The smell of burning leaves reminds me of ___________________________ Did you rake your leaves and burn them or brought them to the curb? Recall how many trees were on your street, did you walk along the sidewalk kicking up the leaves, did you ever make a pile of leaves and jump in them? * Collect…

My New Year’s resolution that I can remember is ___________________________________ Did you declare your resolution or keep it to yourself, who in your family made resolutions? Can you remember what you would do on New Years Day? Was there any special foods made on New Years Day?  *Activity Idea: Write down a resolution that you…

My favorite song around the Holidays was _________________________ Did you sing songs at your place of worship? Where you ever part of a choir or children’s group that performed in front of an audience?  Do you recall if you heard your songs on the radio or the phonograph? Did you have a Hi-Fi stereo system…

The street Grandmother lived on was _____________________________ What one thing in particular do you remember about the outside of Grandmother’s house? What was your favorite room in Grandma’s house, where did you sleep when you stayed with Grandma? Recall the smell of Grandmother’s house, it reminded you of…? * Pick a room and list everything…

I spent every summer ______________________________ Do you remember going to camp or a summer parks program? Recall activities from camp days, making potholders, arts and crafts, braiding strands to make bracelets. Remember running through the sprinkler and spraying each other with the hose. Recall your lemonade stand and being proud of serving your customers. Remember…

The family car we used for vacations was a ___________________________ How early in the morning would you leave for a vacation car trip, who always had the “hump” at their feet, recall the texture of the seat, was it material, leather, do you recall the color?  What was the furthest destination you traveled by car?…

Mothballs In My Attic (MIMA-mymah) is a monthly column to stimulate reminiscing and memories.  A MIMA Moment is a little snippet that has led us to the place we are today. Journey to the past to trigger thoughts, smells, and visual sensations and watch the activity bring in a flood of memories and conversation.  The…

May Reflections: Mother May I….. Mother’s best friend was __________________________________ How did your mother meet her best friend, can you recall her name? Did Mother and her friends meet for tea, special occasions or simply talk on the phone? Do you have an ”aunt” that is not a relative but is considered part of your…

April Reflections: Flowers and Showers The rain gear I would wear was ___________________________________ What raincoat was your favorite growing up, did it have a hood, was it plastic or cloth.  Did you wear boots or rubbers that slipped over your shoes? When it was raining on a school day what did you do to pass…

A favorite item on Top of my childhood dresser was _____________________ How many things did you have on your dresser, was there a dish for coins, did you have a piggy bank, was a comb or brush on your dresser, did you have a mirror above your dresser, did you stick photos in your mirror’s…