Last week, on the exact day of the anniversary of my father Dennis B. Hall's passing, I came home from school to find this little book that arrived in the mail. It was from one of my very earliest friend's, Michelle Wilson Hunt. We grew up together in Fairview, Idaho, a small farming community. Michelle and I spent many hours playing, riding bicycles, climbing trees, and exploring together as we were growing up. She had compiled a little collection of her early memories, along with some of her own water color pictures and created this wonderful book.
One of her memories was about a cardboard fireplace that my family put together every Christmas. It was covered with a brick-like paper and lit with colored light bulbs. We faithfully hung our stockings on it every year before we retired on Christmas Eve. Later, my parents built a real fire place in our house (which I really loved), but the cardboard one worked great for us as children. Michelle was even wishing she had had one, too!
Another memory she shared was about our Christmas dolls. We both received "lady dolls" one year. She was cautioned to preserve her doll, but we played with mine, spending hours and hours dressing, styling, and loving her. A few years later my Grandma Palmer "restored" my doll by scrubbing her and somewhat fixing her hair, and sewing a bridal dress for her. I still have that doll and all the memories of fun times playing with her!
Michelle also remembered many sledding rides being pulled behind my dad's tractor. It is about four miles around a country block and we enjoyed every minute of it.It was fun to be reminded of some fun memories on a day when I always feel a little blue. Thanks for your friendship
and
the great gift!
