The closet in our basement guest room has been the holding tank of my childhood memories and treasures. The shelves were packed full, floor to ceiling with all of my Journals (kept in binders from age 10 until the 1990s when I started saving them in computers); a box of all my school papers and artwork from Kindergarten on; all of my swimming awards and ribbons, a box of all the things that hung on my bedroom bulletin board from my childhood, my slides and photos and trinkets from living in Germany, years at BYU, living in Israel, South Africa and in Nigeria.
Today was the day to empty boxes and sort and re-pack things to take to the new house. I had to say good bye to so many of these treasures, but before I did, I took these photos for the memories of my childhood;
These were things that hung on my bulletin board. A lock of hair, a key ring from a trip to Salt Lake after visiting the BYU campus, trinkets from Germany, where I lived in 1976 as an exchange student, an Olympic pin from when my Uncle Wells was the team dentist in the 1970s, an otter skin key ring from Aunt Marilyn, a matchbook from the Tagus Ranch Motel, where I spent the night after getting lost in the fog on the way home from a Stake dance, a Swim-a-thon patch from one of many I participated in during high school.
Below are Reedley High Homecoming ribbons and girls’ camp patches.
Disneyland Mormon Nite and Disneyland Grad Nite were exciting outings with friends.
The tag from my first typewriter:
Ticket stubs from concerts at BYU:
I was give then Golden Thimble Award for being the best seamstress at General Grant Jr. High.
One of my favorite little playthings. This octopus would sit on my finger.
Knockers from Windsor elementary school. Lavender was my favorite color. We played with these at every recess. They’re pretty dangerous, if you’re not careful!
The tags from every new swim suit.
Boxes of swimming awards–ribbons, medals, plaques and trophies. Cassette tapes of recorded special events and music.
So many slides. Boxes, trays, carousels, and my slide projector. John’s too.
More treasures!
My key collection from elementary school. We’d trade keys during recess. The short flat symmetrical key on the right in the middle was the one we used to get into each others’ bedrooms when locked out.
Patches were fun to collect. Elastics from when I wore braces on my teeth. A box of my pulled teeth. The Mixed Nuts can had a pop-out coiled snake in it that scared people.
An autograph book from Windsor School (grades 1-3). My bead collection and some funny wreath earrings I wore on Ugly Day. I knit the nose warmer with the orange tassel to wear on cold days. I loved little tiny books.
My gum wrapper chain. Mine was the longest in the school. Wriggley’s Juicy Fruit, Spearmint and Doublemint, Clove, Fruitstripe, Black Jack, Fruit Punch and more.
A beaded comb case from Yosemite, CTR rings, my favorite yo-yo, jingle bells, wire for making rings and bracelets, and a little pill bottle with some costume jewelry that I picked the jewels out of to save. The ring box has the wishbone of a quail that got in the way of Dad’s disc in the field. My brother Paul tried to learn how to do taxidermy on the bird. He gave me the wishbone.
My collection of Starburst wrappers and my prized bubble gum comics collection.
A lock of my hair, saved by my Mom from when I was little.
The glasses I wore in 3rd and 4th grade (the sparkly ones), then the new ones I got when I was in the 6th grade. I didn’t’ wear glasses after that.
My baby teeth.
My jewels and “diamonds.”
A poem from my first true love: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” A photo of my bulletin board in its early years. It eventually overflowed, covering much of the wall. My number from a track meet at General Grant Jr. High. Student Council and BYU and other pins and pendants.
First place ribbons for being the Ugliest Girl in the school during homecoming week. I took it seriously!
I know these are all just silly little trinkets. Who has a prune key chain?? But each one makes me smile and remember friends and experiences and good times in my growing up years. I’ve saved a few things, thinning it down to a shoebox of treasures that I can show my grandkids. I definitely kept my gum wrapper chain!
I just found some photos of my bedroom taken in the 1970s:
