Some of my earliest memories and images 1

My Mother's Mom. Mildred Jolbert Marvin (1898-1952)
I remember my Gramma Mimi, and what fun we had, we would play hide the thimble, she would tell me if I was warm, hot, hotter etc. I loved that game, she hid it in the places I could easily see. She repeated the hiding places and I'd checked them all, she'd laugh at me, I loved it. It brings to mind images of her home. A warm cozy home with a red patterned rug, bookshelves, a large front window, brightly colored paperweights made of glass, a fat chair, a brick patterned kitchen floor, big dinning room table, flower gardens, a plaster duck family on the front lawn, her smile, laughter. I remember Grandpa George at that time, he would take me for walks and tell me about things like smelling different flowers, nature, animals and birds. We would walk to the quarry across the street from their home (they lived on Main Street in Snyder), it is now the Main Street exit for the I-290, we would catch fish in the water, sunfish, they were so cute to me and exciting. We used to sing after our main course at dinner "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream". Then we'd eat ice cream, I loved it. Sadly, Mimi passed May 1952, she was 54, I was 5. It was not sudden, but slow, I would visit her in her sick bed at the top of the staiway in her home, she was so sad and small and weak. I loved her so much, hugged her tight and was sad to see her be in bed like that. I can still see her looking at me and smiling, that's nice to remember. When she died, at the funeral, my Mom wanted me to say a prayer and goodbye. I had a awful time with that, I remember the sadness and wanting her to wake-up. I remember crying really hard. My first real saddness and heartbreak.
I remember going to Marjorie Daw's Nursery school. We played cool games like farmer in the dell, London bridge, duck duck goose and so on. I loved that and out time spent out in the yard. I remember that they had a summer camp trip in Allegheny park. I remember feeding the raccoons at night and watching them dunk there food in water to eat it. We slept in a bunk rooms, all the kids. I couldn't fall asleep, so I scratched my fingernails on the metal frame of the bed. A kid asked what was that? I said it must be a raccoon, next I knew they were all screaming and yelling for Mrs. and Mr. Daw. Oh man, I did not expect that reaction. I thought they would find it funny. I was scolded, but not bad just warned about my behavior they were such nice people. I saw my first ski lift in the back of the cabin, I was fascinated.

I was 4 when my sister Jill was born and she was not welcome in my world because I was shipped off to Marjorie Daw's and she stayed home and got to be the baby. I balked, begged and pleaded not to have to go, none the less, off I went, out of the warm confines of my wonderful play world, my toys, my home, and my Mom, my babyhood, life changed.