Flashback 1983-1984
Curious as to what my life was like when I was Anastasia’s age, I emailed my Mom. She consulted her 3 calendars that she kept that year. One calendar was strictly for gardening. Mr. Roop tilled up a large portion of our backyard each year. Mom received a sliver to pant whatever she wanted. Of course when she planted flowers, Mr. Roop complained. He preferred that she plant all tomatoes and peppers like him.
Anyway, we got our cat Dusty October of 1982. We so named her because she hid under our stove where it was dusty. She was also the color gray like dust. She was moody even as a kitten, but it grew worse as she aged. Ten years later, in 1992, she was put down due to distemper.
Mom was on unemployment, but she babysat for Jessi and Grant Montgomery. She was also watched Tony, Tina and Teresa King occasionally. She also watched Grant Hutchinson in November. Then she got her job at TJ’s Grocery store (by Fisher Big Wheel) in December.
Grandma watched me some, as did Rose King. Sonia watched me as well. I didn’t like that Sonia favored her daughter over me. I was confined to a tiny playroom and not allowed to watch TV. I guess since it was December it was reasonable not to be able to go outside either. I was just so bored at her house! Sonia’s daughter and I listened to the audio book Pinocchio and listened to the Chipmunks singing on tape. And that was about it. My fondest memory was of helping Sonia make Christmas cookies. I remember getting in trouble because I dilly-dallied on the way to her house after school one day. I put off getting there because I preferred playing outside in the snow to her watching me!
Lori Johnson (now Lori Dick) began watching me in April of 1984. I loved visiting her grandfather’s (Fackler?) farm out on State Road. Or was it London East or Ganges? I am not sure now. Anyway, I loved playing in the barn in the loft with the kittens. The cows would lick my toes as I climbed the ladder! I hated store bought milk, but loved milk fresh from the farm. Lori’s Mom got all excited when the Pastor came to visit on spring day. Lori did my hair up all in curls, but then I went outside to swing on the tree swing and all the curls got messed up!
Lori’s cousin liked me. He lived next door in the ranch style house that was all dark inside. Lori also babysat me at his house and my house. Lori fell asleep one evening watching Down To Earth and the original V. V scarred the crap out of me, but hey, I was only 7 years old!
Anyway, both Tyler and Stacy were born in 1983. Tyler Lykins was born March 12th and Stacy Wilcox May 20th.
Apparently, my Dad came to visit on March 16, 1983. Mom and I had dinner with Dad, Lana and Carol.
Mom went to my school play on March 11, 1983. I took Ballet lessons that year. We did little Orphan Annie for our recital on June 10th and 11th. It was a lot of fun. Mom said I was absolutely adorable.
I missed the last week of 1st Grade due to the Chicken Pox. That summer I participated in the Library’s Summer Reading Program. Also I read from my Weekly Reader Magazines. I took swimming lessons at Seltzer Pool in Shelby. I attended the Hoak reunion on August 7th that year. I also went with Mom to Malabar Farm to their Ohio Heritage Days in September, which I enjoyed.
Great Grandma Faith Hoak went into Richland Hospital that year. She had problems with her “nerves” and was often depressed. Today she might have been diagnosed as Bi-Polar. I know this because I too am Bi-Polar. Anyway, Great Grandma received shock treatments a long time ago. I am not sure what her course of treatment was in 1983 though.
I went with my 1st Grade teacher, Mrs. Racer, to OSU that summer. She brought Jessi Montgomery and me along as part of her class project. We were in the computer lab in the Bromfield Library.
The fall of 1983, my 2nd grade year, I had a class field trip to the Shelby Museum and Fire Station. There was a Chili Super at my school. John and Vickie Eckleberry had a Halloween Hay Ride and Cookout. I sang in the First Christian Church Xmas program. I must have gone to the Columbus Zoo on another field trip in the spring of 1984.
I was friends with Shelly Brown. I used to go down to her maroon colored half-a-double on 2nd Street. Her parents watched The Howling on TV and I was scared by it! Mostly, I remember playing upstairs in Shelly’s room with her little sister. We played Barbies and we played outside a bit as well. There was a small cluster of trees at the back edge of her backyard. There were toys and trash scattered back there among the leaves. Shelly moved shortly after that. We lost touch after 2nd grade I think. I didn’t even really talk to her much when we met up again in 1992 in Mr. Secrest’s Basic Math 2 class.
So there you have, what my life was like at age 7. Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me. 🙂
carilynn27 