264/365 day 10: childhood memory

I've been thinking about today's subject since I first read the list for the challenge. I knew today would be a difficult one to accomplish. Not because I can't think of any childhood memories. But because they are so hard to translate into a current photo.

I thought of Sunday afternoon drives with my parents and sister, walks in the woods or along the lake, cross country skiing with my family, going to the sand dunes with my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. My dad reading to my sister and I before school each morning. Helping my grandma in her garden, picking raspberries or snapping the ends off bowls of green beans. Feeding the ducks with my other grandparents or my grandpa taking my sister and me for ice cream downtown. Spending the night with either set of grandparents. Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthday celebrations. Trips to Chicago or Mackinac Island. Summer camp and VBS. Youth group retreats and lock ins. Talking about life and God in the car or on the sail boat with my dad. My dad playing the guitar and singing to my sister and me. Riding bikes to my friend's houses or around the lake. Going to the beach and running through the sprinklers. Sleep overs with friends.

And then, as I was driving to the store yesterday, I thought about Bargain Hunter. And Teresa. Teresa and I have known each other for 33 years now. She is and has always been my best friend. And she is a part of most of my childhood memories. Our husbands hate to play Taboo with us because one of us will say “remember that one time at camp where Anne found a....” and the other will fill in “dead body!” and we'll totally win the game. Bargain Hunter was Teresa's game. I didn't own it. So we played it at her house. Fairly often. And we'd get a bit competitive about it. I'm not sure who started it (I think I did but Teresa will have to weigh in) but Bargain Hunter is where the talking toaster was born. And it still carries on today.

This is the card I got on Saturday with a gift she sent me. This wouldn't mean a thing to anyone else but I literally laughed out loud when I opened it.

I didn't think a gift tag was especially exciting so I am posting a 2nd photo. This is another game we played with another friend, Kim. Kim was ruthless at Monopoly and always beat us, badly.

I still don't own Bargain Hunter but we got it out a few years ago when we were visiting Teresa and her family. We felt the need to introduce Emaleigh to the game. If anyone has it, I will buy it from you! LOL. I think I'll put it on my Christmas list this year......