Wednesday, October 29, 2008


Good as Gold


Last week I was digging around in the basement, ripping through boxes when I found a treasure that had been buried a little too long:  my old journals.  I screamed in delight because although I knew they weren't lost, they weren't exactly found either.  I hadn't laid eyes on them since we moved over four years ago, and I had been a bit nervous they had never surfaced.  Also in the box were my old photo albums childhood-college and two huge binders of letters Nick and I had written to each other while he was on his mission.  You should've seen me muscling that box through the maze-of-mess down there, but I was so anxious to reacquaint myself with my old friends, I had to get tough.  

The brown one starts on February 26, 1978 and ends September 18, 1989.  Lots of gaps but it's a pretty great synopsis of my entire childhood through my freshman year in college.  The cream one starts October 21, 1989 and ends April 29, 1992 and contains more college LOOOOOVE than any human should be allowed to devour in one sitting!  I seriously sat on the couch and laughed out loud until 1:30 in the morning--occasionally calling on Nick to listen to my heartfelt entries--though I'm not sure he will ever truly appreciate the emotions of my youth.  I now cannot be happier that I have a blog; I realize my mind can only recall a fraction of what's past.  I read things from my life that I wouldn't have remembered in a million years.  Some of which (with a strong emphasis on some) will be a delight to read to my kids sometime.  For example...."Did you know that your mom and dad met in a game of truth or dare?"  Ha! Ha! Save that one till they're married!  How's this for dating myself:

June 22, 1980

I'll tell you a few things about myself.  First, my favorite tv shows are Charlie's Angels, Eight is Enough, Facts of Life, Different Strokes, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Love Boat and Fantasy Island. (Mother, really, Fantasy Island...!) Next my favorite rock group is the "Bee Gees."  And my favorite movie is Somewhere in Time. (RICHARD!!!!!!)  My favorite song is Bite the Dust. (check me out!)  My favorite movie star is Dick Van Patten. (cuckoo!)  And my favorite boyfriend who is a moviestar is Erik Estrada. (Oh Ponch!)  I even know his car number "32."  My best friends are Amber, Tara, Desiree and Abby Dixon.  We went to my Grandma's house in Springville and went to the carnival with my cousins.  I bought me and Jill a skateboard necklace.  And we went to the zoo and we got to make our own wax animal for 25 cents.  On June 20, 1980 I went to play baseball because I am on a baseball team and my dad is the coach. I can hit pretty good and made a home run (who knew!  why did no one encourage me in athletics?) This week I learned to embrodry and made a pillow case with a mouse and a piece of cheese.  Jennifer 9 years old.

Do you know what you got for Christmas in 1981?  I do. (oh yeah, mosta you's weren't born).

January 25, 1981

For Christmas Jill and I got a sterio.  I got a Kenny Rogers record, Merlyn, Simon, a baton, Ceramic figures to paint, a stuffed dog, pencil box, cologne (maybe Jean Nate?) a beach towel with a pink flamingo on it, a Barbie, the game Operation, the game Family Feud, pencil with my name on it, pad with my name on it.  But that's all.  (little ingrate)

New subject.  The other day I was picking something up at Mary's and stopped to take a photo or two.  Ever since I've lived here I've meant to click the driveway during the fall.  The yellow poplars (?) are unbelievably gorgeous! Look at how small the fence looks to get an idea of how tall the trees are.


Nature.  Don't you love it.


14 comments:

Jek said...

i hope you recorded my special birth in that journal that was started in 1978! Fun to read. I just recently found my "college" journal and I was so glad that i wrote down all the guys that i kissed. Sometimes, i am just curious and can't remember if i kissed someone or not. Now I know. Then i remind jason just how HOT i was! j/k, sort of.

JENNIFRO said...

You kill me Jek! Funny enough...your birth IS mentioned and how your name was going to be Ember until mom changed it a couple of days later. That's really unfortunate though--Ember has such spark!

Missy said...

oh, thanks for the trip down memory lane! yes, I am old enough to remember!

