Monday 30 April 2012

#AtoZChallenge - Final BLOGGERS WERE CHILDREN TOO! post - Z is for Zan Marie



Hello!


The final day! This has been fun and I've enjoyed learning more about my fellow bloggers from around the world and seeing some of their childhood pics. Yesterday's combo of Lynda Young and Roland Yeomans broke all records for viewing for me - over 90 at last count. If you missed it, scroll down after you  read Zan's fabulous post.


Today and finally:

Z is for Zan, (Zan Marie) from In the Shade of the Cherry Tree

Zan at 4 years old in 1960

I was born in Carrollton, GA, USA where I lived my entire childhood in the same house—a house that my builder/carpenter father was always remodeling. I slept in every room at one time or another. I lived in the same, ever changing house for 21 years until I married. We met at the local university in a political science class titled “Foreign Relations.” We still laugh about the “foreign relations” between Carrollton and Temple, my husband’s hometown.



My favorite home is the 90+ year old house I now share with my husband in Temple, GA. It was built in 1920 for his grandparents. I’ve only lived in three houses and this one is the one I’ve lived in the longest. We remodeled it in 1980 and it continues to take a lot of our do-it-yourself time. Thank goodness, we’re both very handy. 



Built in 1920 the house was the first home in Temple to have electricity and had twelve foot ceilings that we lowered to ten to reduce the cost of heating and cooling. Even eight foot tall windows are little help with the deep, sultry heat of Georgia summers. Both Carrollton, my hometown, and Temple, John's hometown, are in the same county in the western metro Atlanta area. When we were kids it was much more rural, but now the area is definitely part of a large city's metropolitan area.

My best childhood memory is playing outdoors in the side yard under the large pecan trees. The high, dense shade shielded us from the hot summer sun. When sister, brother and I were small, we would make mud pies in tuna cans and turn them out on paper plates when they were dry. The decorations were a combination of pecan blooms and pecan shells. My brother usually played in the sand pile with his G.I. Joes and Tonka trunks. When his “crew” got tired, they would come to the kitchen of stove and refrigerator that our daddy had built for us in his woodworking shop, and “eat” mud pies. 
Zan as a teenager with her Siamese, Etcetera  

My worst childhood memory was when I get my brother his worst spanking ever. I was only seven and had just learned how to write cursive L’s. For some reason, I thought practicing the loopy letter on the sofa with a pencil was appropriate. My brother got the blame. He was five and had been carrying a ballpoint pen in his sock as a gun. Daddy was not amused by my practice and my brother got the punishment. I didn’t come clean until ten years later. My brother had a tough time forgiving me and I don’t blame him at all.

Zan on her wedding day!


Random fact about meI was named for my daddy's fifth-grade girl friend. (Zan also made her own wedding dress and her husband's shirt and tie! Go Zan!)


More about Zan:
I’ve always loved words and have written since I realized that the words I love were written by someone. Poetry, prose, verse, lyric—it doesn’t matter what form or genre the words are. Words inspire, entertain, and enlighten. After teaching history and Latin for twenty-five years, I finally have the time to take delight in writing. My writing explores many wonderful forms—fiction, poetry, devotional literature, and history.
That's it folks! Childhood bloggers from A - Z. I hope you've met some lovely people, learned more about those you'd already met. I really enjoyed putting this series together. I hope through the A - Z Challenge we have all made rich connections with our fellow bloggers. Thanks so much for visiting during this challenge. I've had a great time visiting so many of you!

Now, for a well-earned rest...zzzzzzzz Ah, no, no rest for the wicked as they say. I'll be busy getting RomanticFridayWriters on the road again with special blogger friend, Donna Hole!



31 comments:

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

My brother and I actually took it as a challenge to get each other into trouble. ;)

Wonderful getting to know you a little better, Zan

Julie Goucher said...

Still reading the various blogs from the A-Z, so I have just stopped reading to comment & to say I am a new follower. Now off to continue reading!

Theresa Milstein said...

How nice to see Zan Marie here. And how lovely to live in a house that was built for your husband's relatives. I'm about to move into a house from the 1920s. The inspector said houses were made particularly well then.

Ciara said...

Nice to meet you Zan. Wow, only three homes in your life. I'm almost jealous. I've moved 9 times just since I moved to Georgia. Since I left college, I've moved 15 I think. Now, I've been in my current home for 8 years. I hope not to move again for awhile. :)
I hope your brother finally forgave you.

