"A grownup is a child with layers on.''
- Woody Harrelson
Peeling back the layers.
When we lived on Cooks Road, I was fortunate enough to have a "play room" right off the kitchen. Mama and Daddy had also allowed me to use the little room at the back of the garage to play in. Once when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, the twins, Sherri and Terri came over to spend the day and play. It was their first time at our house and after I had showed them around and we had played some everywhere I usually played, they inquired "What is that, back there?" They were talking about a very old wooden shed. Part of it was open and part of it closed in. There were even a couple of windows in the closed in part. It sat in part of Jenny's pasture and Daddy kept some of his stuff for plowing out under the open part.
Nothing would do them, but we go back there and take a look around. They got so excited when they realized the little room had windows, and asked if we could clean it up and make it a club house. We started in doing what we could do. Soon we had to make a trip to the house to ask Mama for some supplies to help us get it in tip top shape. When she heard what we were up to, she was flabbergasted! She said we had no business there as it was summer and there could be snakes out there. All three of us set in to telling her how much we already had done and how wonderful it would be. She finally came outside with us, to inspect just what we were in and how things were. Probably because it was clear we had already been all over the room and had done so much already, Mama gave in and let us continue. We worked hard that day! My first time doing real housework! We were hot, sweat and dusty from the dirt floor. Yet, we were so proud of what we accomplished! I think we had about 30 minutes to admire and enjoy all of our hard work before the twins had to leave. No one ever went back to our amazing club house, either.
What is the biggest endeavor you undertook as a young child?
Did you and your friends have a club house?
Thanks for sharing!
Barbara
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| Mama bought a set of jacks and taught me how to play. Created a connected memory from her childhood to mine. |
Wow! All that work and you never went back?! I think I would have been out there every day. We had a playhouse when I was little. It was out in the back yard and had been someone's home. It was one of those tiny homes that ranchers/farmers had for their workers. It was probably about eight feet long and maybe five feet wide. We played and played out there every day, especially in the summer (it was under a huge shade tree so it was cooler there). My mom would even let us take sandwiches and a pitcher of Kool-Aid with us! Lots of fun!
ReplyDeleteWell, I did have two other places to play, where all my stuff was and when I was outside alone, I preferred the San Augustine grass under the shady trees. I like your memory a lot! Thanks for sharing it.
DeleteMy granny had an old wooden garage that didn't have anything in it but some old tools. My cousin and I loved playing in it and pretending it was the biggest house for our dolls. Of course we also had to check for snakes and spiders before we played in it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great place to play!
DeleteWell, bummer you never had friends over again to enjoy the clubhouse.
ReplyDeleteNo one who wanted to play back there. Everyone wanted to stay op at the house where the toys and things were.
DeleteWhat a fun memory! I would have loved a club house like that!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deb. It was a good day.
DeleteThe four of us built a playhouse out of chairs and blankets on the patio of our townhouse. The only drawback was that it had to come down every night. :)
ReplyDeleteWho says city kids can't have fun too!
DeleteNo, no clubhouses. We used to make haunted houses, though. In a bedroom. Long story.
ReplyDeleteEwe, creepy cool!
DeleteThat so reminds me of the time my brother Joel and I set up for a magic show to give my parents, but it never materialized. We worked all day on it before a youth group function at church. I think we were too tired when we got home to perform. Good memories.
ReplyDeleteTwitter @beyondsad2016
www.therealdaniel.com
Sounds like the two of you enjoyed yourselves and that's what really matters.
DeleteWe didn't have a clubhouse when I was growing up. That would have been fun though! My grandkids liked to put a blanket over the table and play under there!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I used to put blankets across the pool table and let little Bubba play under it. Then he and Hannah would create a network of blanket tunnels connected by the furniture in the living room.
DeleteOnce I went to visit my sister (ten years older and already married)in San Antonio. Her landlady had a mobile home in the back yard vacant. So I made it my mission to get it ready to rent. Don't know what happened to it as I never went back before my sister moved.
ReplyDeleteWeren't you the sweet one to do all of that!
DeleteThis reminds me of my A-Z theme at The Ruralhood a couple of a-zs ago. The Waiting Summer http://theruralhood.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html I remember how exhausting and rewarding it was to write.
ReplyDeleteI love your post. Growing up rural meant I had more clubhouses than ribbons for hair. We always had the best time. Great job.
Teresa
Thanks for stopping by Caneyhead, Teresa, and sharing this with me!
DeleteWhat a great memory. And how wonderful you had other dedicated play places so you didn't have to be disappointed when the clubhouse didn't take off. But I bet the spiders and snakes were happy with their cleaned up digs. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they were or not, I never asked them.
DeleteHow cool that your mama let you kids go on with the project. How come none of you ever went back to play in it?
ReplyDeleteThe biggest endeavor that I can think of that I did as a kid, really a young teen, was to climb the tower at Little Mountain, back home in South Carolina. It was definitely a no-no place to be, but that didn't stop up. It was fun and an adventure...and, we didn't get caught. :)
I enjoy reading your childhood memory posts. They are great.
I hope that all is well up there. We're dealing with flooding here tonight. Have a great night!
I'm so glad you are enjoying this theme! Not sure just what the tower at Little Mountain was, but it makes me think of the firetower we'd go out and climb as teens. I suppose I never went back to the shed because most of the kids who came over to play were younger than me, and I don't think Mama or anyone else wanted them so far from the house. And it wasn't too awfully long until the twins moved away. It was more their idea than anything.
DeleteNo, we never had a clubhouse. We liked to sneak into the hay barn and climb on the bails, but we got ran out of there by Papaw if he caught us.
ReplyDeleteI played jacks as a kid. And we invented lots of games too.
I'm enjoying your walk down memory lane.
Sunni
http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/
So glad you are Sunni! There was a barn with hay at my sisters house and we'd sneak out and play in it. They didn't like us to. Afraid we'd tear the bales up, or there'd be spiders and snakes hiding.
DeleteClub-houses were the best. Even if they were just unused parts of the house. I remember playing in a back area of the house. It was essentially a back door room, leading to the outside. There was not much room for storage. Still, I kept a lot of books and cards there and I would sit on the steps and read the books or cards. After a few months, they all seemed kind of damp and smelly. Not a real good place to store cherished items.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad you never went back to your clubhouse. Sounds like it had the making of a fun time.
Your own little spot! Shame things were so damp there. I suppose there just weren't enough older kids around to go out there with me. Most of the kids who were around the house were younger.
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