It is funny what you remember from early childhood and when those memories "pop up" into your conciousness. I was thinking of the summer vacations we did take when I was younger. When my mother did manage to work a full year, she would take the first two weeks in August off. School started right after Labor day, so this allowed time for shopping for school clothes (yuck-I did not like shopping).

Most years, plans were made for at least 1 of those weeks to be some type of trips. When I was 8 we went to Florida to visit an uncle. But the summers I am thinking of span the years of 9 through about 11. They rented a cabin on a lake. (don't remember the lake name, but it was across the way from a girl scout camp. Some relatives had it one year, and that is how my folks found out about it. Ah, those were pleasant days. Still had cleaning chores, but my mother wasn't such a stickler because you couldn't keep beach sand out no matter what!

The memory that keeps coming to mind is that one day it was too cool to swim-that would happen sometimes. Mornings could be in the low 70's, and swimming wouldn't happen if it didn't hit at least 75, the water would be too cold. So, we went mushrooming. There were a few types of wild mushrooms my father could recognize and we went picking them. Off the path, in the woods. We knew how to spot the poison ivy, oak and sumac so avoided those areas pretty well. Picked a good amount of mushrooms and them my folks couldn't tell the way back. They were serious. Ok, folks. This is New England. Fairly well forested area, borders to really wild area and we didn't stick to the path. Smart city folk parents huh? I found the path-me the one who would get lost in my home city. I remembered thinking that my dad knew the way-he just had too. But then I pointed out a bush that I remembered us walking by-the shape was weird and there was a rock by it. Turns out we were only about half a mile away from the cabin. (last time my mother went mushrooming, she wasn't an outdoor person) My father couldnt' believe that I was the one who found the way back. I don't know why I forgot this and accepted that I could get lost in a paper sack. No, I just need visual clues and I remember landmarks. Not directionals.

The mushrooms were good though. So was the sense of pride that I had that day, for a little while.

I guess I need to remember these things more often. I still wonder if we were really lost, or if my dad was as dumb as a fox and was allowing me to use something that he saw me using. Either way, thanks Dad, you made your daughter feel great that day, and again today.