Zan Marie said...

Lynda, I've enjoyed Denise's A to Z so much that I'm not upset to the the tail. ; ) My brother and I got over this decades ago afterall, we're in our *ahem* mid-fifties.

Zan Marie said...

Theresa, (waving from GA)
Good to see you, too! The house if well built. The pic of it didn't make it, but I've let Denise know, so maybe it will show up later.

Denise Covey said...

Zan thanks for being my last but not least girl! I'm especially intrigued by your random fact. I love your name! Great pics too!

Denise

Zan Marie said...

Ciara,
That's mindboggling to me! The last time I moved, 1980, we got all our belongings into three pickup truck loads. Not now! I'd hate to think of what it would take to move us anywhere now!

Zan Marie said...

Thanks, Denise! It's been an awesome A to Z!

Zan Marie said...

Denise,
I should have told you that I made my wedding dress and the shirt and tie John wore. There's another random fact for you. ; )

Unknown said...

Good heavens, you are busy, and I'm hoping to keep my head down and get on with the sequel to my children's book - before the readers of book one are grandmothers! :0)

Kittie Howard said...

Love Zan's name. And it was great meeting her.

The Y post looked fine when I hit publish, from hub's iPad.

Well, girl, we did it, A-Z. It was fun, but I give you really big applause for your inspirational idea and for introducing us to so many people. Great job!

Unknown said...

Wow, that's quite a story about your brother. I hope you're on good terms now.

Zan Marie said...

Clarissa,
We're fine! It's been a long, long time ago. ; )

Kittie,
Check out my blog for the full story on my name. ; )

Carole Ann,
I'm retired and only write now. That's an understatement. LOL!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Did your brother ever get back at you?
These have been fun, Denise!

Zan Marie said...

Alex,
Not really. He was just really hurt that his worst paddling ever had a cause that had remained hidden. He had been clueless and finally admitted that it had to be him. Then he got a paddling for lying. I'm not proud of that episode to this day some 50 years later.

Glynis Peters said...

You found a Z, Denise! I was wondering who it might be. Well done. Great interview post. My brother was the youngest, but could get me in trouble at the drop of a hat. Meany.

Zan Marie said...

Glynis,
My brother was the youngest, too. I was a middle child--still am. ; )

Luanne G. Smith said...

Sorry to catch on to your blog at the end of the A to Z.

Zan, I can't believe you've only lived in three houses. I grew up in basically one house for twelve or so years, but after that I've moved so many times...always envious of people who have deep roots. :)

Zan Marie said...

Thanks, L. G.
Hope to see you in the Shade sometime. ; )

The Poet said...

Hello Zan.
Nice to meet you. Your 4-year photo is so cute & I love your house! I'm glad you and your brother were able to work out your differences. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Denise. These have been a lot of fun.

Zan Marie said...

Thanks, Andy. I love the house, too. It looks much like that old photo with the lolipop lilies blooming in the front--only a month and a half early. This has been the hottest spring ever.

J.L. Campbell said...

Zan sounds like she's had a wonderful life with familiar things surrounding her. I've always thought her name unique. Haven't visited her in a while. Will pop over.

Talli Roland said...

Hi to Zan!

I've really enjoyed all your posts, Denise! Congrats on finishing the challenge.

Vagabonde said...

What with several trips I am way behind in reading my friends’ blogs. I went back to the letter F on your post and read the posts to the M post. I’ll come back to read the rest soon. We just come back from New Orleans and I need to finally empty the suitcase, but I'll be back. Thanks for commenting on my blog.

Sarah Allen said...

Great post :) Congrats on finishing the challenge!

Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)

Denise Covey said...

I've so enjoyed doing them Andy. Thanks for sharing with me.

Denise

Unknown said...

I already commented on the post but I just wanted to thank you for all your support. However you read it, I hope you like it.

Denise Covey said...

Clarissa, you're a great writer. I'm sure I'll love it. D.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Zan and Denise .. great Z post - well done .. on finding Zan! Gosh I need to meet up sometime - a teacher who taught Latin and History .. so interesting for a chat over tea ..

And someone else who has hardly moved .. but your house looks fun .. cheers for now - Hilary

Deniz Bevan said...

Hi Zan Marie!! [waves madly] Love that adorable picture of little you. I'm always jealous of people who live in houses of long family history. It must be wonderful to feel so rooted.