Silver Spring, Maryland (1966-68)

Flashback Friday

When I was a little girl, we spent about two years in Maryland while my dad attended law school in Washington, D.C. I don’t remember a lot, but one memory came back as I was preparing for a class I’m teaching next week, so I thought these little experiences would make a great Flashback Friday entry.

The class is on the importance of food storage, and what I remember is our “food storage” bookshelves. Cans of wheat supported the wood shelves that held my dad’s books. At one point during our years there, the bishop asked our family to eat using only food storage for two weeks and then report on the experience to the ward. I don’t remember the report or the experience, but I know my parents were able to comply with the request.

I remember playing with my sister in our closet. We had wood floors and there was a little ledge – probably for shoes – that went around the perimeter. It was the perfect size for playing.

I was supposed to ride the bus to kindergarten. I don’t remember much about school, other than having graham crackers and milk for snack, but I remember the two days I missed the bus. One of them was on the way to school, so my dad put me up on his shoulders – it was in the winter and there was muddy slush along the way – and walked me to school. The other time I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t get off at my proper spot. We lived in an apartment complex with more than one stop, so I got off at the next one and trudged the long way home.

(That's my kindergarten class. I'm in the 2nd row, 2nd from the right, wearing a blue dress.)

I remember helping with the laundry which was in a small room under the outside stairs. Our apartment must not have been on the ground floor. I also remember my little brother being in charge of the keys. Sometimes we waited a long time to get in the car or front door because he had to do it without any help. He must have been really young, because we moved back to California just before his 2nd birthday.

My parents wanted to take advantage of living on the East Coast, so we took a lot of Saturday drives. The only one I even vaguely remember is driving through the long tunnel. I think it went under Chesapeake Bay.

These are really just vague impressions, and most of them I probably remember because my mom did record them. So, don’t forget to write things down when they’re happening!