#1 My Earliest Memory

I don't really remember much from when I was really young. Growing up I lived in this tiny little town in northwest Massuchusetts, and everything seems blurred together. I remember my Nana and Papa's house the best. Every week we would spend saturday at their house and visit with my cousins. They had this tiny little house that Papa had built with his own hands for my Nana when they were young, and had livd there ever since. The first place we would all go when we got there was the hall coat closet. The door was on a hinge that made it swing back shut if left open, and our little hands were never strong enough to open it without help. It would always take at least two of us to drag the big wooden door open. Usually it was me and Ellie, my cousin. The closet always smelled like Nana. It was mostly her coats hanging up in the closet, because Papa always said he only needed one.

We would dig our way to the back of the closet, and that was where all of the good toys were hidden. They had everything, from Barbie, to G.I. Joe (the original), coloring books, and dress up cloths that were amazing. And the blocks! They had amazing old wooden blocks that never seemed to run out, and we would always try and build bigger and better castles. Everything that I remember from my childhood eventually leads back to Nana and Papa. They are the most amazing grandparents, and we were always excited to go to their house.

I do remember a lot of the town events too. Every year we would have a town Christmas Pageant, and all the kids would be in it. One yeari was an angel and I was so nervous. Mom had made my costume, so it fit me perfectly, but I was only 7 and I knew that I was going to trip in front of everyone. I was just about to go on when I ran to the trash can and threw up. After that I never really participated in the Christmas Pageant again. Oh speaking of Angels though, one year when I was about 5 for halloween Mom wanted me to be an Angel. October in Massachusetts is about December for Virginia, so it was completly freezing out. I was so excited to be an Angel, until Mom made me wear my winter jacket underneath my costume. The entire time I cried about how I was a fat Angel.