Back when things were simple...

My old next door neighbor from growing up started a facebook group for our old street. It has been fun to reconnect with people. Today I looked at the group and saw that people have started posting pictures from growing up. It made me teary-eyed to look at them all.

I really had a great childhood. I loved where we lived. We were the beginning house of the cul-du-sac and there were several kids my age all around there. I have some great memories...

- My mom started an annual block party, where we would block off the end of the street, get a DJ and cookout and have a blast!

- The Wilsons down the street had a Christmas party every year, and when we were younger my dad would dress up as Santa Claus. One year we (all the neighborhood kids) realized it was my dad and we chased him into the woods behind the houses, where he sat for about an hour until he knew for sure that the coast was clear. He didn't want to ruin the secret for us.

- Another neighbor had an annual caroling party for the adults, and the kids would gather at another house and watch movies.

- Running all over the neighborhood playing flashlight tag in the summer

- Sledding down the Kelly's huge hill when snow fell

- Playing on the tot-lots, or sitting on the swings talking with friends when we were older

- Climbing through the "tunnel" from the creek that ran behind the houses, and then up into the sewer drain, just because we could! (Don't worry it wasn't gross)

- Ruth walking up and down the street every night, come rain, snow, sleet, or shine drinking her martini and smoking her cigarette and catching up with all the neighbors

- Helping Miles get honey from his beehives (yes he owned 3 of them!) and hearing him yell "Hey Youronski" whenever he saw me across the street. To this day I still don't know where that name came from.

- The lights the lit up the street at Christmas time

Here are some of the pictures from back then...

Kyle was a really cute kid! (1989)Beth and I...I'm not sure what we're doing here (1987?)The neighborhood boys at a Block Party (1988??)This was a 10 pound Chocolate Bar! We were all really excited!!! (1987)
Junior Prom...and no Mike was not my date, but our parents wanted us to get a picture together. I remember being annoyed here because my dad was on my hair! How dare he! haha! (1997)
David and Kyle at an O's game! I'm not sure who the kid is in the middle. (1990)

Life back then was so simple. First of all we were just kids, with nothing to worry about! We knew that we could lean on any of the neighbors around us. Since then, my parents have gotten divorced, and other neighbors too, people have moved all over the country. We have all grown up, some starting families on our own, working on our careers. Its great to look back and remember when things were simple...