Everything was old at Great-Aunt Mary’s except for the new decade, until we moved in.
We temporarily suspended her tranquility while Dad built our new home in the tiny farming community of Hartford, New York, fifteen miles away. Dad’s ancestors were literally among the first settlers, arriving from England in 1638. They produced the first female white child born in Hartford. I guess native Indian babies didn’t count.
We resembled this coal miner, but without the hat.
telegraph.co.uk
Exhausted, we flopped down and burrowed into the coals, covering all but our heads. The heaped coal pile was no longer heaped or relegated to its corner. A black cloud coated and followed us as we went inside for lunch.
A hasty exit was sternly forced upon us by Mom and Aunt Mary. We obediently shoveled the coal back into place, gave ourselves the most thorough scrubbing of our lives, and only played that game once.
Replica of the same depository (thunder mug) that I used.
images.yourdictionary.com
I woke up in the middle of the night, too afraid to use the bathroom downstairs. A couple days later Mom discovered my night-deposit in the pot. I only did that once, too.
Lesson Learned: Not everything bears repeating.
Related Posts: Pandemonium Trail/Turtle Thief; Innocent Villain/Special Delivery
Now it’s your turn: Were any of your activities blackballed?
© Mary Norton-Miller and 1950s Suburban Adventures, 2012 forward. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary Norton-Miller and 1950s Suburban Adventures with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
1950 Memories of Suburban Adventures 
You had me from the first line. Memories we remember, those forgetten now suddenly flood. I welcomed this today. I hope I can find you again. Would love to read more.
Rachealgrace Adams
Thanks, RG. I hope you can find me, too.
LOL. This made me laugh! 🙂
I used to bring home caterpillars and house them lovingly in shoe boxes…Eventually, when my mother inevitably discovered them I’d always get the scolding of my life, and my pets would be evicted immediately.
Thanks, DW, I love it when someone appreciates my humor. Caterpillars, huh? A girl after my own heart. In ‘Turtle Thief’ (found under Pandemonium Trail) I mention a worm collection stored in my bureau drawer.
Cool! I’ll check it out! 🙂
Love your posts. In fact, have started sharing them on an FB group called Heelayrius (the purpose of the group is right there in its name!) — would be proud to have you join us.
Thanks, Mimmy, I enjoy your posts, too. I will definitely have to check out your group. The name is very compelling.
Are you kidding! In New York, we used to jump the roofs. Instead of coming down the stairs like a normal person, and walking to the next block, we would just jump, from roof, to roof, until we reached the end of the block. Talk about blackballing an activity! Of course, we saw nothing wrong with what we did. It’s a miracle we are still alive. Blessings.
Makes sense to me (then, not now). As a kid, I’d jump, too. If I jumped now it wouldn’t be pretty. As a parent, I’d freak out. I’m glad you and your friends were good jumpers.
Yeah! Good jumpers, but stupid. Many of our friends would not engage in this dumb, activity. Hmm! Wonder why! :-)) Blessings.
You were one naughty kid, Skinny 😀
Well, Spunky, ‘naughty’ is in the eye of the beholder. I thought I was pretty normal, but those that beheld me felt otherwise.