Springtime…..oh how I love this time of year.
Warmer weather, flowers, butterflies, bluebirds and cool evening breezes.
Families emerge from the walls of their home and work in their yards. Bags of soil stacked high and six-pack perennials lined up on the sidewalk like little soldiers ready to go to work.
Lawnmowers hum in the distance. Children ride their bikes and play games in the street. Neighbors visit over the hedges - often leaning on a shovel or rake as they take a break to chat.
Days like this remind me of trips to the park with my family when I was a kid. Homemade ice-cream was made by the old hand cranked ice cream makers. We would each take turns at giving the old crank a turn and add the white crystal-like rock salt to the top. Anticipation was high as we patiently waited for the lid to be removed to reveal the ice cold creamy goodness that was nestled inside the iron drum. Oh how sweet it tasted, too!
A game of croquet was set up to play on the lawn – the adults vs. the kids. Now I cannot tell you who always won, but I think the adults were a bit more competitive than us kids. We mostly enjoyed swinging on the swing set, rolling down the grassy hills and trying to find bugs and critters down at the river’s edge.
Spring reminds me of the old sprinklers that my mom and dad used to water the lawn and flower beds. There were several kinds, some walked on the lawn and some sat stationary at the edge of my mom’s beautifully appointed flower beds. I can remember the ratcheting sound of the sprinkler playing like a small repetitive instrument…
…as it distributed water from its tiny metal body. If the day was really hot, my parents would let us run through the sprinklers. The coolness of the water was so refreshing. We would laugh, chase each other around and make up little games as we entertained ourselves for an entire afternoon.
Memories of days gone by. Those were the days – easy, relaxing and simple.
Anyone care to play a game of croquet?
Enjoy your day and make today a day to remember.
I treasure days like the ones you described. Last evening was so beautiful I wanted to can it. We have a bird's nest in the yard and the little ones are chirping. I too have six packs of plants lined up on the sidewalk. My chives are blooming. My irises have multiplied and create a wave of purple. Bentley is chasing squirrels. We talk to neighbors over the fence. Like doesn't get any better than this does it? And yes of course, I would love to play a round of croquet!! Have a lovely Sunday dear Becky!!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
Love the memories that this post brought out... new adventures for the sprinkler evolve when Scotties try to chase the water! We have a rotating one from Target with pretty colored glass.. oh my.. try it. D & F will love it! Snarling,growling and gasping water.
ReplyDeleteOh what fun memories. I so need that tray of poppies ;)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your day!
Yes...I remember. simpler days...
ReplyDeleterunning through and jumping over sprinklers, homemade icecream, playing cowboys and indians on stick broom horses, climbing cherry trees...fishing with a cane pole at my grandmama's and then having her cut open a homegrown ice cold watermelon from the pumphouse and us spitting seeds with watermelon juice running down our chins...chasing fireflies at night with mason jars to hold them until we counted who had the most and then releasing them...riding our bikes with an index card clothespinned to the spokes to make a pattapattapattapatta sound as we pedaled...eating grapes under the grape arbor, hidden and gorging ourselves silly on muscadines...simpler days...oh how I do long for them in this electronic driven world. We didn't know what was coming, and our kids don't know what they are missing....
sigh... Every day is good though.
Life is what we make of it. Thanks for a wonderful post Becky! hugs.
The croquet set is already on the front porch - come on over for a game. We'll throw some peaches and cream in the icecream maker and let our hubbies make some icecream.
ReplyDeleteLynn
Gosh, have not played croquet since my childhood. It was a game that we used to play at our grandmother's house when all of the cousins were together. What fun that was!
ReplyDeleteDi
I want to go back to those days, so sweet and simple!!
ReplyDeleteHugs~Kelly
What sweet memories you bring back. My aunt and uncle lived across the street from a great park and we had lots of fun there. The lived on the corner in a what was then a small town. Across the other street was the high school, and they put on fireworks shows there, so we'd all sit in their yard on 4th of July and watch. Thanks for this sweet reminder.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Marcia
Sounds like you had an enchanting childhood. I envy you that. That and the memories that go with it.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteWe have a croquet set that hasn't come out for a long time - I think I'll have to get it out for a good look.
