Growing Up In the Olden Days

 I have been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. Looking at old photographs of the "olden" days and thinking of my childhood. I would like to share a few of those fun memories here. Indulge me if you will.... 

Summers in Rocky Mount, NC, which is where I was born and lived for 12 years of my "childhood" were SO much fun. If smells remind you of certain places and events, then candy apples, sour apple bubble gum, hot popcorn, smells from the peanut processing plant up the road, and dairy queen (my dad argues with me that it wasn't a dairy queen but a tastee freeze, but we had Mr Misty's and Dilly Bars, so..... I think I am right Dad, it had to be a  Dairy Queen) are the smells of summer from my childhood. 

One favorite place to visit was the awesome park in the "old" section of town known as Sunset Park. Now even as an adult I thought EVERY one had a park like this. But come to find out it was a one of a kind place in the nation for a while. Along with the regular park attractions: basketball, tennis, covered picnic areas along the river, we had a miniature train, carousel, putt putt, petting zoo, and a children's museum.  

Every summer I got to go with my big brother and my Aunt who was babysitting us and spend days at the park. Now my Aunt is only 7 years older than me so you can imagine... it was filled with kid fun and mischief. The biggest treat after playing and being terrorized in the children's museum by my brother (they had a live alligator and other live wild animals and creatures. Robert always threatened that they were goin

g to come out of their glass cages and "

get me". Not fun for a 6 year old with a very healthy imagination.) we got to  walk across the street and eat lunch at the drug store lunch counter and then get a treat next door at the Dairy Queen. Now my all time favorite was a Dilly Bar.... chocolate and ice cream need I say more?? That was an awesome way to round out our day of fun. If I had been super good I could get a bag of penny candy (yes children you could get a whopping bag of great candy treats f

or 50 cents when I was little. I know I am OLD) My favorite.... sour apple bubble gum balls. These were the HUGE gum balls the kind that made your cheek stick out when you were trying to chew them. When I was little I had L

ONG hair and bubble gum was the enemy. My mom let me have a piece at night after supper but with the understanding that it had to be spit out before bedtime. Now sometimes I remembered and sometimes,,, well I forgot or just didn't want to give it up. And of course the wad of chewed bubble gum ended up in my hair before the morning. Which meant LOTS of peanut butter being used to get it out.

Or an ice cube. But that was THE best gum on the planet. 

Soon I will tell you about the summer days playing at my mom's school.... til next time...