Some people say they can sleep anywhere. I only dream of being one of those people! I am not one of the world's best sleepers. I have tried everything from counting sheep to reading, watching TV, being still and quiet, drinking sleepy time tea, etc. Some nights nothing seems to work.
When I go to Shelby to visit Mom, I sleep like a baby. Mom thinks I work too hard when I am in her house, but the truth of the matter is, I work a whole lot less than I do at home! I attribute the good sleeping to several things, one being that I don't have a lot on my agenda and when I wake up there's nothing "urgent" or no thought of housework, laundry, errands or the likes to get me up and moving.
I like to think that part of my good sleep is the bed. Heaven knows, the bed is small and the mattress is old and worn. It certainly doesn't meet the "guidelines" of great sleep.
I think the sleep is good because it is the bed I slept in from the moment I gave up sleeping in a crib. We always called my room the "twin bedroom" because I had twin beds in my room until I got married. I left my parents' home to go to college, and we all know what college dorm beds are like. Then I got married and "graduated" to a full size bed. It seemed huge!
I now share a king-sized bed with my wonderful husband of 35 years. It represents comfort and home to me. 35 years is a long time to share a bed with someone. I think that when I go to Mom's and I'm suddenly in a bed alone, my little twin-sized bed from my childhood seems so apropos. I started out sleeping in what we call "the white bedroom" at Mom's house. It has a big 4 poster full size bed and although it is so lovely, it doesn't provide that comfort that the "twin bedroom" does.
Madeline actually enticed me to sleeping in this room. She claims it is "her" room at Grandma's house. She loves the room and has never slept anywhere else when she visits.
There was a time when we were all visiting and perhaps a snore from my beloved or one of the other 'sleepless night' reasons kicked in that prompted me to slip into the other bed in the twin bedroom where Madeline was sleeping. It then became a room we shared when just "us girls" went to Mom's. We like to lie in our beds and talk and laugh and pretend we are kids having a sleepover. Now when I go to Shelby alone, I simply prefer that room and automatically go there to unpack my things.
I love this bed. It is the perfect size when you are sleeping alone. It is a reminder of the times when a twin bed was 'just right'........like baby bear would say in the infamous Goldilocks and the Three Bears tale. It feels right to not have to roll over or reach out and find no one there. It is a bed where you can snuggle in and stay that way and have a good night's sleep.
Thinking of these beds and all that they mean to me is very overwhelming. Who would think that a bed could do this to one's memory? I have a flashback to our home on Woodside Drive. When I was born, I lived in this home. It has a lot of history for me. I sometimes view this home in black and white, which seems weird, but I think many of my memories are jogged by old photos, and in those days, our photos were black and white. I don't always remember the colors of the rooms, but I can visualize the layout of the house and all the furnishings.
Some of my fond memories of living in this house begin and end with family. Martha was the best big sister ever....except when it came to "calling" a certain chair or a spot in front of the heater vent! Then it became 'all's fair in love and war.' On cold mornings, the first one to dare to get out from under the covers would "call" the heat vent. To this day, I can see and feel the space and the warmth. It was in our den. There was a small space where the built-in shelves and bookcases ended and the doorway began. There was a heat vent there. It felt like heaven to curl up in the fetal position in this small spot and feel the heat penetrate your pjs. What a great way to start a cold winter day!
Sometimes we would "call" Dad's recliner. I think it's the same thing as taking dibs on something, according to my husband. He would know, as he had 5 siblings! When Dad wasn't home, it was great to get to sit in his recliner. I do remember it. I think it was green leather...or brown. Maybe we had two recliners during my childhood years. All I know is that watching the latest cartoon, or The Andy Griffin Show or I Love Lucy from that chair was a feeling close to euphoria! Calling...or getting dibs on....this chair was such a major accomplishment. Martha, being older, usually won. However, in hindsight, I think she "let" me win sometimes. She was a good sister like that.
It's funny what things you remember when given a chance to reminisce. I remember our kitchen table. It was a beautiful dark wood and it had a lazy Susan in the middle. We all thought it was great, but I'm sure we took it for granted. Raising three kids, I see such an advantage in this lazy Susan. I only wish we had one in our kitchen. It would have saved a lot of time when I constantly heard "pass the ketchup" or "pass the salt and pepper." Not only was it a time-saver, but it often served as a simple source of entertainment.....like the times I would put my stuffed kitten on the lazy Susan and spin him around!
My twin beds on Woodside Drive remind me of such a vivid memory. I was sitting on one of my twin beds playing with paper dolls. I can even 'see' the box they were in. It was a really special paper doll that I had received as a gift...not the paper dolls that came as punch outs from magazines or soft covered booklets. I remember, even though I was only 7, my mom coming in and sitting next to me on my twin bed. She put her arm around me and said "come cry with me. Nanma just died and went to heaven." It amazes me that I can hear and see this as if it were just last month. I laid my head on my mom's shoulder and found comfort as I cried for my beloved Nanma.
We moved to Ridgeview Drive when I was 8. This meant many changes, but the one constant was the twin beds that were mine and therefore they automatically went in my room. I felt like a princess moving into this room, which was quite large, and was pink with turquoise carpet. There was a cedar lined walk-in closet, excellent for a hideout or a place to play with my stuffed animals. My parents didn't have to change a thing, as I thought the room was perfect just the way it was. I spent the rest of my years in this house, in this bedroom, complete with pink walls and turquoise carpet, until I got married and moved into a home of my own.
The memories I have of this room are countless. I used the room for playing....with dolls and with friends. I remember my cousin Patty coming for sleepovers sometimes. A favorite memory I have with her was dressing up as Santa and his elf. I was older and taller, so I was Santa. I wore my red and white striped pajamas stuffed with pillows and towels, put on a black belt of daddy's, and glued cotton balls all over my face to make a beard and mustache. What a sight that was! Patty wore tights and some jagged-edged, belted green top. I think maybe she actually had pieces of an elf costume...perhaps left over from Halloween or a school production. I don't remember the details, but I do remember the fun we had!
I shared this bedroom with my Aunt Jessie when her husband passed away. We didn't want her to be sad and lonely, so she stayed with us for a while. I felt honored and blessed to be able to share my twin beds with her. She was a wonderful roommate.
Jessie was beautiful and elegant....her hair ever perfect in a French twist. I always wondered how long her hair must be in order to create this lovely hairstyle. I found out when she literally 'let her hair down' one night and showed me! It was just another reason for me to love and admire this woman.
I remember a very happy time in this room in these twin beds. It was Christmas Eve. Martha hated sharing a bed with me. She said I wiggled too much and hogged the covers. I don't doubt her for a moment! This particular Christmas Eve we were extra excited and wanted to sleep in the same room so we could wake up together. Martha's room had one full sized bed and of course, I had the 'twin bedroom!' So, we decided to sleep in my room. I'm sure we stayed up much too late talking and giggling, but we managed to wake up early nonetheless. After all, it was Christmas morning!
I had two big paned windows in my room. It was very bright and cheerful. Upon wakening, I looked out the window and saw snow. I was so excited that I woke Martha up and told her to look out the window at the snow! I will never forget her opening her eyes as she saw me jumping on her bed, and said to me "forget the snow....let's go see what Santa brought!" We laughed about that story for many years to come. It was one of those special Sister Memories.
The stories about times spent in the 'twin bedroom' could go on and on.
I love that a part of my childhood is still in Mom's home and that I can go there to visit and feel like a kid again. There is comfort in the small things.....even an old, small bed.
And yes, memories are made of this.
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