When I was young, my grownup cousin, Sandra, tried to describe what a movie theater was like. She said a bunch of people could sit in rows, all facing the same direction, and somehow everyone could watch a movie on a giant screen. How could they see over each other’s heads? I couldn’t picture it.ContinueContinue reading “Big Screens and Bigger Memories: My 1970s Movie Adventures”
Author Archives: Janet Eriksson
Frozen Pillows and Porch Ice Cream: Summer Evenings with Mom, Dad, and Taffy Cat
Summer evenings in Miami were hot and muggy throughout my childhood in the 1970s. The hotels along the beach blocked the ocean breeze. The inland neighborhoods wilted in a steamer. But we had a beautiful evening rhythm in our home, buoyed by the sweet scent of the jasmine hedges that wandered through our neighborhood ofContinueContinue reading “Frozen Pillows and Porch Ice Cream: Summer Evenings with Mom, Dad, and Taffy Cat”
Hurdling Hedges and Finding My Voice: A 1970s Miami Summer
The hedge that enclosed our side yard seemed too tall for me to jump over. But every summer morning, I took a running start and cleared the hedge on my way to the rec center across the street. No one could figure out how I hurdled that hedge—even when they stood there watching. But IContinueContinue reading “Hurdling Hedges and Finding My Voice: A 1970s Miami Summer”
My First Cars in High School and College
For the first two years of high school, I took the bus to school. It was fine because I had good friends in my neighborhood, so we rode together. I wasn’t thrilled about how early we had to be at the bus stop. I’ve never been a morning person. Other than that, it wasn’t soContinueContinue reading “My First Cars in High School and College”
Getting to Know My Grandma Eunice
I wish I could have known my grandma (my mom’s mom) much better. I knew her as well as a little kid could. I just wish she had lived till I was older. I would love to have shared grownup conversations with her and learned more about her life. Her name was Eunice LaSenius Washburn,ContinueContinue reading “Getting to Know My Grandma Eunice”
View from a Glass Box: Transit through Sweden 1988
In my senior year of college, I did a semester abroad at Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza in Poznan, Poland. It was January to June 1988, about a year and a half before the Berlin Wall fell. The new wave of uprisings in Poland had just started. It was a rough time and place for thisContinueContinue reading “View from a Glass Box: Transit through Sweden 1988”
How Our Family Experienced World War II
I was born in the late ’60s, so obviously I was not around during World War II. But my parents were. My dad, Bill Gillis, never talked with me about the war, although I know he served in the Coast Guard in Miami. He was 26 years old when America entered the war. My mom, JoyContinueContinue reading “How Our Family Experienced World War II”
Childhood Summer Vacations
You might wonder where people who live on a Florida beach go for vacation. The answer is simple: They go to a different Florida beach! I grew up in Miami. It was very different from the Miami of today. It was quieter, less crowded, calmer. Absolutely beautiful. I grew up in paradise, and I knewContinueContinue reading “Childhood Summer Vacations”
When Rain Came through Miami
Growing up in Miami, I got used to storms. Fast ones. I could smell the rain coming. It was a distinct scent that clung to the screen door. A storm was on the way and would arrive within minutes. In the summer, we could count on a daily afternoon storm. It blew in quickly fromContinueContinue reading “When Rain Came through Miami”
Favorite Playground Game When I Was Young (1970s)
This is the story of how volleyball started out as a game I didn’t like, and it turned into something I loved. In elementary school, we had physical education class (phys ed or PE) every day. I didn’t like the class. Both coaches acted mean. They didn’t teach us basic skills. And they favored theContinueContinue reading “Favorite Playground Game When I Was Young (1970s)”
Exploring Generations 