this will always be HOME to me

When I read this week's challenge over at JessicaSprague.com I knew immediately what I would scrap! The challenge (I won't make you click the link unless you want to) this week was to use JS Home Away From Home kit and (duh) scrap about home. There were all sorts of muses for those who didn't know which way to go. But like I said, I knew immediately.

HOME... it will always be my childhood home in Greenville, CA. I think that my childhood was near idyllic. I lived in the ultimate safe environment! Lock our doors? We didn't even have locks on our doors! Greenville was very small, about 1500 people, everybody knew everybody. It was the consummate "small town".

(click to enlarge)
Top left-right: 639 Main Street 1970, The girls 1974, Joanie & Gypsy 1964
Bottom left - right: Sue, Ann, Joanie,Easter 1957; Daddy's new car with house in the background,d 1963; My wonderful tree house, 1964 , Daddy mowing the lot; Joanie on Blue Boy at Gold Diggers Celebration, Greenville's Main St; My favorite view off our back porch, all 1966.

As I edited my photos I knew that I needed to use that wonderful orton effect that Kimi taught us several weeks ago. To me, this is how I see my memories... all through the orton effect filter! The colors are very vivid, warm and inviting... a little hazy, but, oh so sweet!

It wasn't until I was married and had moved away from home (all the way to Yorktown, VA) that one of my new friends informed me that I'd come from a "broken-home"! (This was also the same kind friend who informed me I had Fred Flintstone Feet! Yeh, great friend! But I digress!)

Our little home was only 800 square feet. As I looked for photos of our house I realized that almost none existed. Why? Because we had an old home with asphalt siding that was literally falling off. Mom always posed us in the driveway or by the trees, never in front of our house. I found the photo that I took of Daddy's new car with the house in the background. It wasn't until I moved out in 1970 that Mom could finally afford to fix the place up... and she did!

As I look back I realize that we really were quite poor. But I never knew it at the time. We always had food to eat, a place to sleep and lots and lots of love... the most important quality for a real home.

I have lived many place, very happily, but Greenville will always be HOME!