What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Summertime, And the Living Is Easy

Welcome to Tuesday 4. 
Here is this weeks meme in honor and memory of our blogging friend Toni Taddeo...

When I saw this particular list of questions my mind went back in time to the good old summertime, when the "living was easy"... so I thought I should join in the fun and share some of my favorite summer pastimes from my past...


Summertime..


1. What activities did you enjoy as a kid in the summer?

Primarily I loved being out of school for the summer.  I could play all day and not have to worry about dressing up and wearing shoes.  Our local school sponsored a Summer Recreation Program where we could go to the school each day and go on special field trips to the area swimming places, like Alexander Springs, Sanlando Springs, the area pools, or stay at the school and play ping pong and other games in the old gymnasium.  It was a lot of fun and a great way to stay active instead of doing nothing at home.  

2. Did you go on vacations? Where did you go?

Oh yes, we went on vacations. Every summer we would pack up the car with the car carrier on top of the car with our tent, air mattresses, luggage, cooler, Coleman Grill, food..  My mother would bake cookies before we left so we had snacks for on the road. There were no McDonald's or other fast food places along the roads back then. There were little roadside picnic areas, oftentimes alongside a mountain stream, and we would stop and Mom would fix our lunch /sandwiches, while my sister and I would explore the stream to find some good rocks to take home for souvenirs.  There were six of us packed into a rather small car, and no AC...we had the windows wide open and our feet sticking out the windows. (and no seatbelts!) Yes, actually my dad sometimes pulled a little cargo trailer along on the back of the car to hold all our camping stuff.  He would choose a different route north through the Smokey Mountains every summer, and we would stay at whatever State Parks or other cheap camping locations he could find for us to stop for the night.  


Some times we got to stop at some tourist attractions. This was "Ghost Mountain in the Sky" in Maggie Valley, NC.  It is truly a Ghost Mountain now as I hear it is no longer up there. There was a Six Guns Territory on the top of the mountain with shootouts and all kinds of old western themed activities and stores.  Here we are going up the side of the mountain on a chair lift.  That was kind of scary, but fun. That is my sister and her girlfriend Mary Jane in front of me. That summer my oldest brother Russell was working, so he didn't get to go with us, so we took Mary Jane instead, along with my brother Cliff, sister Doris, and my parents. 

Here is my brother Clifford, Mary Jane, Doris, and Me, all on the back of that poor old horse! Of course he was made out of cement. This was somewhere in S.C., and we used to stop there every year and have our pictures taken on that horse.  Notice my sister and her friend had their hair in curlers with a scarf over it. My hair was a mess, because we had to ride with the car windows open...but I was only 12 in this picture, so I really wasn't that concerned with my looks yet...LOL.
I had to have my picture taken alone..."Ride Em Cowboy!"

The reason for the trips north each summer were so that we could visit our relatives in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I always looked forward to spending some time with my cousins and Grandparents.
My Grandpa Tedlie is on the far right, holding "Monkey, the Cat".  I believe my grandmother was in the house as she was not well and unable to join us outside. I must have taken this picture as I am not in it. My sister Doris is on the far left, my cousin Cheryl, My Mother, My Aunt Belle, cousin Robbie, my Dad, and Grandpa Tedlie. 


Another favorite activity for me was going to our youth camp each summer. I loved it so much that I was a counselor at that same camp the summer after I graduated from high school. It was there that I truly committed my life to Christ, and began the journey of faith that would later lead me to my husband and eventually the ministry with my hubby and family.

But in the meantime, I just enjoyed making new friends at camp and meeting cute boys. LOL. I wasn't too concerned with spiritual things at this stage of life. Thankfully, God was watching over me all the time! 


3.Do you have a favorite summer time dinner? Share it with us please?

Favorite summertime dinner, well, that would be on the 4th of July when we always make home-made ice-cream...that's an old family tradition. We usually use the hand crank churn, but lately us old folks have started using the electric one instead.  We love hamburgers/hot dogs/chicken cooked on the grill. I love baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, corn on the cob.  Not sure if we will have such a picnic this year or not...depends on who is brave enough to come!

4.How often do you sit outside and enjoy an iced tea or coffee?

Most every day I like to sit out on my garden bench in the shade and sip some iced tea or water, or eat a popsickle, and watch the birds...and take pictures.

Male Wood Duck in Still Waters Pond


Great Blue Heron fishing for his dinner.

Although I wouldn't say that summer is my favorite season due to the heat and humidity, I must say that I have some of my best childhood memories from summertime. Those trips with my family through the mountains and up to visit our relatives were filled with many memories of fun games played in the car to help the time pass..."The Alphabet Game", "The Horse Game", and many other fun things. Seeing such beauty as we'd drive through the mountains, although my worst memory is always getting carsick.  But the excitement of packing up and getting ready to go and finally getting on the road was so exciting to me as a little girl. I always marvel at how my Dad and Mother were able to put it all together to make it into a wonderful vacation that we'd never forget.  We didn't have much money, hence the reason for camping and cooking our own food. My sister and I always had saved a little bit of "allowance money" for souvenirs...we had to bring home some special thing from our trips, even if it was just a rock. I still have one such rock in my bedroom that I have saved all these years.
I have used that rock through the years as a doorstop, but lately we've decided that we have stubbed our toes on it too many times, so it usually is sitting somewhere out of the way.  Gee, that rock is well over 50 years old in my possession. No telling how old it really is!