Your picture of days gone by is so lovely. Here in cold old Britain we don't have much need of the sprinklers but I can remember some warm summers from my childhood running under hose pipes and sqealing at the cold water. Oh happy memories. Thanks for bringing them back.
ReplyDeleteDear lady,
ReplyDeleteI come by way of Carol from Charli and me; she had mentioned that you have white and black scotties!!! I just saw my first white one last week, and so I put a pic of one on my blog. They are so darling.
Your blog is extremely lovely...and I see your dear angel on your sidebar. Your faith and strength shine and it is an encouragement to me. May each day of yours be filled with peace and unforgettable joy of what you will always have--your children.
Bless you, Anita
This post makes me want to go for a bike ride, run over tar bubbles, eat supper, swim, and hope the ice cream truck comes down the street before it is time for me to go in for the night. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteSounds heavenly!
ReplyDeletePrecious memories..
Id love to play croquet!!!!
Deborah xo
With you all the way...it is a beautiful time of year!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post and I feel like I was there with you as a child. I too have such sweet memories as a child at my grandparents cottage on Lake Erie! Thank you Becky and have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteI would love to play croquet. We used to play in our backyard when we were growing up. Now kids would look at us like we had two heads if we asked them if they wanted to play a game!!
ReplyDeleteHope you had a wonderful day.
xo
LeAnn
Love all the remembering. Sounds a lot like summer days when I was a kid. Mimi
ReplyDeleteI don't have a collection of old sprinklers, but I've thot about it, lol. Lovely blog dear Becky
ReplyDeleteThank you Becky fr coming by. Your positive attitude is so touching. Thank you! I will be back! Anita
ReplyDeleteOh how I love love love this time of year! Everything is so beautiful outside. How I hate to come in doors..LOL..
ReplyDeleteBlessings ~Mary~ :-}
Sounds wonderful...loved seeing your vintage things...have a very blessed week Becky...
ReplyDeleteBoy Becky you hit the nail on the
ReplyDeletehead for sure. That's exactly like
what we used to do. I have a vintage collection of water sprinklers,my dad's included,that we used to run through. I also have
a 1950 croquet set that my grandchildren love to play. Those
were the days,kids now days don't have a clue as to how to play in
the yard. If it doesn't have batteries they don't know what to do with it.LOL...:O)
We used to play croquet in our back yard. I wish I still had the croquet set. I loved sitting up in the neighbor's apple tree reading my Nancy Drew books. Aah, sweet summer memories!
ReplyDeleteSweet post Becky. Bring back fond memories of childhood. I miss the days of old. Life was simplier by far. Many times I have said to myself that I want to get a old~fashioned sprinkler! This is the week to do so! Thank you for your continuing inspiration Becky! You have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Maryjane
Don't you just love thinking about all of the things we used to do as kids. How certain things remind us of things.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!
Have a great week,
Rosemary
ahhhhhhhhh...I can feel it, can remember it, very well angel! Oh how I LONG for that time in my life...
ReplyDeleteLove ya, Hugz, me, G-dog, and Beckarroooooooo
That image recalled some wonderful memories for me. We played endless hours with the croquet set--the real game and anything else we could use it for. I used the mallets as crutches. I'm so short, I was able to do this until I was about thirteen of course ;-) I loved playing in the sprinklers on those hot, can't get a breath days in summer. I can hear the ones that made that chck, chck sound as they worked their way around and around. Thank you for the memories, Becky!
ReplyDelete♥Lallee
I know exactly the sound of the old sprinklers...I loved that sound as we ran thru them in the summertime! One of these days I hope to find a vintage sprinker just like we had (the upright one like in your pic)...I was lucky to find a vintage croquet set a while back...again, a memory of family get-togethers. :)
ReplyDelete