37. Tell us a memory of your childhood?

From: Lois Rotella

I really can't think of anything memorable. The only thing that really stood out was the Vietnam War. I wrote to soldiers over there. We put out names the military paper as pen pals. I couldn't believe how many responses I received.

I finally thought about this question. I think the most memorable childhood memory was after my grandfather Gagne died. I was only 10 years old. The summer after he died my Mom, brother and Iwent to stay with my grandmother. We used to sleep in the upstairs bedroom. My grandmother said she was not opening the upstairs and my Mom and me could sleep in the room my grandfather slept in. One night we were sleeping and we both work up because it felt like someone was sitting on the foot of the bed. My Mom spoke and said Dad we are all okay and the mattress went back to normal. My Mom was close to her father and we really thought he was checking up on the family. I got a little scared but my Mom said not to worry.

From: Joyce Eggleston

When I was about 7 years old, my sister Nan (9 yrs old), and my \brother Billy (6 yrs old) lived in a house by the Half-Way Brook on Ridge Road. There were a lot of barns at that time on the land. My father use to keep his beer (Irish Cream Ale) in a spring that was by the road to keep it cold. Between the three of us, we all had discussed it might be nice to get into the beer for a little drink. Nan divided all the beer up between us. There was a total of 1 or 2 quarts. We proceeded to take the beer to one of the barns to drink it. Boy, it tasted good! After drinking it all, we tried to sneak back home knowing we were quite tipsy. Ma caught us and spanked us with the razor strap. She fed us bean sandwiches and put us to bed. We all got sick and threw up. When my father got home, my mother said, "Come here and look at your children, they got into your beer." He took one look at us and laughed and laughed. We didn't visit the spring again. I have often wondered if that spring is still there.

From: Heidi MacDuff

My fondest memories of childhood, were the times we would go up to visit grandma and grandpa Harris' in Harrisena. There was always a pretty good chance you would see your cousins there. Grandma would always let us go into the pantry and get a cookie. Sometimes we would go into great grandma's to visit. If she was sitting on the front porch, we would go out onto the front hill and roll down to the bottom. We would go out into the fields / pastures to run and play and explore. There were many carefree, happy times. I can remember winters going into the fields to slide down Dead Man's Hill on the toboggan. It was the biggest hill out in the pasture and the snow was normally up to your waist. It was so much fun.

From: Philip Harris

I have a lot of memories from childhood. I recall eating green apples and rhubarb as soon as it arrived. It didn't get a chance to grow. We chewed the hot tar from the road. We slid downhill at the Harrisena Country School on a old piece of old roofing tin. I brought milk from the spring where it was cooled. I had to drive the cow to the barn from the field every night. I had to bucksaw wood for the stove every night when my father was in the Army. We spotted planes at a lookout on the Curtis Harris property,during WW two.I also remember the blackouts.The only pare of shoes we received each year were a gift from the Church each Christmas.The Church was part of the Larger Parish of the Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls. The money for the shoes came from a wealthy member.

From: Connie Olson

Hmm. That would be buying Victory stamps at school for war savings bonds. All of us lined up around the flag decorated area waiting to get up to the table to guive our money for the stamp toput into our book. Then when filled we would get our bond. Our parents were there when we got the bond so trhey could take it home for us.