Childhood memories.....

Do you have early childhood memories? How far back is your first recollection of something that happened to you as a child?

I shared one of my first recollections in a previous post. At four years old, I remember very vividly ringing the doorbell over and over to play the "Little Red Riding Hood game" I invented. I remember also going to a nursery school where there was a huge pecan tree in the yard that I did not like the nuts to eat but loved picking them up. We took our rest time naps on rag rugs.


I have this box of memories which contains some of my clothes from my childhood. There are a number of my baby dresses, my first patent leather shoes, little canvas tennis shoes and two dresses from my time in England.

I was asked by my dear friend Mary about living in England. I had not told her I had lived there and she is originally from there but living in America. I lived there with my family while my father was stationed at an Air Force base. We did not live on the base. I still recall the house we lived in and was able to point out which it was when we returned once.


I attended the English Yateley Infant school. I was 5 years old and they decided to place me in first grade instead of kindergarten. I remember walking with my mother from our house to this school. I remember going out the double doors in the classroom to play outside. I remember we got a school patch to wear on our uniform the next year. I never got to wear it as we had to return to America.

This is a little knit dress that my mother bought for me then. It has always been saved in that special box.


My mother also bought me this little kilt which I see from the tag is Marks & Spencers. It should have a kilt pin in it. I remember what happened to that pin...

Years later, when I was 16 years old, my mother took my brother and I back to England to visit my English mum and dad. That became a trip we will all three never forget! The memories we made there are still extremely vivid for us. My mother and I laugh about many of the things we did on the trip regularly. One of the places we visited was Edinburgh. We went to a tartan shop and I was allowed to pick out an authentic Scottish kilt. I remember the kilt well as I picked the brown plaid. We looked up the Smith clan tartan but I did not want the bright blue pattern after having fallen in love with this brown one. The kilt did not have a kilt pin and I knew I had one in this little kilt from my childhood. I took it off and used it on my new kilt but it has disappeared sadly with that kilt.

My mother passed along her love of England to me Mary. Living in Holland, I took advantage of being close and made many visits there. I have also added to those memories returning with my mother a number of times since. We love it there and always seem to have very special times when there.

I have seen so many beautiful things and have had the advantage of being able to experience Yorkshire in a special way because of our special friends (well we consider them more family). I keep saying I want to be taken and buried in Haworth when I leave this world. Just one of my favorite places in Beautiful England!