Childhood Memories

By: Justin MitchellApril 11, 2010

Childhood Memories

Contents•Recipe – Dad’s Popcorn Rationale•Journal Entry – Christmas Eve Rationale•Letter – Maryland Memories Rationale•Free Verse – Summer Evening Walks Rationale

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Table of ContentsFamily Picture

My family. Mom, Dad, Christopher, and MeTable of Contents

Dear Journal, Tonight is Christmas Eve. As usual, we went to Mamaw and Papaw’s house

for dinner and presents. Everyone was there. Me, my parents and brother, my Aunt Sharon and Uncle Larry, my cousins Lori and Misty, and then Mamaw and Papaw of course. Mamaw had a full spread as she always does with ham and turkey, green beans, corn biscuts, gravy, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, apple pies, cakes and other desserts. My Aunt Sharon brought us some of her famous chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies. I have tried to make those before, but I just can’t get the hang of it. Oh well. Anyway, everything looked so beautiful. Mamaw had out her Christmas China with the gold rims around the edges and the holly leaves and berries around the lip of the plates. She had out the stemmed glasses with the matching holly and gold rim. The white tablecloths and red candles really set the mood. After praying and eating until we could hardly breathe, we all went into the living room where the sweet smell of the Christmas tree pleased the senses. The tree was so beautiful ordained with shiny balls and lights. Each branch was draped with silver shiny icicles that danced in the breeze every time someone walked by the tree. We all sat around opening our presents and then me, my brother and my cousins, all went downstairs into the basement to watch Frosty the Snowman and Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer on television. We also fired up Mamaw’s old record player and found Christmas records and listened to them singing along. It was a great night. We all had a wonderful time, but soon it was time to go. We had to go get into bed because Santa Clause will be coming tonight and if we aren’t asleep when he comes, he will pass us by, or so my Dad says, I personally would like to stay up to see if I can catch a glimpse of him, but I doubt I’ll make it. My stomach is full and it is getting late….(yawn) so I guess for now, I had better go to sleep.………

Table of ContentsChristmas Dishes Picture

Christmas Dishes like Mamaw’sTable of Contents

Dear Hester and Allen,I enjoyed getting to see you during our last trip up to Maryland. I didn’t think we would ever get there. Papaw drives really fast, but it still took us eight hours, and he doesn’t like to stop for anything! Then when we finally got to Chrisfield, we had to sit and wait at the harbor for an hour until our ferry got there. Then once we were on the ferry, we were riding on the Chesapeake Bay for another hour until we finally got to the island. When we got on the island, I was so glad to see our house. It had been a while since I had been up. I only get to come up during my school breaks because my fifth grade teachers don’t hold back when it comes to giving make up work for being out of school. I think Papaw comes up every couple of months or so to check on things. Anyway I enjoyed crabbing off of the pier with the chicken legs and the rope. I really appreciate you cooking them for me and picking the meat from them. Mamaw knows how to do all of that stuff, but Papaw says he doesn’t mess with it and she didn’t come this time. I also enjoyed playing with your grandson Dustin as we built miniature boats out of scrap wood and nailed a piece of rope to them and then floated them off of the pier. I really hate that the hurricane destroyed the shanty in front of our house. Papaw used to keep stuff in there and I would go through it to get to the other side where the live wells were for the crabs from the person who lived there before us. I also enjoyed riding the golf carts around the island since there aren’t any cars. I remember last time I was here we went to church with you and I played with the kids at the school playground. Oh well, maybe I can come up again next summer. I look forward to seeing you. Tell everyone I said hello!

Sincerely,Justin Mitchell (Picture of our house)

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Our house

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Hester and Allen’s House

Summer Evening Walks (Free Verse)As the sun begins to sink beneath the trees in the horizon, our evening walk begins.Me, my brother, and my grandparents, are on our daily journey to the end of our windy road to the church at the top of the hill.As we walk, we talk, and share good conversation, of things we’ve done or things we plan to do.The sun is eventually swallowed up by the silhouette of the distant mountains and trees,leaving a blazing fire in the sky of magnificent pinks, blues, and oranges. The crickets begin to sing their nighttime lullaby as we reach the crest of the hill where the little white church stands alone surrounded by large oak trees.As we make our way around the church, hundreds of tattered tombstones are scattered among the landscape.Once we have made our way around the church we find comfort in resting on the old brick steps at the front, for just a few minutes, as we lay back looking up at the sky. The journey continues, this time, homeward bound.

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On both sides of us in the distance we hear the cries of the whippoorwill reverberating from the trees.

It isn’t uncommon to have a group of deer dart across the road in front of us.We’re almost home.

We hear the evening breeze blow gently through the broom sage.The smell of wildflowers, fresh cut grass, and spring onions dance through

our nostrils, as we know we are getting closer.Soon the house is in sight.

We make our way to the carport where we sit a rest for a few minutes before my brother and I make our way back to our house.

The evening walk is complete for today, but tomorrow’s will be waiting, just as the sun begins to sink beneath the trees on the horizon.

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*This poem was written based on the precious memories that I have of my

grandparents and I as a little boy. Even though my grandfather is gone now, those memories stay with me

and I will cherish them forever.

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Rationale Recipe

I chose to use the genre of recipe for the special childhood memories I have of my dad and family. Some of the best times that I remember as a family weren’t always going a doing things elsewhere, they were staying in at home watching movies on Friday nights or just spending time together, but one staple that was always there was my dad’s homemade popcorn.

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Rationale-Journal Entry

I chose to write my childhood memories of Christmas Eve in the genre of a journal entry because a journal entry allows you to share your thoughts and feeling freely in first person and go wherever the mind wanders. You can include vivid details as well as things that may have not been important to others, but just important to you.

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Rationale-Letter

I chose to write my childhood memories of going to my family’s vacation home on an island in the Chesapeake Bay, in the form of a letter to dear friends of ours that live there all of the time. The reason I chose a letter is because it is extremely personal and it allows you to communicate relationships and share special events with others.

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Rationale-Free Verse Poem

I chose to write this childhood memory as a free verse poem because poems allow you to express yourself through emotion and senses. As a free verse poem, the requirement to follow a formula doesn’t prohibit the free flow of creativity and feeling that you are able to create while doing a free verse poem.

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