Friday, July 20, 2007

My Childhood Home

Owl Haven is having everyone share their childhood home memory today.

Lassen Sie uns zu gehen Stück
At the time I didn't know what those words meant, but they came out of the mouths of all my neighbors. Now I know they were asking me to come out and play but at the time my dad got stationed in Germany when I was almost 6 years old I hadn't a clue what those German words meant. Within weeks of moving my dad got deployed so there Mom and I were in a new country. I made friends really fast because I didn't care if I knew what they were saying at all. There was a park behind our house and that is all that mattered.

I have a very clear memory of our house, it was two story and they were all side by side, as my parents chose to live in town instead of on the military base. My mom had a german dictionary and knew a few words, but not much. After my dad was deployed it was only a week and I guess she was going stir crazy, I remember her getting out the German dictionary and next door to the landlady's house we went. I guess I wasnt enough of a conversationalist to entertain Mom. I recall her and the landlord sitting on the couch each with a dictionary, and having a great time learning from each other. It didn't matter that I didn't speak German me and the landlady's daughter clicked. We would play onn the playground for hours, running home only when the need for the bathroom got so great that we almost didn't make it. It didn't matter that I didn't know what they were saying we played.

My bedroom was yellow holly hobby, with lots of lace it was right at the top of the stairs. I still to this day recall waking up and seeing dad help mom down the stairs (9 months pregnat) the landlord came to stay with me. I remember my baby brother with his bright red hair laying in the basket in the living room.

I remember a little boy from the neighborhood being fasinated with my long blond hair and twirling it around his fingers until his fingers got stuck and his mom and my mom had to cut a little bit of my hair.

There was a corner store a block or so that served fresh bread and orange marmelade. We lived in Germany for 6 years. I picked up a lot more German words in that time frame, and several more friends. I always remember how relaxed life felt, whether it was the country, or the age I was I don't know but I remember feeling secure and happy.

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5 comments:

Unknown said...

I am always fascinated with you.

Summer Owens said...

The part about the little boy getting your hair stuck around his fingers made me chuckle.
I lived in Germany for a month as an exchange student when I was 14 and I just loved it. I dream of going back and living abroad awhile someday.

ellen b. said...

What a wonderful experience to live in a foreign country for a time. I'm hungry for some of that fresh bread and marmalade!
http://happywonderer.wordpress.com/

Owlhaven said...

What an adventure!

Mary

BarnGoddess said...

what a great memory!