Throw Back Post- 27 Years Ago

The other day I was thinking of how I'm starting to forget a lot of things... obviously as I'm getting older my brain is making room for a lot more memories. But there is lots of things that I don't want to forget, so I hope to be starting a Throw Back Memory post, so that at least this is down in writing.

Today I'm throwing it back to 1988. I was 5 going into 6 and living with my Grandparents, close to their farm. Their house in a way, was a farm house. Here are my memories of living there.

My Grandfather woke up at 5:30 am, he didn't have an alarm. He woke up to the roosters wake up call. He took the cows to feed out in his farm, or to check his corn, or whatever was in season.

My Grandmother woke up shortly after to make his breakfast. Then around 6:30, she woke me up. We needed to go to El Molino to get our Nixtamal (cooked corn), turned into Masa ( our tortilla dough), and they closed at 7:00am.




She used to make me a shake for breakfast. A cup of milk (She would warm it up for me), one raw egg, one banana, a spoon of honey, chocolate mix and a pinch of cinnamon. And it was my grandmother who gave me my first taste of coffee. *** I need to take a moment to point out that the milk had been fresh milked off a cow the night before, in the back yard, pasteurized by my Grandmother, eggs picked fresh from her chickens)



We made our tortillas while listening to some Radio Program called Kaliman, a radio show.... I think that's where my fondness for audiobooks comes from.



After we were done making tortillas, we packed up a lunch for my grandfather and take it out to him in the farm. A 3 mile walk to his farm later, we shared our warm delicious lunch under a tree, next to his land.

On the walk back home, I was lucky, I could get a popsicle from the store.

After I helped clean up the kitchen, and the dishes, I was allowed to watch cartoons. I vaguely remember liking Thunder Cats, Denise The Menace, Snoopy, Dungeons and Dragons, She-Ra, He-Man.



Around 3 my Grandfather came home to eat our Meal, which is eaten at 3:30.

My Grandfather had a buggy type horse drawn vehicle. He made it himself, with help from my cousins. He also rode his horse when he was bringing in the Cows. He broke his leg when I was 8, when he fell off his horse.

After Meal Time, I had to feed the chickens, and collect eggs. I also had to feed the cats milk, left overs and tortillas. And on Laundry day, I had to help my grandmother with hanging up the clothes to dry. I was responsible for my own clothes, even though I was 5, going into 6, she held me accountable for washing my own stuff. And I had to wash them by hand.

My Grandmother had a two huge gardens, I was allowed to play in them, as long as I was gentle to all the plants and collected any fruit ready for pick up.

Some days, we also had to go feed my Great Grandmother Angelina. Who was not always very nice to my Grandmother. But when it was her turn, she packed her a meal, a small dessert and we went up the hill to take her Meal to her.

When I think back to being 5 or 6, I only remember when I lived with my grandparents, not much else. That just goes to show how much I enjoyed those experiences. It makes me sad to think that My son doesn't know how to do half of the things I did at his age. So time to make memories at the Grandparents!

What do you remember of when you were 5 or 6? Memories of helping out at home? Grandparents Memories?

Comments

  1. Oooh, I love hearing about childhood memories! It's funny the little details we remember, yes? That is really cool that your family got food right from the backyard. You can't get any fresher than that! And I love that you made your own tortillas, too. I don't have a lot of memories at age 5 or 6 other than going to kindergarten and playing with other kids. Nothing nearly as interesting at home as your experiences!

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    1. Thank you Emily! I don't know why, but those memories are the ones that have really stuck with me ! Plus some vague memories of walking to kindergarten.

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  2. I used to watch She-Ra! :)

    My 5-6 yr old memories are mostly from school. I could tell you a lot about Kindergarten and First Grade. I am sure I *remember* stuff from at home, but I have no clue how old I was. It all runs together.

    Grandparents are the best. Luckily, my dad's parents lived right in town so we would spend a lot of time at their house and they baby-sat us a lot. I remember my grandma forcing us to say our prayers and I HATED it because our family was not religious and didn't go to church. Yet my grandma was making me say these weird prayers? I know she meant well, but it felt so awkward to me. Poor gma. :)

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    1. Megan, my grandmother did the same! Forced me to
      Say my prayers. It is because of her
      And in her memory that I observe Lent.

      Have you tried to watch She-Ra since ? I tried it... And it was weird. Definitely made for the 1980s.

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  3. This sounds like the most awesome life ever. Maybe a wee bit earlier than I like to get up, but all the fresh food and being so close to your grandparents. That's just wonderful.

    I actually feel like I don't remember much of my childhood, which is odd. I'm sure if I sat down and meditated on it, details would come to me. But everything just feels like a big mix, like all my childhood memories happened at once!

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    1. Thank you Ali! It was a pretty awesome time! I cried so much when I had to go back to my parents.

      It's very interesting that you don't remember, I can separate things by which grade I was in. Some are clearer than others.

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