Walk Down Memory Lane

I was in Maryland this past weekend and on Saturday David and I made a trip out to my grandparents old farm in New Windsor, MD. I hadn't been out there in almost ten years! Before that last visit I had spent a week or two there every summer for as long as I could remember out at my grandparents farm and visiting my Aunt Judy in Virgina, and later my Aunt Elsa in Baltimore. I can easily say that some of my favorite summer memories occurred on these trips, and I look back at those times with a smile. :o) <--- Like that!

History of the Farm

According to my dad my grandparents bought the farm in 1969 when my grandfather retired from the Coast Guard. The lived there until the mid-9os when they moved into a nursing home close to Baltimore.

The Farm - 1979

The last time that my dad and I went for our normal visit together was 1993. I came back years later alone (I was a big girl by then!) in 1999 when I was about to finish college, and then sadly again for another time in 2000 for my grandmother's funeral.

The Farm - 1999

My grandfather passed in 1996 and my grandmother in 2000. I wasn't able to make my grandfather's funeral because I was in school, but I was able to make it back for my grandmother's. Last year around the holidays David and I took a trip to Arlington Cemetary to visit my grandparents.

Arlington Cemetery - Dec 2008

Capt. Arnold E. Carlson
US Coast Guard

Allegra Carlson
His Wife

Growing Up

My parents took me to the farm long before I remember ever going. The love telling the story of how they took me as a baby and there was't a crib for me so they put me in a drawer to sleep in. Okay, these days that might sound like child abuse, but I think its cute. :o) My mom also talks about how she couldn't sleep at night because of the sound of the cows mooing. Do cows really moo at night? Maybe it was in the morning? Or should I say moooorning? Haha. By the time I could remember the farm the cows were long gone. In my younger years my grandfather had chickens, but for the majority of my visits to the farm there were mostly small crops like corn and potatoes.

Little Monika
(The cross eyed full Asian girl)

I remember going out with my grandfather while he turned the ground and I picked up the potatoes! (and then made icky icky poo hand motions and faces while I rubbed the dirty dirty off my hands. Yes ... even as a young child I was a prissy priss. haha.)

Me & My Grandparents & Aunt Judy
(At my cousin David's wedding)

Grandpa used to also take me out into the corn fields and pull off a few ears and peel them open to look at them. I remember how he'd peel back the shucks on a few and then toss them aside behind him if they didn't look right. I was shocked! Little city girl me! Him tossing an ear of corn behind him was the same to me as if he'd thrown a box of cereal or a loaf of bread off to the side. That was food!

Me & My Grandparents & Dad

Good Memories

I have so many good memories at the farm that its hard to list them all briefly. I loved going out with my grandfather and picking up potatoes and picking corn .. even if the natureness of it grossed me out. I loved working on craft projects with my grandmother, and best of all her letting me sit in her lap with my head on her chest listening to her pacemaker. I was being prepped to be a real homemaker at that farm! I learned how to sew, knit, do needlepoint, and do latchhook. Each summer we usually had a project we'd complete, most often from a craft magazine or from Bob's Hobby Lobby in the nearby town of Westminster, MD. My Aunt Judy usually was a huge help, and I attribute my needlepoint skills to her alone!

Silly Picture of My Dad

I have so many various random childhood memory from the farm ... making potato chips from scratch with potatoes from their field, sitting on the porch watching the fireflies and wishing they had them in San Francisco, watching my grandparents fry bacon with a bacon press (quite a contraption for the bacon lover who loves flat, crispy bacon), planning my next dollhouse based on the room replicas my grandmother had made, reading books with the window fan going (because there was no AC), swinging on the porch swing with my dad or grandparents, listening to the kitchen screen door slam whenever someone came in, playing on the armchair my grandparents had which lifted you up to standing, watching the Young and the Restless with my grandmother (oh Cricket!!), answering the phone when someone called for "the Captain" (my grandfather) ... and so many more. Those were good times, really good times.

My Grandfather

But I digress.... wow, this is getting me a little misty!

Return to the Farm

Ever since I found out that David had grown up in Maryland I've wanted to go back and see the farm. I mean its been ten years since I'd been there! And ... its the defining point of all of my childhood summers! We were in Maryland last year around the holidays but due to the busyness of the week we never got to make it out. I have been back to the area a few times since but we've just never had time to go. For this past trip David asked me "So what do you want to do this weekend?" I answered "Well, its your birthday weekend so we can do anything you want. But .. there is one thing I want to do ... I want to go see my grandparent's farm." And so we did!

