roller derby memories

As I have mentioned before, I had a great upbringing.  My New England parents packed us up and moved us to "the country" so we could have trees and fields and space.  It was terrific.  Seriously, like out-of-a-book kind of good.

My technicians in my classroom have now taken to saying, "Tell us another story of your childhood, Miss Karen." So, I tell them about sliding down frozen streams, jumping off bridges to go swimming, making forts in the woods, and so much more.  Then I feel my spirit sigh as I lean back in my chair and give a big stretch.

Then today I walked over to my friend's house to see the decon/recon-struction going on in her 70-year old basement.  Wide open, bare cement, with just the weight-bearing poles visible.  And flash, it is 1971, and I am in my basement, roller skating with my cute 98-lb mom.  We whipped around our indoor track and she held our hands and we laughed and fell and got up and did it again.

I came back across the street to my house and felt all warm and thankful and full of love.

23 comments

Brianne | February 3, 2011 at 4:54 PM

Wait... did you grow up in VA? Where?

Anonymous | February 3, 2011 at 5:39 PM

Your mom sounds like a great mom. I remember roller skating in the unfinished basement and those were some great times. =]

Kazzy | February 3, 2011 at 5:50 PM

Bri- Northern VA. Manassas. Know it?

Welcome to the Garden of Egan | February 3, 2011 at 6:48 PM

Great memory!
I sorta had a vision of you in pads and doin' the smack down on some burley hairy woman.
Glad you gave a good decription of your mom.

Uh, cassette player in my car is a thingie I put into my ipod so I can listen to music.
But my car is OLD. Doesn't have a CD player thingie in it.

Connie | February 3, 2011 at 7:06 PM

What a great memory. Will your friend let your relive that memory in her basement?

Julie | February 3, 2011 at 8:33 PM

Manassas? We were neighbors (almost). Fairfax is my hometown. Your post sent me back in time and I ended up in my own patch of heaven in the woods behind my childhood home. Glory days, indeed.

*~Petra~* | February 3, 2011 at 8:46 PM

We were neighbors too... sort of. I grew up in Silver Spring Maryland... from the age of 10 till about 4 years ago when I moved to Utah.

What lovely memories. :)

TisforTonya | February 3, 2011 at 9:37 PM

awesome - I remember roller skating in the basement of a friends' church a few times while visiting California... then I spent 5 years on crutches and didn't roller skate again until the day at BYU we roller skated around the HFAC early in the morning. (and then got out of there QUICK when other people showed up!)

Mrs4444 | February 3, 2011 at 10:07 PM

We skated in our basement, too! How fun. Most people, I suppose, can't relate, since it seems like most parts of the country don't have basements! What a blessing; to have such fond memories. I'm happy for you.

The Way I See It | February 3, 2011 at 11:19 PM

What fond memories. I giggled and smiled picturing your cute Mom roller-skating with you. Then I remembered our unfinished basement in our previous house (now yours) and our current house, and how the kids wrote on the cement floors with sidewalk chalk, rode skateboards, bikes, and who knows what else, and had so much fun.

LisAway | February 4, 2011 at 1:13 AM

What a great flashback moment. I love remembering my childhood, too. Makes you grateful and want to make your own children's meaningful, too.

CiCi | February 4, 2011 at 5:49 AM

Oh my gosh you made me cry just reading about the way your mom played with you and laughed and held your hands while skating. I am so happy for your memories and thanks for sharing them.

Becca | February 4, 2011 at 7:29 AM

I love this post. I lived in VA until I was 7 and remember loving our basement (yes we roller skated)but most of all, I remember being with my brother and sisters down there and how something as simple as playing house in the basement was a foundation to the great friends we are now.

Becca | February 4, 2011 at 9:43 AM

Hey! Hey! Me, too. I used to rollerskate in the concrete basement, too!

Barbaloot | February 4, 2011 at 9:58 AM

How cool! That reminds me of when we go to my family's ranch in Wyoming. The bridge jumping has always been my favorite:)

Kimberly Vanderhorst | February 4, 2011 at 12:52 PM

I have a similar memory from my childhood. Suddenly I'm feeling mindful and wanting to give a similar gift to my girls...

CB | February 4, 2011 at 9:56 PM

That is a great memory!! You do sound like you had the ideal childhood - very cool!! I love it when something random triggers a memory!

Erin | February 4, 2011 at 11:07 PM

I finally got caught up on your blog. Sorry about the falling through of the major thing. Your boys sound like all is going well in their lives. Peanut M&Ms to me are like Dots to you :)

Heather | February 5, 2011 at 3:44 AM

We did that too!!! Good memories. We would turn our record player on and have our our roller rink.

Lanie | February 5, 2011 at 3:12 PM

Love this post, what great memories...after reading it I felt all warm and fuzzy. I'm so lucky to be your mom. Love you.

Robin | February 5, 2011 at 4:09 PM

You have great memories.

I used to rollerskate in someone's basement. Can't remember whose. It was fun though.

Melanie Jacobson | February 5, 2011 at 6:28 PM

You make me wish I had grown up with a basement. But it probably would have been too much for my overactive imagination.

I love the way you evoke a mood with so few words.

Charlotte | February 6, 2011 at 5:05 PM

That does sound wonderful!