30 days to 50 years

One month from today I turn 50.  While many people dread the major milestone birthdays (especially this one) I am feeling pretty good about it. I have so much in my life to be thankful for and am looking forward to the years that lie ahead. (Plus I am planning a really fun birthday celebration in December with my best friend, who is also turning 50 this year. That in itself is a reason to be excited about this particular birthday).  I decided as a sort of countdown to my birthday, over the next thirty days  I would write about the 30 most memorable people, places or things of my 50 years of living.   I guess the first thing to write about is my family--two parents and one older sister.  These were the people who formed my first memories and who, thankfully, will be around to help me celebrate next month.
I grew up in a small town in the 70's, which means it was the best of times as far as childhoods go. My mom was a stay at home mom and, until I was in middle school, made all of our clothes.  (Let's just say I put my foot down during middle school and refused to put on another piece of hand sewn clothing!!)

Yep, this was a typical picture---our homemade dresses and our short hair (our parents didn't like long hair).  This is adorable when you are 4 or 6 or 8, but not so much those later years when fashion is EVERYTHING!  
We took vacations every year, but they were rarely planned. My dad did not believe in making reservations so on several occasions we simply drove and drove until we could find a motel (yes, that's right, I said MOTEL) that had a vacancy.  This was often how we decided where our vacation would be.  
Other times our location would be chosen based on its proximity to  aircraft carriers or battleships that were open to tourists. (My dad is a huge WWII buff.) As I have gotten older I have come to appreciate these history themed vacations.  So much so that my own family vacations are often filled with historical side trips.
  Let's just say that in my childhood,  we always started our vacations with great "wonderment", (translation: We "wondered" where we might end up!)
This is all of us circa 1976.  Olan Mills..  Big collars. Bangs,aka "wings"
I was a middle schooler in this photo. 
Would I rather go back to this age than turn 50??......umm that is a no brainer.  Heck to the no!!    
I am thankful for my parents, my sister and my childhood.  
Thus completes the first of my  30 memories.




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