Sunday 25 May 2014

Those were the days . . .


(source)  

I can remember when summer seemed to last so long that you got bored and could hardly wait to get back to school, can you?  Those were the days!  The very worst thing we could say to my mother (and we learned this very quickly) was . . . "I'm bored!"  She would soon find something for us to do and we were not going to like it!  

We weren't allow to stay indoors if it wasn't raining.  We were supposed to be outside playing.   we'd go out in the morning with the only instructions to be back by dinner time.  (We had our big meal at noon.) We also had to be within shouting distance.

I lived on an air force base, in what was affectionately called the PMQ's, which was short for Permanent Married Quarters.  This was during the post war baby boom, so everyone had a lot of children, and we all used to hang out together basically.  We would spend hours playing games like frozen tag, or red rover red rover . . .  red light/green light, etc.  Basically we all just got along, and nobody was left out.  

  

We used our imaginations a lot in those days.  There were no video games and there wasn't a lot on television for children any ways . . .  not that my mother would have ever let us stay in the house on a sunny day to watch it if there had been!  We had to make our own fun.     

I made mud pies, and ran through sprinklers, swung on swings, rode my bike for miles and miles on our quiet gravelled streets, played house, picked wild berries,  climbed trees, drank cool aid from coloured metal tumblers (nothing ever tasted so good or so refreshing), ate home made popsicles on plastic sticks (God forbid you lost one!), read more books than you could shake a stick at, picked wild flowers and made daisy chains and necklaces out of gum wrappers, caught fireflies and chased butterflies . . .   

  

There was no money for such things as holidays.   The closest we ever got to going on a holiday would be one or two days at the local beach, which in our case was on the shores of Lake Winnipeg.  I can't remember my mother ever putting sun screen on us.  We got sun burnt and mosquito bitten, skinned our elbows and skinned our knees, ran and jumped and climbed and just enjoyed seemingly endless days of summer sun shine until we ran out of things to do, or until we got bored of just having fun and began to look forward to school beginning again at the end of summer.  Life was simple, and easy . . . uncomplicated and fun.  

Each day was an adventure, even if it we only did the same things which we had done the day before.  Nobody was a trouble maker or up to no good.   You would never have gotten away with it if you did any ways, because everybody knew everybody else and sure as sure could be . . .  if you had gotten up to some mischief, your parents would be told and there'd be hell to pay at home . . . or extra chores, or confinement to your bedroom, etc.  a fate worse than death itself . . .   We didn't "do" exercise . . . life was exercise.

  

I feel almost sorry for children today.   They are growing up in a very different world.  They are not as safe as we were I don't think.  Parents are much more afraid.  We were told not to talk to strangers, or to take candy from strangers . . . but we knew what a stranger was back then.   Everyone was familiar to us, and we didn't just have one mum and one dad, we had a whole neighbourhood of mums and dads.  Mums would put their babies outside in their prams to get fresh air, and go on about cleaning their houses, only checking on baby from time to time to see if all was well . . . and it usually was.   

Nobody got abducted or stolen.  I am sure bad things did happen from time to time, but it never touched my world.  Most people had a faith and a conscience.  Nobody was plugged in and tuned out.  We were all connected, and much happier for it.  There were very few bullies. If there was a bully their parents would be told and they'd be punished in most cases.  We just plain got along with each other.  If you were lonely, it was because you chose to be and if you had an invisible friend, you were considered a bit of a nutter!  Our social network consisted of two tin cans at either ends of a rope.  And there again . . . the things we could do with a tin can and a rope . . .  were seemingly endless.   A new ball, big or small . . . brought a glint of delight into any child's eye, and a tin can was an opportunity to play kick the can . . .  and everybody knew how to jump a rope.

Those really were the days . . .   

  

I managed to have the chance to do another painting yesterday afternoon.  I had found this quote (attributed to nobody) on Pinterest and this is what came out.   I loved the quote.  Will it do???

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .   

__/ '\__☆.• R℮ÅCℍ ℉Ớґ Ṱℏ℮ SṰ✫Åя$ •.
☆ `'*☆*´ *☆* Δᾔℊ℮ḽ *☆*
  /.•*•.\¸ ☆ Δᾔ Ḏ ☆ Ð R℮Δ Ḿ ☆

“The true way to live is 
to enjoy every moment as it passes, 
 and surely it is in the everyday things around us 
 that the beauty of life lies.”
 ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

 *☆**☆**☆**☆**☆**☆**☆**☆*

 photo SAM_5018_zps8a51acdb.jpg 

Baking in The English Kitchen today . . . Doughnut Muffins.   This is the best version of doughnut muffins I have ever baked.   Seriously.  Very good.

