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MEMORIES 

NOW THAT SUMMER IS FAST APPROACHING, IT BRINGS BACK HAPPY TIMES WITH MY CHILDREN AND THE THINGS WE DID.

I WAS A WORKING MOTHER, KIND OF A JACK OF ALL TRADES, MASTER OF SOME, BUT ANY THING TO KEEP MY LITTLE ONES TAKEN CARE OF. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLES IDEA OF WASHING DISHES, WAITING TALBLES,WORKING AT DAIRY QUEEN FILE CLEARKING OR BARTENDING ARE VERY   UN -GLAMOROUS JOBS, I`M FINE WITH THAT. ALL I CAN SAY IS "STAY IN SCHOOL" I DID THE BEST I COULD WITH WHAT I HAD TO WORK WITH AND I`M NOT SORRY FOR ONE DAY OF IT. THERE`S SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT STREET SMARTS,YOU LEARN TO SURVIVE AND YOU DON`T ASK FOR HANDOUTS.

ON MY DAYS OFF, WHICH USUALLY FEEL DURING THE WEEK IN SUMMER, I WOULD SAVE EVERY CENT I COULD

AND WE WOULD GET TOGETHER AND PLAN WHAT WE WOULD DO OR GO ON "OUR DAY".

EACH CHILD WOULD MAKE A SUGESTION, WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT AND FINALLY DECIDE. ON THIS DAY.

THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED TO GO TO THE LAKE AND CAMP OUT. SO WE HAD OUR PLACE, EVERYONE WAS SO EXITED, THE OLDEST WAS 13 THE YOUNGEST WAS THREE. EVERYONE PLANNED THE FOOD ,PACKED THIER OWN CLOTHES,  AND STARTED COUNTING THE DAYS.  EVERY DAY THE  LITTLE ONES WOULD SAY IS THIS THE DAY?

FINALLY THE "DAY" CAME, WE LOADED THE CAR WITH FOOD, CLOTHES BLANKETS ,SLEEPING BAGS AND A

FEW SPECIAL SNACKS.

AS IT WAS A WEEK DAY THERE WERE`NT MANY PEOPLE AT THE LAKE SO WE GOT A GOOD PLACE TO SET UP CAMP. WHAT FUN WE HAD. EVERYONE RUNNING ALL OVER LAUGHING AND WRESTLING AND TICKLING.

I STOOD WATCHING THEM THINKING I MUST BE THE LUCKEST PERSON IN THE WORLD!  ABOUT THAT TIME

THEY DECIDED I`D BEEN ON THE SIDELINES LONG ENOUGH, AND HERE THEY CAME, ALL 6, ARMS AND LEGS FLYING ,WE ALL HIT THE GROUND. THEY HUGGED ME, TICKLED ME AND SAT ON ME, THE NEXT THING I KNEW ONE OF THEM HAD A SAND PAIL OF WATER !!! WHAT A SHOCK ! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THEM RUN !!

WE STARTED OUR BON-FIRE ,GOT A TOWELL FOR A TABLE CLOTH AND STARTED GETTING THE CHIPS AND

HOT DOG, BUN, SALAD, PICKLES AND WHAT EVER THEY WANTED ON THERE BUNS. THEN WE COOKED OVER THE FIRE, SOME CRISPY HOT DOGS ! BUT THE BEST I EVER HAD !  ATER WE ATE AND EVERY THING WAS PUT IN COOLERS, THE GRAND TREAT !! S`MORES, WHAT A TREAT, MY KIDS DID`NT GET MANY SWEETS, BUT TONITE

THE SKY`S THE LIMIT ! WE ALSO HAD A LOT OF CRISPY MARSHMALLOWS , ON TOP OF OUR GRAHAM CRACKERS AND HERSHEY BARS. AFTER ALL THAT WE LAID ON THE COOL GRASS AND WATCHED THE  CLOUD FORMATIONS SURE THAT THAT ONE LOOKS LIKE A UNICRN, AND THAT ONE HAS A PIG FACE AND HEY MOM

I SEE A DRAGON.!!!

SOON IT WAS GETTING LATE EVENING, WE WALKED DOWN TO THE DOCK WHERE AN ELDERLY MAN AND HIS WIFE WERE SUN FISHING [SPINNEY]   LITTLE FISH ,BUT FUN TO CATCH. WE SAT AND WATCHED FOR A WHILE THEN MY THREE YEAR OLD SON WENT OVER AND TOLD THE MAN HE WISHED HE COULD FISH, BLESS THESE

STRANGERS FOR CAREING ABOUT A BUNCH OF LITTLE KIDS. HE TOOK FISHING LINE, PUT A HOOK ON EACH ONE, THEN TOLD THEM HE HAD NO BAIT BUT KNEW THIS TRICK.   HE TOOK THE FOIL OUT OF HIS CIGARETTE

PACK AND FOLDED UP SOME SQUARES, PUT THEM ON THE HOOKS AND TOLD THE KIDS TO GO CATCH A FISH.

THEY ALL STOOD THERE,WAITING, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE SHINNING PAPER MADE SOME LITTLE KIDS VERY HAPPY ! THEY CAUGHT 9 UGLY LITTLE FISH ! THEY WERE THRILLED AND SO WAS I. I HOPE THOSE SWEET PEOPLE KNEW THE JOY THEY PUT IN THE LIFE OF MY KIDS.

WE WENT TO OUR BLANKETS AND SLEEPING BAGS, GAVE HUGS AND KISSES AND BABY PRAYERS. AS I WALKED TO MY SLEEPING BAG I HEARD ,"WE LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK" MOMMY.

I LAYED DOWN, SO VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY, FOR MY KIDS ,AND FOR ALL THE MEMORIES GOD ALLOWED ME WITH MY CHILDREN, I LOST THREE OF MY GIRLS, BUT LOOK AT WHAT THEY LEFT BEHIND.

IN REFLECTION,THE SHADOWS LIFT, AND THE MEANING OF THIS TIME SHINES CLEAR.