Day 15 - A trip back through history - September 28 2011

I went with Jani to Walmart off Tower Road while The Timbers staff cleaned our room. I'm not allowed to be in the room when the cleaning is occurring and ideally, should not return to the room for 1 hour after it has been vacuumed due to my compromised immune system.

I waited in Bart (2006 Honda Pilot) while Jani shopped. We had to get a few new cooking items for The Timbers kitchen area.

Jani with Walmart stuff September 28 2011

When we came back to The Timbers, more than an hour later, our room had yet to be cleaned. Jani called the front desk and they said they would be right over to clean the room.

So, Jani and I loaded up in Bart again and went on a drive back through history. We lived at 550 Nome, Aurora, Colorado for 3 years, (1960-1963).

Our old house looks great today even though 51 years has passed since we moved into that house. The tree in front is huge and was just a baby when we lived there - in fact, the City of Aurora had to replace our tree once while we lived there because it was not thriving.

I went to 4th (Teacher Miss Anderson), 5th, and 6th grades at Lansing Elementary School, while Jani attended Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades at Lansing Elementary School. Despite being more than 6 blocks away, we walked to school unattended by any adult.

Lansing Elementary School, Aurora Colorado September 28 2011

On this playground after school one day during my 4th Grade year (1960), some older kids - 6th graders told me that I could not swing on the swings unless I knew how to spell Mississippi. I had no idea how to spell Mississippi and was chased off the playground and ran home crying. My father was home for lunch and he taught me to spell Mississippi. I returned to the playground and did my spelling and I was then "in with the 6th graders" and I was only a 4th grader!

Also on this playground, I learned to play tether ball and my father actually put one up for me in the driveway at 550 Nome to hone my skills. I learned my first "4-Letter words" on this playground and only when I tried them out loud did I learn they were not to be said :)

After our Lansing School playground tour, we went to Del Mar Park about 1 block from 550 Nome. You can clearly see the University of Colorado Hospital from the park. It was windy, so I had to wear the mask along with sunscreen SPF-30.

Jani and I walked around for awhile - it was 86 degrees and I became weary quickly. We used to swim at the Del Mar Park and I saw my 1st dead body at the Del Mar Park Pool when a 9-year old boy drown one summer day - I'll never forget how green he was. What a terrible loss for his family.

Despite being very tired and nauseated, I loved being outside in the air! When we returned to The Timbers, the room had been cleaned and off to bed I went.