I can't get it out of my system. Summer is the only time for vacations, and only when school is out, of course. No, all those years teaching in the year-round system didn't change my mind. Summer is vacation time.
Lydia wants to know about vacations when I was a child. Starting in 1956, when I was 9 and Mike was 6, every family vacation was in Gatlinburg. Vacations almost always started the week of July 4th, especially if the 4th was on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. That way Daddy got an extra "vacation" day. We would load the car and start out pretty early in the morning or maybe even the afternoon after work. Packing usually consisted of a suitcase each for Mom, Mike, and me, a cardboard box with the iron, toaster, and maybe waffle iron, and about 20 paper sacks. (Daddy was big on packing in sacks)
The ride down to Gatlinburg was often broken up by a night's stay at Corbin. First it was Yeary's motel, then when we got old enough to enjoy swimming pools, it became the Holiday Motel and later the Holiday Inn. When we stayed at Yeary's, we took a croquet set--mind you we were only there one night, but Daddy wanted us entertained! He would set up the croquet set in the Yeary's front yard. Of course Corbin wasn't the first stop--back in those days, you had to stop for gas ever other town, or so it seemed to me. We were allowed to buy a treat at ever other gas station--fun, fun.
You know, I don't remember but once going to Cumberland Falls! That's probably because Daddy was afraid we'd fall into the river, and Granny was afraid of heights.
For years we stayed at the same place in Gatlinburg, Cox's Moonwink Motor Court. We often had the same little rental unit! That was how Granny knew to pack the iron and toaster--they had an ironing board and toaster, but she liked hers better. Sometimes she even took her electric skillet. Moonwink didn't have its own pool--it had "swimming privileges" at another motel. We could really jam folks into those units--one summer we were already in town and ran into friends of the family on the street. They had two sons around Mike's age and a little daughter, sort of an afterthought (maybe eight years younger than the younger son). Daddy asked them where they were staying and they didn't have a place yet, so he offered to let them stay with us--a three-bedroom unit with 9 folks in it. Do I need to say we were well acquaint by the time they left?
I'll share more on the next post. Start planning YOUR vacations, so that you can make memories for YOUR kids to blog about! And Everett, buy a lottery ticket! I promise you Grandma won't mind. If she does, Grandpa and Granny will set her straight. Love you, and God bless.
16 comments:
okay, no, maybe i don't get the lottery ticket. maybe it's because i moved out and don't get to hear your conversations with everett every thursday night anymore. by the way, everett, did you get my message? when do i get to call?
i think that's cute that you guys packed in paper bags and took a waffle iron. i bet uncle mike packed funny stuff in his suitcase. no, i take that back. i bet granny packed your suitcases for you.
i love shopping in gas stations, too. i get really excited about it on trips. i always like to look for the most ridiculous item in the store.
I'm planning a vacation for March (spring break for Jamie) for me and Jamie to take an Amtrak to see Joel in NYC. It will take two days to ride the train, with something like a 10 hour layover in Chicago. So that will be fun. We're excited about it.
Your vacation sounds neat! We never took any vacations when I was a child, so I'm making sure I get to make vacation memories with Jamie.
Hugs and kisses to all of Clan Meadors!
HOld on, I wanted to comment--YES!!! How cool is it that you all stayed over night in Corbin--only minutes away from MY Daddy when you were growing up. I wonder if you actually ever saw each other as children before you met. I just think that's super cool!! Just like I was in Richmond a year before I met Geron.
VACATION VACATION VACATION VACATION
I'm wondering if I say it or think it enough I'll actually get a real one before August. We'll see. I imagine in the next year or so you'll be cramming 8 people into a little place in Gatlinburg. Let's try for something bigger, though, shall we? Love you MOM!
Jamie and I are thinking of takinga vacation up north somewhere this summer where it isn't so hot. But it has to be someplace we've never been.... And we love water, so that might have to play into wherever we take a vacation...Any suggestions?
Oh, and art museums! I remember once when I was 11 or 12, Joel and I visited Dad wherever he was living at the time, and we got to go see an exhibit of artifacts from the tomb of Ramses the great. That was so awesome! Joel and I wandered around the whole day while Dad was at work. That was my favorite time we ever had at Dad's. In fact, that exhibit is what got me interested in ancient Egyptian history and tombs. I still have a book (fiction) I bought that day, and I still read it once a year or two.
I don't know where MOnkey Mama came from. I was thinking another good name for your blog would be
"Tooz's News" or "News from Tooz". If you get bored of being a monkey's mama, you could change to the above...No, I didn't say that, really. How would you ever get bored of being a monkey's mama? I mean, Everett is always up to something new. (Ha!ha! just joking)
The only reason why I'm not pestering you about posting is because I know you've forgotten your password. But the minute you get home from Ann's and get settled, we expect to see some new blog postings! LOL
Love ya!
AND YOU! Just because you've been spending all this time with your "monkey baby" doesn't give you an excuse for not posting. She has a computer at her home, too. I don't buy the password bit for a minute. Not one minute. YOu get busy and start blogging. Don't make me whoop you!
LOL!
Well, Lydia, she got what she deserved. That'll teach her to go see one daughter and not the other. She's stranded in Nashville - can't even leave when she wants to! So, now she'll have to come get stranded in Chattanooga, just to be even. LOL
I miss you, Tooz!
mommy, aren't you home yet? i've been hanging curtains and they look really pretty.
Dear family and friends, I am home now. Thank you for all your prayers and support. And by the way, I did know a baby once who looked just like a monkey, but it surely wasn't any of my brood! FYI, I consider myself the monkey in this group!
Monkey Mama needs to blog now that she is home. Well, I guess she should probably spend some quality time with Monkey Daddy first, but then she needs to blog.
'Kay, Mom. I gave you some time. Now you're home. Blog.
TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZZZZZZ!!!
Where are youuuuuuuuuuu???
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