Thank you, Ann at Cottage By The Sea, for setting up these weekly Tuesday Meme's for us in memory of our friend Toni.  I know she is smiling down at us each week as we remember her in this way.

Have a blessed day everyone! Go out and make some Summertime Memories!

35 comments:

  1. What fun you had as a child! It is wonderful that you have all those great old pictures. I have, too, and know I should get them scanned in. I loved summer when I was a kid. We never went anywhere because I lived on a working dairy farm but in between chores I was free to climb a tree with a book and read for hours. xo Diana

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    1. Thank you Diana. I am thankful for these pictures. I wish they were a little clearer, but they are better than none. The real pictures are stored up in my little brain and heart. I am sure that summer on your dairy farm was wonderful. We left our farm when I was 6, so I missed out on most of the chores. BTW, my dad raised Black Angus cattle on our farm. It wasn't a dairy farm, but we did have a cow and fresh milk, chickens, and probably a pig or two. LOL. And cats and dogs. and a horse. I was too little to do much. We also had an outhouse and no indoor plumbing except for the kitchen sink, where I took my bath. And there was a wash house for the wringer washer. I am old. LOL.

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  2. What great childhood memories! I enjoyed your pictures. Loved your answers! Have a great week.

    https://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you, Lori. We were blessed to have such a childhood. I miss it!!

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  3. I enjoyed reading your summertime memories and how blessed you are to have these photos to treasure.

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    1. Thank you, Mildred. The pictures aren't very good because this was my own little "Brownie camera". I guess I had the photo bug even then!!

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  4. OMG! Ghost town ! We owned the Smokey Shadow's Lodge on the peak next to ghost mountain and went every summer. I went up those chair lifts at least 5 times a summer! Did you go to Lake Junaluska? I see you're a religious person. We could see the cross from the porch if I remember right. Ahhh that was so nice to read... I feel we must have met as children! LeeAnna at not afraid of color, come visit sometime!

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    1. Wow! Small world!! On that particular trip on those chair lifts, my brother was in the chair behind us, and he was bouncing up and down in it. On the way back down we had to take the cable car because they were repairing the chair lift! oops!! Don't tell anyone! I never went to Lake Junaluska, but I've certainly heard of it. I would have loved it I am sure. I went to the Methodist Youth Camp in Florida every summer, and it was wonderful. They still have a beautiful cross floating on the lake that lights up at night and they played hymns on the loud speaker at bedtime, closing with the Lord's Prayer and that meant "lights out!" I will come and visit you! Thank you for visiting me!!! So pleased to meet you!!

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  5. Fun questions this week and I really enjoyed going on vacation with you!! What fun! I really enjoyed your post, Pam!

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    1. Thank you, Terri! We probably passed by you up in Ohio somewhere!! Wouldn't that have been fun if we'd met then? I love Ohio.

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  6. A fun read today. I remember too traveling and stopping along the way to eat what we had prepared. I have lots of good memories from summer travels. My son collected a rock from all our vacations. I have quite a collection in his room. Oh and yes, to ice cream and how you couldn't wait to turn the crank until you had turned a few times and then it wasn't so fun.

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    1. Yes, in our family every one had to take a turn cranking or they couldn't have any ice-cream! And then we'd get to clean off the dasher as it came out of the canister of ice cream...my sister and I usually fight over the most spoon fulls. We still do that. It's a family tradition!!! Thanks for visiting!! I know you are busy with your Mother, etc. Glad you could take a little break! Hope she is feeling better.

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  7. Those family vacations of our youth are proof that it’s not about how much money was spent, but about the memories made.

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    1. That is so very true. My dad really had to watch every penny on those trips. That was before credit cards. One summer he did get a brand new credit card for Amoco Gas, and thought he could put all of his gas on that and save his cash. However, once we got out of Florida there were very few if any of that kind of gas station and he still had to pay cash. So we had to really pinch our pennies on that trip! But we kids didn't know the difference!

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  8. When I was a kid summer times were not as hot or humid as they are here today. I spent one August in Miami with in-laws. It was like a sauna but at age 20 I didn't mind so much. Summers as a kid were a great time for so many of us. Say hi to Woody for me. He is cute!

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    1. When we were young the heat wasn't such a big deal. No one had AC here when we were growing up, so we didn't know the difference. We just dressed cool and light and stayed outside most of the time. I will definitely say Hi to Woody! I had to go back and see who "Woody" was in my story, thinking I missed something...but then realized it was the duck! LOL. He's very shy. Anytime he barely sees me he takes off and flies, so I have to be vewy vewy quiet, like Elmer Fudd says.

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  9. No school was definitely the very best part! Looks like you had some great trips and fantastic memories. I love all the photos you included. It's fun to walk down memory lane. Have a great day!

