307 Look Up III

“I don’t want to be little again. But at the same time I do. I want to be me like I was then, and me as I am now, and me like I’ll be in the future. I want to be me and nothing but me. I want to be crazy as the moon, wild as the wind and still as the earth. I want to be every single thing it’s possible to be. I’m growing and I don’t know how to grow. I’m living but I haven’t started living yet. Sometimes I simply disappear from myself. Sometimes it’s like I’m not here in the world at all and I simply don’t exist. Sometimes I can hardly think. My head just drifts, and the visions that come seem so vivid.”

― David Almond

Yesterday as I was walking to dispose of this bread wrapper, my mind drifted to childhood.

My first thought was, “Should I wash the wrapper like grandma used to do? It might be useful in the future…”

But then I glanced out the window at the snowy landscape

and was transported to my childhood

before the invention of thinsulate,

tablets, YouTube, and social media

When the television had only three channels

and frugal families with one income

and three girls wore

hand-me-down rubber boots

(probably with a few micro cracks)

therefore, used bread wrappers as insulation!

This practice wasn’t specific to my family or area

most northern-born children who loved to play in the snow experienced this at one time or another – and probably many times in their childhood

The worst thing was when the bread wrapper wasn’t just right and then a hole poked in it on the way to or from school and while sledding

Cold, wet feet are the worst…

Yes, the boots required bread wrapper liners at all times

No wonder mom saved them all year long…

But we played in the snow until we couldn’t feel our feet and fingers

and loved every minute of it!

Santa brought sleds the year this pic was taken. We each received a sled! Daddy tore up the back yard something good with those sleds

In our neighborhood, Harmon Field hill was the sledding hub. I remember soaping the sled rails so it would go down the hill faster!

I wish I had a picture of Harmon Hill – but I have many memories of laughter, fun, and hot chocolate.

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I posted a picture of my bread wrapper on social yesterday with a simple question: “My cold-weather friends: Does this remind you of anything?”

The responses I received were hilarious. I’ll share only a few:

“___ and I were just talking about when we used Wonder bread bags in our boots to go sled riding. “

“Over the shoes and in the boots… rubber boots! My Mom used Wonder!”

“My mom used Kroger bread. 6 loaves for $1.”

“It worked didn’t it…..”

“I remember my mom putting bread bags on our feet before we put on our boots. What didn’t make any sense was my boots were only ankle high and back in the day we had some pretty deep snows and the snow went right down into my boots. SMH!! My feet were frozen and wet!!!”

“Those were a must at grandma’s “

“Best time with friends and neighbors sledding down Harmon field hill!!”

“I eat that now… and I showed my grandkids what those are for”

“Sock condums” – this one made me laugh out loud!

“We did that a lot over there on Plymouth Street”

“Yes! The slap slap slap of rubber boots against the back of my legs!”

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My southern-born hubby couldn’t relate – go figure.

He saw my social post and asked, “Why did you post a picture of a bread wrapper?”

I went through the explanation and I still don’t think he fully grasped the concept of putting bread wrappers over one’s feet to keep them dry (in most cases).

But, as I told him, it’s a Northern childhood experience…

My days of looking up the hill from the bottom after sledding down are probably over…

But

I older I get, the more I miss childhood.

Here’s to childhood memories

I’m forever grateful, thankful, and blessed!

XO Lisa ❤️