My Childhood Friends...

Okay...so I had this strange childhood...ha ha. With two older brothers who were always off on adventures and who really didn't want their little sister tagging along, I spent a lot of my time by myself in my room. My imaginary friend was my best friend. I never named her but talked to "her" and/or myself constantly. I liked dolls but didn't have anyone to play dolls with so my main childhood 'toys' were books and marbles. Yup, marbles.

My all-time favorite book was Elsie Dinsmore, by Martha Finley, which I must have read at least a dozen times. I LOVED Elsie and wanted to be just like her. She was such a sweet little girl and her strong, childlike faith always inspired me and, I believe, had a big part in the formation of my faith in Christ. I have the original book but it is in tatters and somewhere in my hope chest. So, I took a photo of one that I bought in a book store once:

My next favorite book, that I also read many times, was "Star of Light" by Patricia M. St. John. My aunt, who was a missionary in India, bought me a few of her books. I also read "Star of Light" over and over. These are the original books that she gave me:

The big book that you see here, "Pookie and the Gypsies" was one that my grandparents used to read to me over and over when we went to visit them and I was able to purchase it (same cover!) from Ebay which excited the 'child' in me...

Marbles. I don't even know how to tell you about the hours that I played with marbles on my bed. They were usually 'children' in an orphanage and the big "boulders" were the house parents. Oh, the adventures we had. I still can't look at a cat's eye or milky without getting this tug in my stomach and a luring toward the nearest bed...ha ha.