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    1. Yes, no school was great! But I was always ready to go back and see my friends when summer was over. Thank you for visiting here today. I enjoyed also visiting you at your place! Have a blessed day!!

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  10. Such fantastic summer memories, Pamela! Our family made the 1,000 mile trek every summer to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in Massachusetts. I don't know how my parents managed such a long drive, but they did! We were always so excited to be on the go, knowing how much fun we would have once we arrived. Thanks for sharing your memories and photos with us!
    Blessings!

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    1. Back then we didn't mind road trips so much as today. Maybe not as much traffic...I don't know. When we traveled it was pretty much before the interstate highways were there, so we had to take those windy hilly roads through the mountains. The scenery was great, but it was hard on my tummy! LOL. But we always enjoyed getting to go see our cousins, etc. Glad you had those memories too. That must have something to do with your book series!!

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  11. What fun pictures! I enjoyed looking at those. I can sort of remember when there used to be picnic tables at random spots along the turnpike here in PA...probably along some other roads, too. Those have been gone for years and years. I still pack snacks and drinks for roadtrips even if it's just Tim and I. Cheaper and better tasting than McDonalds!

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    1. We often went to PA to visit my Aunt and Uncle and cousins near our old homeplace in Clarion. There weren't any interstates or turnpikes then. Just winding old roads through the country. At least that's how I remember it!

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  12. Your camping vacations sound like great fun! Six in a car with no a/c sounds very familiar, there were 6 of us too. Enjoyed all the pictures, precious memories.

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    1. Yes, they were precious memories. Taking that long of a trip with all of us in the car, sleeping in tents at night, blowing up our air mattresses by mouth (no pumps), and they'd go flat during the night most of the time...mosquitoes, and sometimes bears...it was great fun!! Best memories of my childhood for certain.

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  13. Pam, thanks for sharing some precious summer memories. Your vacations were memorable because they were simple.

    BLessings!

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    1. Yes, they were simple for me...probably not so much for my parents. A lot of driving and looking for good campsites, gas, and praying it wouldn't rain when we needed to put up our tents or cook our food! LOL. The best memories ever!

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  14. AWESOME!!!! I love finding out more about my blogging friends, smiles. Thank you Pamela for the many smiles...and I know of Maggie Valley too, smiles.

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    1. Those were the best days of my life as a child! Very thankful for those memories.

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  15. What precious memories from your childhood you shared! How it brought me back to my childhood as well, and the excitement we kids would feel as we packed up and headed out to the ferry to leave the island and cross over to the mainland to visit our grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles! Such wonderful fun memories, and you're right... vacations then didn't cost a lot of money, but the memories made were the best part. Thanks for sharing your wonderful summertime memories! I enjoyed the walk down memory lane with you :)

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    1. Thank you, Marilyn, for visiting today. Yes, our vacations back in the day were always exciting. We didn't have Disney World and all those other expensive places to go...we mostly enjoyed family and playing together with cousins and staying outside enjoying the great outdoors. I feel sorry for kids today who don't know what that is like. Thank you for coming on this little memory journey with me. Have a blessed week.

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  16. Sounds like you had so much fun growing up Pam. That is awesome! Oh I remember Maggie Valley for sure. Carried our kids there quite a bit. And homemade ice cream the old fashion way of being made sure brought a smile to my face. My papa would let us take turns helping him church the ice cream. Best ice cream EVER! Have a good week lady and drink a glass of ice tea for me while you are enjoying your birds. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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    1. In our family everyone HAD to take a turn churning the ice cream or they didn't get any ice cream! Ha Ha. That was what we said anyway, but everyone always got some. It is the best ice cream ever. Thank you for visiting today. I loved your post with your sweet granddaughter. I said I wanted to be one of your "grandgirls" and come spend a weekend with you! You think of the "funnest" things to do! :)

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  17. Oh yes, I remember wearing my hair in curlers with a scarf tied over it all. My goodness, girl, are we dating ourselves or what?!!!

    Fun that you always stopped to have your picture taken on that concrete horse. The fun things we do for tradition!

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    1. I know...this was before blow dryers, and I had to roll my hair on orange juice cans to get that nice flip look during the 60's. The things we did to look "beautiful". LOL. Somewhere there is a picture of a younger me on that same horse. If I ever find it I will post it, but it might be at my sister's house. She has all the family photos from our parents' home...someday we will go through them all if we live that long. LOL. Have a blessed day.

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  18. Enjoyed your entry today. My answers would be quite different. I am an only child. I detest that term. My dad drove race cars and then promoted races. We did a lot of traveling with that. Our favorite summertime meal was roasting ears (corn on the cob) and slice tomatoes, maybe some meat. My favorite summer activity was playing outside with the neighborhood kids-dodge ball, hide and go seek, kickball, and then softball. I also liked to ride my bike and I remember roller skating. I was a clumsy kid, so it took me a while to learn to ride my bike. One of the favorite places my mother, dad and I liked to go was to the Dairy Queen for frozen custards. Thank you for allowing me to read of your memories and for letting me share mine with you.

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Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.