Childhood~

Lets see.... I was in a blissful hell when I was growing up. I came from a upper middle class family... adopted by my mothers 2nd love. I always thought I was loved and spoiled.. Until my adult years I didnt realize that that was all just a bunch of lies. Needless to say... with my *family* my brothers are my only memory that doesnt cause heaps of emotion that would make me want to off myself on a daily basis. My cousins as well. We were usually grouped with them while our moms watched Guiding Light and drank sweet tea. We didnt mind... we explored everything from animal life to sex. Some I admit embarrasses me now, but I understand that most kids explore that way and there is nothing to be shameful of.
My favorite memories though were spent during weekends at my grandma and grandpas... I LOVED EVERY MINUTE THERE!!! My grandma worked for Cheseborough Ponds {she ran the Qtip machine} for 32 years. And even though she would work long hours in hot factory, she'd always have me on the weekends, sometimes my cousin Michelle would accompany me too.... my favorite memories are of the times that grandma would get up and fix me pancakes... she'd always ask the night before what Id want and Id always say pancakes...hahaa Then we would go into Jefferson City {Missouri's capital city} and Id feel like a millionairess! hahaa She took me to fancy dress shops, shoe and bag shops, the 5 and Dime and let me buy candy cigarettes. Then she would buy me coloring books and children books... take me to McDonalds for lunch. When we got home she would get out the old oval galvanized tub and fill it with water and Id go SWIMMING! hahaa.. the evening would always end with us having dinner which included some sort of roast, fresh veggies from the garden and corn on the cob. I would then climb into my grandpas lap and she would fix us both huge chocolate shakes... I could eat more than grandpa and they would just laugh. Grandpa and I would sit there and listen to the Cardinals baseball game on the radio, but watch it on tv with the sound mute. During commercials my grandpa would play a game called *Foreknocker, Eye Winker, Tom Tinker, Nose Smeller, Mouth Eater and Chin Chopper* as he was poking the appropriate parts of my face and at the end he would say google google google and Id die laughing and beg him to do it again. My favorite weekends to spend with them were the long Labor Day weekend when I would stay up the entire time, have popcorn with grandma and watch the Jerry Lewis Telethon. My grandpa passed away when I was in highschool, it was the first serious close death I had ever endured... and almost the most painful. I continued to be very close to my grandma up until about 3 years ago when she started declining mentally and my aunt put her in an assisted living facility... and most recently a nursing home. I miss her and take comfort in the things she taught me throughout my favorite times with her, learning to cook, spending quality time with your grandchildren and taking the time to teach them sayings and verses... Looking back... if I had to weigh out the good and the evil of my childhood, these specific memories would probably cross out 90% of the bad and for that Im thankful...