I'll never forget the day my kids asked me what a record was. I felt so old!! LOL

Mitch said...

Yeah, the journal thing has never been my strong point and i have always regretted it. I'm pretty sure it'll never happen. I hate saying that too. But too lazy to actually do anything about it. Those pictures are awesome. I wish i was there to see it. Although the falls here are pretty sick too. Can't complain.

Lauralee said...

our family journal growing up is exactly like your brown one..

oh I love reading my old journals.. for some reason on my mission I let one of my companions- read my WHOLE journal from college.. crazy.. she knows way too much about me now!

love the fall... it is so beautiful here too.. those trees are sooooo tall.. and beautiful!

Ann Marie said...

I love this post! Since I was born in 1974, I was loving alot of the same things you did. I remember that fantasy Island came on after Love Boat, so that's probably why you loved that one too.

Isn't it fun to go back?? I wish I would have written more as a young one, but I will still savour what I have! My favorites are the kissing journals like your sisters that remind me that I was once *hawt* to, and I almost destroyed some that said that I hated my mom from Teen years, but figured that I may need those one day to relate to my future teen ( I hope she won't hate me .. ) Anyhow, you are right! Your journals are gold, and should be kept somewhere close now! :) He-He!

PS: You have a mess somewhere?? Really?? I doubt that.

Me said...

I have my old journal sitting on my bookshelf. the only thing is it isn't finished. I haven't written in it since Jr. High (I think). Your entry was pretty funny. I remember some of those shows, but I was only born in 79 so I don't know them all. I know I need to start doing a better job at writing, but like you, that is why I like the blog thing. To print my is going to cost a fortune, but something that is well worth it-IMO.

I love your fall pictures BTW. There is just something about leaves and fall and long drive ways. I've always wanted to live on a road that had lots of trees so in the fall when you drive by the leaves russel around.

jill said...

Great post!!! I know the joy they brought you!!! It's SO much fun to read what you'd written.

I think we both know, I'm your human journal, I remember your life more than I remember my own.

Jayne Layne said...

Yeah this post pretty much makes me ill. I am so sick to my stomach that i did not record my college years. I mean I am sure there are SO MANY things I have forgotten about. So lucky that you have those. I guess I could start a journal now, but I kiss the same boy everyday, i love him, but what is so exciting about that!? I would love to relive the butterflies of every past kiss (espeically my first kiss with Jon)

Up in Bubbles said...

I threw mine away, it wasn't like I kept a lot, I just remember thinking "who would want to read this." Well dang I do now.

Funny thing I took about five of those pictures driving into Mary's. I look forward to that every fall. It is so beautiful. I guess I don't have to post mine now. Good pics.

Suzanne said...

Way to go Jennifer!! I was not a journal writer through all of my youth, but I have 3 boxes of momentos I have kept from 3 years old through elementary. Then Jr. high through High school and then dating Brian. I was dating or married to Brian in collage, so no fun "kissing" memories there.

I love going through my boxes because they are like little time capsules to me.

Now, I started journal writing about 2 years ago. It is my save all for my sanity and memory. I love to journal and hope one day I can go back and read my thoughts as you are reading yours now!

Great post! Very inspiring and love the pictures of the trees! Simply Breathtaking! -Suzanne

Up in Bubbles said...

Glad to see you started one of your journals on my birthday! It must have been a special day for you as well. Was that the Donnie Kimber came over to play tetherball?

I remember the Christmas you speak of. The simon and the baton were a hit.

Lisa and Bill said...

I love to read my journals too although my mission journal is my favorite. (and the one I wrote in the most consistent.) I just remember how much I grew in all aspects of my life. Most of my journals from my younger days are filled with boys I liked & why they would never like me. I guess I was kinda depressed as a little kid. Don't remember that though.

Those fall pictures are amazing. It would be nice to be somewhere that the seaons actually change!

Paige said...

Jen, I want to read more!!! What an insight, not to only you, but also the culture. And you're right, who knows what they got for Christmas!!