2. When and where were you born? Describe your home, your neighborhood, and the town you grew up in.
Born March 28, 1951. When I was first born my folks were living in a trailer for a short time. Not sure where but somewhere in or near Minneapolis, Minnesota. They moved into a duplex in South Minneapolis when I was about one that I believe my mother's cousin owned. He and his family lived upstairs. My brother and sister were born while we lived in the duplex--the same year. One in January and one in December. Blaine being born was one of my first memories. I was two, going on three.
Mommy and That Baby
When I was five we moved to Fridley, a suburb of Minneapolis, into a brand new house...a brand new suburb. Lived in that same house until I left home after graduation in 1968.
At first our expanding neighborhood blocks were surrounded on three sides by wild prairie fields, sand dunes, and a man-made lake. I spent a vast amount of time in the those fields and by the lake. By the time I was ten they were digging up what was left of the fields to build the senior high school and softball fields. Fridley wasn't like a town with a main street or any kind of central location of the city. Fridley just sprawled aimlessly with a scattering of the new strip malls, the Twin Drive-In by the interstate, a few churches, and a police station-LOL!
I've written about that time in my life a few times. Wandering the fields and the lake shore strip of woods was the best childhood ever! That was my sanctuary--where my love of critters and nature blossomed.
Fridley Fields
Flower Child
The end. :)
11 comments:
Comment to get comments--if I'm lucky--LOL! ;)
I love reading about you and learning a little more about your life. I think it is important to record our life memories. I need to do a better job of writing down some things about my growing up years. Have a great weekend!
I was born in the bustling metropolis of Hutchinson, Kansas. My family lived in the even bustlier metropolis of Haven, Kansas, in a home my parents had built. I remember how upset I was at age 8 when we had to move to Topeka. It must have been very hard on my mom to leave our home and move to a much smaller one.
Love,
Janie
You were very lucky to have lived so long in one place. I can only imagine it, since we moved constantly when I was growing up. Whatever it was that created your love of critters is good for them and you! And me too. :-)
Hi Rita. I remember where my family lived from about age 3 and on. Ranch life was Dad's life until he (with his family) went to University at age 36 to train for the Ministry. Years of serving in parishes, moving about every 7 years. So many stories.
Hugs.
Joy
How wonderful that you were in one place most of your life! And how nice that you had the fields and lake to give you valuable nature time.
Like DJan, my family moved every two or three years so I never had the opportunity to settle in one place. As a result when I did finally get a chance to settle I put down roots and stayed put and I'm still in the same place now - for over 40 years. I was born on August 9th, 1952 in El Dorado, Arkansas. When I was three we moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma but only lived there a little over two years and came back to Arkansas which is the state I grew up in except for that short time in Tulsa. By the time I was 18 I had lived in seven towns. Between the ages of 18 and 22 I lived in seven more towns. Yep, I'm staying put now!
It's so fun to read about your childhood and to get to know you better. This is a fascinating series, Rita.
How interesting! It does sound like a wonderful place for a child to wander.
omg all those babies so fast! Your mother must have been superwoman. :o
I had woods and a creek and a field that I played in a lot - woods and creek are under I-66, fields under houses. The dirt road in front of my house long paved over. So fun to read these!
When I was born we lived with my grandparents till I was around 12mths old. We moved to Blacksmiths a 20 minute drive from my Nan & Pop but after a year or so we moved back closer to Nan & Pop to Gateshead only 5 minutes from Nan & Pop
I remember the drive-in in Fridley! Sometimes, when we would visit my aunt and uncle in Roseville, we would drive west and see the movies playing late at night during the summer. It was a sad day when the drive-in was no longer there.
What a wonderful childhood to have been around fields and woods - yet so close to the city.
These weekly posts are great, Rita! I'm glad you're doing them. You're sparking memories that people have of their own lives that they probably haven't thought of in a long time. What a gift to everyone who is reading what you are writing.
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