Tag Archives: memories

Childhood

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Do you have favourite summer memories of your childhood? Most of mine are from camping every summer with the same group of people – the 70s were such a great time to be a kid.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working my butt off and now taking care of my grandson while my daughter is away at a music festival. I hope he remembers all the fun we’ve had together even though he is only 2. I want him to grow up with fun memories of our time together.

(Just to be clear – nothing is wrong with me – it sounds like it from that last paragraph! )

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Do you have a good memory?

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One of my earliest memories is one that my parents don’t understand how I could remember as I was only 3 years old at the time. But it is a memory that is vivid in my mind.

My paternal grandparents lived in L’Anse aux Cousins, near Gaspe Quebec. We would visit there every summer until I was 17 – I stopped going every summer once I started college as I was working in the summer.

My grandparents liked to take us around to visit relatives, and on the occasion that I remember, we went across the river to visit an aunt.

When I described my memory to my parents, they were both confused as this aunt had died when I was about 6 years old. I remember that it was the summer (just before my brother was born) and we were playing in this aunt’s yard, rolling down the hill and having a really fun time. The river was at the end of her backyard, and we were sure not to go near it.

I remember what the house looked like on the outside, and the backyard, and what we were doing. My parents did recall going to visit this house but cannot believe that I remembered it due to my age at the time.

I have a very good memory – I remember whole conversations with friends from back in high school, I remember (unfortunately) arguments with my ex, almost word for word, and I remember so many other things, both good and bad, in my life. And before cell phones became a thing, I remembered all of my friends’ home phone numbers too.

It’s amazing what the mind can do isn’t it!

Memory Lane – Prague

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Tonight was a night of nostalgia, looking back on the beginning of my adventures in Prague. Three of my favourite pictures I took were of the first night I was there, and one on the last day I was there.

I arrived there on November 15 2014 and once I got settled, I immediately went to the city centre to check out the area on my own, and to see the Prague Castle. I was not disappointed by the beauty I encountered.

Prague Castle, November 2014

This was one of my favourite places to go – across the river to just gaze at the wonder of the castle.

June 29 2016 was my last full day in Prague – I was heading to Paris the next day, and then back to Canada for 7 weeks to get ready to head to China. I knew that on the last day in Prague would have to be spent at Letna Park, looking out at the City, and the Vltava River and all the bridges. Of course, you can’t go to Letna Park in the summer and not go to the beer gardens. It was a fitting way to my last day there, enjoying a cold beer and a sausage, while looking out at the view.

View from Letna Park

Some of my most memorable moments in my life happened in Prague, and because of Prague. I miss being there, but I am gearing up for a visit in the next few months.

I cannot wait to see the city, the castle and the views.

Secrets

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We all have secrets. We can say we don’t, but secretly we all do.

I have secrets that are shared with a friend from a long time ago. We are still friends but not as close as we used to be. But I know, as she does too, that our secrets will go with us to our graves. I know I can trust her never to say anything, and she knows I can be trusted.

What is it about secrets? Why do we have them? Are they so sinister that we are afraid to tell people? Or is it because you did something really stupid in your youth (hand up here!) that you don’t want anyone to ever know you did? I am guilty of that – I am SO happy that I grew up in the age of NO social media. The only social media was gossip and I did not gossip about the stupid things I did!

Is it okay to have secrets from our significant others? What about secrets that you keep from your family? Is it really necessary for anyone to know your secret? Unless it is going to affect them personally, I see no reason to tell a secret. That’s the whole point – it’s a secret. No one needs to know about it.

My friend and I have a phrase that we can say to each other and right away, we both remember that secret. “Can you whistle” is all I need to say to her!

I guess my main question is – when is it okay to tell a secret? It can only be your own secret though – because telling someone else’s secret is wrong – that just makes you a gossip!

So keep that secret – let it be a memory you can look back on and maybe secretly relish that it was a lot of fun and you’re glad you have that little secret for only yourself to remember.

“Sail Across the Moon”

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Do you ever hear a song that transports you back to another time?  Perhaps high school or college?  I am sure most of us have had that experience.

 

I was listening to music the other day, and heard “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, and was instantly back in 2001.  I love that song.  Back then, I was recently separated and had discovered MSN Communities.  It was my first foray into the internet communication world – chatting with people from all over the world.  Its amazing how far the internet has come since then. 

 

I belonged to a community called “Sail Across the Moon”.  The people there were from all walks of life, and so many of them have become such an important part of my life, even now.  They are dear friends of mine, and I have had the privilege of meeting a lot of them over the years at get-togethers.  Once in Vegas, once in Tennessee, and another time in St. Louis.  The memories I made while I was part of the group are memories I will have forever, some great, some not so great – the internet really does make people do funny things – like not be truthful about who they really are.  What is that anyway? 

 

Anyway – music is such an important part of our lives.  It can lift us up, it can bring us back in time, it can remind us of how much we have grown from that period in our life.

 

Where I live now, music is broadcast throughout the community via loud speakers.  Some days it’s terribly annoying but mostly it is nice to hear. “Sounds of Silence” is played every morning (instrumental version) and in the evening, it’s the Alphabet Song.  I wish I was kidding about that but I am not!  I hear it and then it is stuck in my head for hours.

 When I think back to my time in China, I know that when I hear Sounds of Silence, I will be transported back to this community that has embraced me and made me feel welcome.

 

So when you are having a bad day, or a stressful day, or even a melancholy day, turn on some music, sit back and “sail across the moon” to another time.  It will almost certainly put you in a better mood!

Memories…

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It’s been a quiet week for me. Winter break has started for the kids and so I don’t get to see them every day. But it’s alwaye so nice when I do ~ the little boy this week on the bus who tried talking to me and when the bus was crowded, he took my hand, smiled and asked “ok?”. These moments will forever be great memories of China for me.

Since it’s been quiet, I have been going back in time with some old friends and remembering so many great times we had. Reconnecting with old friends is such a lovely way to pass the time away, especially when they are such amazing friends who I know will be forever in my life.

As my wall tells me every day, life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile.

Memories do just that ~ they make me smile.