I was looking at this old picture today and remembering just how much I loved doing this as a child. I would get bored and my Mawmaw would ask if I wanted to go outside. She would make herself a glass of sweet tea and grab some plastic bowls and butter dishes. We would head outside. As I look closer now I realize I had a baking sheet (the wooden board), a microwave (the cardboard box), and an oven (the cinder block). I notice all my rows of perfect dirt pies or cakes. Now I understand how peaceful this must have been for my grandmother to just sit and watch and drink her tea in peace and quiet. She was probably smoking a cigarette too knowing her.
Another past time I remember is her taking me fishing on Lake Bistineau and we would get bait at the bait shop and fish with cane poles. I don't know if I had an easy bake oven. I think I did but I don't remember it or playing with it. I know I had a toy stove at home in the backyard and I did play with it. But honestly I don't remember many store bought toys the way I remember this moment in this picture. I did have toys like my bicycle, my Nintendo in 5th grade, my barbie mansion and barbie pool, my baby dolls. But mostly I remember playing on the porch on our porch swing, dressing up my cat, swinging on the rope swings my dad made me in our magnolia trees not a huge expensive swing set. I remember climbing the trees, playing in the dirt.
I didn't really watch t.v at all thank goodness we didn't have cable or I wouldn't have such an appreciation for the outdoors and exercise by playing-running, biking, swimming. Sometimes the things that matter most can't be bought. There is no price. Sometimes NOT BUYING things is the ultimate gift because it forces children to make moments and use their imagination. I am going to try my best to remember that this year during the Christmas season.
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