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 ═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════     

Have a truly blessed and wonderful Sunday!


 

9 comments:

  1. Hay memories Marie, for sure we had much more freedom than todays children. I often wonder where all this fear of the unknown came from. I am sure there were "odd" men ot there when I was young. Mum would say to stay away from them and never to go of with anyone it wa sjust n unwritten rule..but we certainly didn't fear anyone...I am so sorry for the bairns and their arents today. I have just been watching a lay area on TV where children play in roughly made play things..like boxes iled high with mattress to land upon, they are allowed access to hammers to hammer in nails in bits of wood etc etc thing we might vwell have done without even thinking about it..some parents were asked their opinions and were horrified...they said who was responsible if anythig happend ? the man who organside it all said the children themselves ha dto become used to risk...asked about health and safety ! he said that health and safety actually encourages childern to be able to take risks...I think we need much more of this kind of lay area...
    Hope you have a lovely day..looks a bit thundery around here had very heavy rain overnight...

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  2. sorry for the missing P's in the above if i don't bang on the p sign it fails to show !!!! so add the p where missing LOL

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  3. Have a good day Marie. I am a few years younger than you and I have to say children were abducted, murdered and abused around here.

    God bless and look after those who have suffered such abuse and those left to cope.

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  4. That's okay Sybil. I speak computerese!! I am sure there were bad people when I was growing up, but it was such a rarity that nobody worried overly much about it. There was not the fear which exists today and health and safety was non existent. Common sense prevailed!

    I don't think it existed in Canada for the most part Suzan. I can remember hearing of one girl being murdered the whole time I was grown up. And the guy that did it was caught and jailed. We just didn't worry much about that kind of thing. If there was abuse, it wasn't spoken about I guess!

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  5. The Moors Murders began the year I was born, so I think we were perhaps watched closer than we would have been. It didn't stop us playing out, we just had the safety advice drummed into us all the more. Like you, I lived in an area where there were lots of other children about, and we would play in one huge group. Happy times.

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  6. You've just put my childhood into words Marie. I think it was definitely more laid back then. I was lucky enough to live by the sea and we would go all through the summer holidays and weekends during school time. We would even find plenty of things to do when the tide was in! The only thing my mum would say to me was....don't talk to strangers and cross at the zebra crossing! Wonderful times. Oh Marie I just adore your picture, I love them all but this is one of my favourites. Much love xxx

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  7. We did live in simpler times for sure and I think they were all good. It's good to encourage a child's imagination and the free times of just being a child at play do just that. I love to see my grandchildren playing and making up games on their own. Tis sad we live in a world today where we always have to be on the look out as far a safety is concerned with the little ones. It's been a beautiful weekend here and I'm spending lots of family time with all going on here. Hope you are having some good weather there too.

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  8. I am so happy my small ones play outside..the parents have encouraged this..
    The three across the strret are always on their bicycles in their crescent.. paly hockey ..street hockey....2 of them do like computer games..but outdoors activities are what they do most:) Our 4th one..is so buys doing everything.. and he is the one..who is never in front of the computer at all.
    Was life easier back then?
    Well I can honestly say I was so bullied because of my weight back then..I can't agree..
    Awful...they were just awful,
    There I said it..
    :)
    Hope they heard me.
    Have a great day Marie..

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  9. Those Moors murders were terrible Tracey. I am sure such evil always existed, and perhaps we hear more about it today and we didn't years ago.

    Also I always lived in very small communities. I never lived it a city so my experience was limited by that existance. Also living on air bases we were somewhat safer in many ways.

    Thank you Katey! I don't always like my pictures straight away, but this time I did.

    Pam, I, too feel sad about the world my grandchildren are growing up in. It is better in many ways, but not as good in many others. I suppose perhaps our grandparents felt the same way about us? I don't know!

    Monique, my heart feels sad that you were ever teased or bullied. You are such a lovely sweet and gentle spirit. Pooh on those hard of hearts that could be so cruel to such a sweet flower as you. It was their loss. I am glad that your grands are able to play outside. You do not see many children playing outside in our neighborhood. I love to walk by the schools at break times and hear the kids at play. Such a cheerful sound! xx

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