Day 348, Dec. 14: My Hometown

10 Things I Miss

About My Hometown

I took a trip to Stoughton today to visit my mom in the hospital. She fell at home Tuesday and was found by Meals on Wheels unconscious on the floor. She is doing OK - as good as one can be when she is old and worn down from a life filled with one loss after another. We hope she'll agree to assisted living after her stay in the hospital. It's with these melancholy feelings that I started home through the heart of my hometown.

1. When my mom and late dad were younger and we would run roughshod on them as they tried raising four hellions.

2. My best childhood friends, such as Ronny and Robin, whose homes we would visit and run roughshod over as our parents played cards.

3. The ancient community building. They don't build em as solidly as they used to. Variety of memories from this place.

4. Yahara River. I still glance over at it the rare times I cross the Main Street bridge.

5. Bakkens General Store. That was gone long ago, but I'll never forget riding my bike down to get baseball cards as a kid.

6. Mandt Park. Played many a ballgame there, attended the annual Junior Fair and saw my late sister, Amy, compete in a demolition derby.

7. First Lutheran Church. Was baptised and confirmed there, but will remember most an overnight stay with several other teens preparing for confirmation. Rock music in the tiny gymnasium, yeah!

8. Syttende Mai. The Norwegian independence day, celebrated in mid-May. As a kid, the parades were fun. As a teen, it was fun cruising and running roughshod down Main Street.

9. The bowling alley. Whether it was Badger Bowl or Viking Lanes, it was a place I learned to bowl and later a place to hangout when we were exceptionally bored.

10. Great grandma's house. My most special older relative, we'd spend Christmas Eve there as a large family and other times, it would be just her and we kids, playing with spools and Quaker Oats boxes. Who needs video games!

There are undoubtedly more, but these come first to a mind that is somewhat clouded tonight.