Summer Memories: A Linky Party

I have fond memories of spending time with my cousins during my summers growing up. My uncle was career military and my cousins lived most of my childhood stationed abroad. But for a few weeks each summer, my mom and her twin sister would bring us kids together at Pooh Pooh’s house.

My Papa and Pooh Pooh with me and my cousins Chris and Leigh. This was before my brother came along…

I remember homemade coconut cake. I remember playing with our Darcy dolls and our Cabbage Patch kids. I remember pretending we owned horses and galloping up the hill beside the house (I really remember my oldest cousin stealing all the good horse names! I was left naming my horses after characters from Mel’s Diner and Brady Bunch while she named hers “Sugar” and “Blacky”.) I remember sitting in the living room singing songs and dancing together. And I remember catching fireflies.
It was on one such night of firefly catching that we broke out the “underoos” and ran around the yard like superheroes. Remember underoos?

I was the proud owner of a pair of Wonder Woman underoos… and when I wore them, I BECAME the Amazon princess. My jumprope WAS the Lasso of Truth.  And I was a force to be reckoned with.
The night of playing in the yard in our underoos led to a very bold afternoon of playing in the yard in our underoos. We stood at the road and– in our best Mae West voice– would holler “Going my way, bud? Going my way?” to every car that passed. Until one slowed down. And turned in the drive. And turned out to be the PASTOR! Here we were, three girls– ages 7-11– in their underwear by the roadside flagging down cars in broad daylight! And Pastor Sam turns in for a visit?? We all screamed shrill screams and ran in the house and under the bed as quickly as we possibly could.

I can laugh at it now, but then I was terrified of what fire and brimstone damnation may await me. Of course, I found out that the old pastor never even saw us standing in the yard in our underoos… so, crisis averted.  I wish I could find a picture of the “underoos summer”.  I know there were ones taken.  The image is emblazed on my brain.  It was a summer memory that I will always remember with a smile.