day 8

Day 8 - Write about the first moment that comes to your head when you read the words “childhood memory”

My childhood memories are of growing up not at home, but at my uncle's house, with my grandfather. Although I suppose it does make sense, because for the first few years of my life, they raised me as much as my parents did. I think my most distinct "childhood memory" - probably because I did it so much - was when I got to the house - usually my grandparents/uncle/aunt's house, although it would be true for my parents house also - and if grandpa wasn't inside, I'd run to the back and check the garden - where, of course, I would find him. And if he wasn't outside, then I knew we'd be going outside soon. I'd learn about string beans, the proper way to grow tomatoes, why there was orange netting around the garden (to keep out the rabbits and the deer), I'd marvel at the fuzzy-ness of dong-gua vines, and discovered my first slug. (gross - although I believe this was at my parent's house, when he was gardening there.) I remember knowing even then how terrible I was at not drenching my shirt or shorts when I watered the plants overenthusiastically, and I remember the smell of the chinese oil he'd used to slather all over himself to keep the bugs away, and how amused he was at how I wanted to water everything, and well, I'm pretty sure my desire to garden in my old age comes from him. There are other disjointed ones, such as making butter in the main room at Franklin Montessori, or the distinct one where there was a picture-thing where you could use food coloring and sponges to make pictures and one obnoxious kid making fun of me for only doing that once I'd moved up from afternoon-nap-kids class, or wandering into my grandma's room upstairs when she was also living with us and watching her rock in the rocking chair, but none are as distinct, or as happy, as those afternoons of learning how to garden. That's the grandfather that I miss, and in a way, sometimes, I wonder if we would have been closer if he had still been able to keep on gardening up until last year.