer, too. Like most kids, I loved being in the water. Having our own little kiddie pool was a great summer treat!
In rural West Virginia community pools were (still are) too far away to go to daily and during those early years my parents didn’t have extra money to spare, so it thrilled us to go a handful of times most summers. Swimming lessons was pretty much was what you got on your own thrashing around in the pool or water hole trying to do what the other kids already knew. Lucky for me my best friends Anita and Robbie taught me how to dog paddle and a few basic swim strokes. My stamina was zilch, but soon after I figured out how to tread water I started jumping off the diving board on the deep end of the pool. It was all I could do to get back to the pool ladder exhausted and winded, but I kept doing it over again and again and again. How did you learn how to swim?
A few years later, I use to spend a couple of weeks each summer with my uncle and his wife. They lived inside or on the edge Panther State Park in McDowell County. The park had a pool. Sharon, my uncle’s wife, took me several times during my stay. We had to walk to get it to it. It was only a mile or two from their home, but it felt longer. Of course, I didn’t mind. That’s just the way things were ~ no city buses, taxis, and families had only one car. We would leave early in the mornings when the sun wasn’t high in the sky and by the time we got to the pool it was a wonderful treat to jump in the water! There’s one thing for certain by the time I spent several hours of vigorous play in the water followed by the long walk to my uncle and aunt’s house, then I was absolutely worn out. The second, my head hit the pillow each night, I’d be fast asleep. That’s some of the best sleep I can ever remember getting. Do you remember times like that?
Today, I celebrate the small things in my life.
- I celebrate every day not just this day that we’re debt-free (excluding monthly utilities, internet, & cell service) for 3-years now.
- I celebrate the joy my passions (writing, photography, and music) bring to my life.
- I celebrate life’s simple pleasures ~ sunshine on my skin, casual drives, Lil’ critters in my backyard, smell of wild roses and honeysuckle.
- I celebrate the long days of summer, ice cream cones, fire flies, and golden sunsets across diamond sparkled East Tennessee lakes to come.
- I celebrate what we have and not What We Ain’t Got (Jake Owens’ tune).
What are you celebrating?
Let’s celebrate making new friends together and we can begin by joining Friendship Friday and Follow Who? Social-Weekend blog hops. Thanks for visiting. Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for a little boogie session with Saturday Songsuasion!
For more day specific blog hops, click here.
12 Comments
Rorybore
I think one of my older cousins tossed me into the pool… and that’s how I learned to swim. sink or swim, right? LOL
I am celebrating how life somehow seems to have the perfect timing…. if we are just willing to let it unfold patiently.
Liz A.
Summer and sunburn season. I’d rather spend it indoors with a good book…
Cathy Kennedy
Liz, I ain’t gonna lie to you…I’d rather stay indoors, too. lol It’s funny how things change when you get older. I remember the day when I loved sunbathing and playing outdoors, but nowadays I try to avoid the sun’s harmful rays. We know now that UV is a bad thing, but you know what I never tanned. I’d burn, repeat, burn, and still NO tan! One time a friend said, “Cathy, you need to get a suntan!” I said, “What do you mean, I am tanned. You just don’t see my bikini line.” Honestly, that’s the only way anyone can see that I actually got some sun, too. I’m with you on sticking to indoors. There’s plenty to do around the house.
Catch My Words
Wonderful memories. I love the picture.
https://joycelansky.blogspot.com/
Cathy Kennedy
I love looking at old photos, Joyce! It really brings back such fond memories. The only thing is, I wish I had more from my childhood. I’ve gotta get home to snatch more photos for scanning!
lexacain
I learned basics in the pond of my hometown, then we moved to a large place in the midwest and my high school had a pool, so I learned all the strokes in gym class. The best thing about summers as a kid was how active we were and how exhausted we were at the end of every day. Like you said, great sleeping those nights. Yay for being debt-free, for enjoying passions and hobbies, and for simple pleasures and delightful summers. “…what we have and not What We Ain’t Got” I love that! So clever and so true. See you tomorrow for the Vacation hop!
Cathy Kennedy
We were VERY active as kids, unlike you find with today’s generation which is really quite sad. We’d go outside soon after breakfast and didn’t come back in until it was too dark to see. Of course, dusk was the best time to play hide n’ seek. I remember slipping into a sudsy, hot bath in the old ball & claw tub letting the coal dust and dirt wash away. Sometimes I’d fall asleep, too. Luckily when my face rolled toward the water it woke me up every time OR I’d hear mom yelling at me to make sure I was ok. lol
Marilyn Parel (@mparel)
I luv the kiddie pool pics. I often think back to those days. Lazy, summer days were my cup of tea. Still are, but I can’t ever be that laid back again. Enjoy.
Arlee Bird
I was always somewhat afraid of water. We rarely went to any pools when I was a kid, but when we lived in San Diego we often went to the beach during the summer. I never cared much for the beach and avoided the water for the most part.
I finally learned to swim when I went to UT and had to fulfill required P.E. credits. Since swimming was one of the offerings I took advantage of that to learn to swim. I still can’t swim well and mostly avoid situations where swimming is involved.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Cathy Kennedy
Lee, I haven’t been in a pool in years. Although, I can swim a little, I’m not real comfortable being around really deep water. I would love to take swimming lessons to put me at ease with being in the water, but usually pool water gets into my ears which leads to terrible, terrible ear infections. I’m just prong to it and I really don’t want to go through this sort of discomfort. *sigh* Oh well…I’m glad that you learned how to swim. It’s an important skill to know. Thanks for stopping by!
McGuffy Ann
These are nice memories. It is nice to think back like that.
Cathy Kennedy
McGuffy, I love thinking back on old days. Those sweet memories always make me smile, too.