Saturday morning we had plans to head to the farm in the morning, have lunch in the nearby town, and then head back to College Park. I woke up on Saturday morning, yawned, looked at the clock, looked outside .... and my world came to a standstill. RAIN?! (Give me a break here. I've lived in San Diego for the past two years and lived in Arizona for about six years before that. I can almost count the number of times I've seen it rain in the past 8 years on one hand!) Okay, mayyyyybe two! Growing up in San Francisco I didn't see a lot of rain either, but moving to Arizona made me think "Rain? What's rain?" Okay, back to Maryland. So I woke up and it was raining. Boo. I hate rain. Whatever though, we'd be in the car and it would be fine.

Driving to New Windsor

As we started to drive towards New Windsor my surprise over rain quickly turned shock over SNOW! It looked like it was snowing! But when the snowflakes hit the windshield they went SPLAT and were drop/splotches. California girl was confused. David quickly informed her that if its not cold enough outside it can snow ... but it won't "stick". Okay .. I get it. So we drove in the snow splotches for a while as I sat in amazement ... and then suddenly there was snow on the side of the road! And then more! And more! And as we got closer to the farm the sides of the road were blanketed with snow! I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!

About an hour later we arrived in New Windsor and started approaching the farm. The first time I had told David about my grandparents farm in New Windsor he almost immediately said "oh, I bet its row houses now.". :-O No~ I was like what?? No way! He said yeah, that's what happens. :o( I didn't want to believe it, and didn't believe it in my heart ... but a tiny part of me was scared as we got closer. I vaguely remembered the road to the farm being bumpy and hilly .. as we coasted along with only a few miles to go I got nervous .... but then we got closer... and there it was! The same as how I remembered it!

Arriving at the Farm

When we first drove by the farm there was a bundled up man salting the driveway. I instinctively gave him a dirty look thinking "UGH! You're living on *MY* grandparents farm!! ! Who are you anyways!?!" David said "Hey look! You should talk to him and tell him why you're here!" I declined thinking it sounded too cheesy.

David and I drove by a few more times before parking down the road and walking up to the farm so I could take pictures. It was probably really weird that in the middle of nowhere a big truck drove by about three times. David joked that the man ran back into the house and said to his wife "Honey! There's a hippie and a Muslim casing the place!" haha.. David and his long hair ... me and my phobia of snow and rain with my scarf wrapped around my precious hair!

The Farm! 2009

Grandparents' Farm

We got a few good pictures of the farm and McKinstry's Mill across the street. I had never seen the farm in snow before... and it was soo pretty. A part of me is still sad that this cornerstone of my childhood is no longer in my family. I wish someone had been able to buy it and our next generations would be able to come there to visit and spend there summers.

Walking Past McKinstry's Mill

McKinstry's Mill

Sams Creek Rd/McKinstry's Mill Rd

After casing the farm and taking a number of pictures we headed into the town of Westminster. There was a bookstore that my grandparents used to get me books from each Christmas. I'd get a book wtih a special bookmark in it from "Locust Books". When I was old enough we'd go into town togheter and I'd get to pick out a book myself. My hopes for this bookstore still being around were slim. I had forgotten the name so David and I just headed in the general direction of the main town street. As we got closer to the main street he asked me if things looked familiar. Sadly ... I said no. :o( And then we pulled into a parking lot and EUREKA! I recognized a brick tower in the parking lot and knew we were right behind the bookstore. We went in the back entrance and I was AMAZED that the store looked just as I remembered. Wow, my last visit was 10 years ago! And I'd been there as a child! According to the signs the store had been there for 25 years! (Older than someone I know... haha)

David and I looked around the store and he ended up buying four books for his America Reads kids and I bought one book for my dad. (Dad, if you're reading this ... guess what you're getting as a Christmas gift? haha) After buying books we went to one of the nearby eateries for lunch. Mexican! With the option to order fries or hot wings of course! Random...

Locust Books - Westminster, MD

As we drove back from the farm I had mixed emotions. It was bittersweet to see the farm, the place where my childhood summer memories lie. It was nice to see that the farm was still there. It was nice to think back to all of the times with my grandparents. It was nice to visit the bookstore and the town of Westinster as an "adult", after going there for so many years as a kid.

I think part of me loves the farm and all of those memories becuase they are SO opposite of the rest of my life. I'm a city girl, born and raised in San Francisco. (The "city" - for those of you who think "San Francisco" means everything within 100 miles.) I love being a city girl! But I loved those times at the farm with my grandparents as well.

Arnold & Allegra - May you rest in peace. I love you. Thank you for the memories. :o)