Wednesday, December 08, 2021

The Way We Were Wednesday - Phoenix




 The first time my parents tried snowbirding, (aka going to a warmer climate for the long cold winter) I was in the first grade - we went to Phoenix Arizona for the winter.  It was an academic disaster, for a couple of the four children, and the following couple of seasons on the farm were not the most successful, and it was decided to not do that again until my brothers were finished with school.  In the middle 1980's, a good 20 years after that winter, I went to Phoenix for a conference and workshop.  I found the school, someplace I have my report cards.  The teacher I had that winter, had recently retired, with about 30 years of teaching.  This is the outdoor hallway, overlooking the playing field, room 37 was where I went to part of the first grade, one of the times. 

My memories of school that winter? Walking to school, the smell of the air, finger painting, and a school nurse.  

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous12/08/2021

    Snowbirding is not a term used here, however many do head north to warmer weather in our winter. We like to have a holiday somewhere warm midwinter. I would be interested to revisit my school but I don't really want to. Revisiting physical places after decades would probably depress me. Was it a good teacher who retired?

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    1. When I was about 2/3rd of the way through public school, my parents returned to going away for the winter, for 4+ months. I went to half of high school in Michigan and half in FLorida.

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  2. Your memories of school that winter are summed up so interestingly. Also, interesting is your parents snowbirding with four school-aged kids. THAT would not have been easy.

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    1. My father, had very much a "why not" attitude abou. it. I coped in middle and high school. My sister had more social connections and it was harder on her.

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  3. I'd always assumed, living in South Florida for a spell, that snowbirds were retirees. I cannot imagine doing that with children.

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  4. Finger painting! We need to do more of that.

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  5. I wonder what school that was.

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  6. I lived in Phoenix from Ages 1 to 9 and went to elementary school at Andalucia in the Alahambra School District. I've been back once, during a visit my oldest brother, who now lives in Chandler, AZ. It did not evoke warm feelings or fond memories.

    Sassybear
    www.idleeyesandadormy.com

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    1. I feel that way about the farm in Michigan

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