401 1st Street

On Thursday, my parents officially sold the house I grew up in at 401 1st Street in Mahnomen, Minnesota.  While I am happy that they no longer have the extra up-keep or the stress of preparing to sell, I'm sad the house is no longer ours.

It was a great house to grow up in.

I have so many memories.

-The many days of making mud pies in the sandbox in the back yard, which eventually evolved to a more elaborate house in the back shed where we would "can" jelly using berries - which I'm sure were poisonous - from the neighborhood trees.

-I'm pretty sure we married off the entire neighborhood at 6 years old by holding weddings on the lilac adorned swing set.


-Flying down the steep stairs on our bellies was a daily occurrence.  I'm still amazed none of us flew through the window at the bottom.


-Gina and Jenny Bartz will never let me live down that I "locked" them in our bedroom closet.  All they had to do was slide the door open, but they have their side of the story.

-Getting ready on school mornings.  All 6 of us managed to do it using one bathroom.  Pretty impressive.  The only downside was that you could never lay in front of the warm heater as long as you wanted! 

-Watching Saturday cartoons in the sun porch, the best room ever.  And as I got older watching football on Sundays while sitting at my art desk.  Oh, and all those fun sleepovers that were held in that room.

-Family dinners in the kitchen.  Fancy dinners in the dining room.

-The hours I spent shooting baskets in the backyard.

-Always disliking going into the basement because it was just a bit scary every time.

-Talking on the phone to boyfriends in the downstairs bathroom with the door closed so no one could hear our conversations.

-Practicing piano, and complaining about having to practice.

-Trying to sneak in after curfew.  This only worked when Dad wasn't home, and we all knew that!



The list is endless.  I will miss that place.  It was so good to us.

My Mom and Dad with the Final Papers!