A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Where We Grew Up

Hi everyone ~

This is a photo of the farm where I grew up, mostly. It was in PA and was named the German word which means "Worthy of Notice".




I don't remember much history of the house, but it was quite old and like most farmhouses in that area had a fireplace in the kitchen, living room, dining room, and all the bedrooms. It was big and drafty with antiquadated plumbing and we loved it from attic rafters to basement.

Under that stand of trees my mom had a huge shade garden with a small pond. From above it seems as though it would be really dark under those huge trees, but it wasn't. We children played there all the time and Daddy hung my big swing in the Maple tree. To the right, out of range of the arieal photo, was the huge vegetable garden and apple orchard.

Seeing this again made me wonder if any of you have photos of the places where you grew up that you'd like to share? We'd all love to see!

Merme

Wow, that looks like a really super place to grow up as a child!

Were there fish in the pond?

Merme ,
That is so neat- my grandparents lived in a farmhouse in Brighton when I was really little- grandma had a woodstove to cook on and there was an outhouse- and they had chickens and one gander that chased me.... it bit me once when it caught up to me and Grandpa killed it... we had it for dinner and I wouldn't eat any of it.... I think I must have been about 3 or maybe 4 at the time.
I will look for pics of our house in Juneau- thats the only one I have pics of.. was about 11 - 13 when we lived there.
Nana

loz, I seem to recall some fish in that little pond. My mom was really into wildlife and fed the birds, had bird baths around and had huge No Hunting signs edging our property so hunters from the woods wouldn't track animals onto our land. In fact, local pheasants seemed to know they were safe there and would hang out in the apple orchard during hunting season. We had all kinds of cats and dogs and I had rabbits. She was quite the gifted gardener and I would have liked to inherit 1/10th of her gardening talent, but alas, I didn't.

Merme

Nana ~ I hope you can find your picture of the house in Juneau. I have never seen a house in Juneau before.


Merme

Beautiful place Merme. I just love how the house is nestled into the trees. How many siblings do you have?

I am the youngest of 6, Tamaral four of us still living.

My folks have been gone for decades now. We lost the farm after Daddy died because my mom got swindled out of it. She spent the rest of her life teaching women how to learn about the finances and documents and legal things regarding the household. Back then, most women didn't even know how to write a check and did almost nothing independently of the husband and plenty of women didn't know where important documents were even kept. Times have certainly changed!

Merme

Your the baby of the family, must be why you have a little bit of a wild side .

Merme, they might have taken the farm but they can't take away the great memories you have had there

Oh! So you noticed, did ya? Yes, as the youngest I was always getting away with murder.


Still am a spoiled brat at times.



Oh! and we do all have some lovely memories of those years and that place.


Merme

Looks like a wonderful place to grow up Merme! Nothing beats living in the country with all that open space to run and go on adventures!

When my brother returned from Viet Nam in 1968 he got out of the car and threw himself down and literally kissed the ground of that old farm in PA, so glad to be alive and home again.

Merme

I would do the same!

Well I found the pictures and tried to scan them--- my scanner says it is not connected to pc- %*&%... yes it is - I checked- still won't work... going to have SIL look at it when he picks up boys today- so maybe tonight I will get them scanned- I even have one of our house in Anchorage in the winter- lots of snow! then I found one of the view from our house in Juneau- and one in the backyard of our house in Yuma- my Mom- my grandma and Teresa at about a yr old, and me at 18 or so... will get them scanned one way or another...
Nana

I can't wait to see the photos, Nana!


Bless your SIL for helping out!

Merme

My dad was in the Army. I didn't grow up anywhere I went to 17 different schools not counting college. It's nice to have memory like that. Not to mention a picture.

[img][IMG]http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i72/Nanas13_2006/Old%20Family%20Pics/1960HouseinAnchorage002.jpg[/img][/img] [img][IMG]http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i72/Nanas13_2006/Old%20Family%20Pics/ViewfromJuneauHouse001.jpg[/img][/img]

Okay sorry they are crooked- best I could do- top one is our house in Anchorage- in 1960 - winter of course... bottom one is the view of the channel from our front window in Juneau.. Douglas Island across the channel - where I went to school in 5th and 6th grade...
Nana

Here are 2 more- house in Juneau- and the second one of me at 18 with my mom- grandmother and Teresa at about a yr old..1968 or so. [img][IMG]http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i72/Nanas13_2006/Old%20Family%20Pics/JuneauHouse001.jpg[/img][/img] [img][IMG]http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i.../YumaAZmemymommygrandmotherandmyolde.jpg[/img][/img]
Nana

great pictures.

Thanks Sheri,
The colors just do not scan very well- I went to about 12 different schools to growing up - but we just moved a lot!
Nana

Hi Merme,
Juneau was a wonderful place to live back then.. we walked all over town- played in the forest- panned for gold in Gold Creek- was a gold mine there- part of the gold rush in the old days.. had picnics on the beach every summer.. bought fish and king crab off the boats in the harbor.... would love to go back one day and show my hubby all of it too.
Nana

Sounds ideal, Nana! So, when are we all going?


Merme

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh how I miss being able to buy king crab in Alaska - YUMMMMMMMMMMY!

I never did get to Juneau when I lived in Alaska - I bet it was very pretty there, as most of Alaska is!

Hi Merme & Lynn,
Yes Juneau is pretty- I hope it still is- but really think it must not be a whole lot different now- being between a mountain and the ocean didn't leave a whole lot of growing room- thats why the houses are all up and down the mountain slopes connected by stairs... sometimes a lot of stairs.
Well lets see Merme- I am working on being able to go in about 4 yrs-would love to take the inside cruise from Seattle and then fly back down - Joe and I were talking about it yesterday when he saw my old pics out- we want to go before we are to old to enjoy it...LOL!
Nana

Beautiful pics Nana. I always wanted to go to Alaska, DH asks why since apparently the climate is the same as here.

Tamara,
I bet Anchorage is a lot like where you live- lots of snow there- but Juneau as I remember is less snow and a lot of rain... over 300 inches a yr - lived in a rain coat yr round- only snowed a whole lot once I remember and then it was up over the porch in the picture and we got snowed in - could't open the doors as it was heavy- wet snow- neighbor dug out our side door - by the steps in the picure..when he cleared the steps..then we dug out the rest of it... that was April 1.. snowed 4 ft or so over night... we used our sleds on the streets that day- and some people skiied it... cars weren't going anywhere.
Nana

We will be seeing snow flurries in a month's time.

We could too but I hope it waits till after Halloween ... at least...
Nana

Northern MN had a little bit of snow flurries the other night. No accumulation but it was in the air! It is crazy!

:ding:

I concur.That is lovely........
The farm I was raise on is sold also and was 121 acres ..Very small compared to out west were 1000 is small.

yes we all loved the life.

121 acres is no small piece of pie, Barb. Most suburban homes don't even have one acre. They are listed by "lot size". 121 sounds roomy to me!!

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

One lady on here has 1000..............and an airplane.

Merme:
Do not know how I missed seeing your childhood home before today--but i did--anyhow--it is sooo nice---

I wish I could show all of you my "home" (where i raised my kids) your home reminded me so of mine--your was/is grander but it still made me homesick.

If I had of taken a picture of it with my digital I would show you all but i do not have a scanner so I cannot --

Go to Walmart and scan it for 28 cents.

Maybe they can save it on disk for you? Never asked.

I like the way you think, barb--I will see about that next time I go--maybe even wal-greens will be able to help me---