Saturday, January 24, 2009

Confessions of A Northern California Girl

Okay, the comments from Keri and Francesca are inspiring me to this post.
When I was a wee girl as shown in these two pictures,







(I am to the far left in both pictures, gotta love our 60's fashions)

We lived in a wee town in Northern California. It is called Winters. It was and is a small farming community, while not far as in miles from the larger cities of Sacramento and San Francisco, is a world away. They grow mostly fruit there and as the orchard picture illustrates, the spring is filled with fruit blossoms.
Because I grew up not only in a simpler place, but a simpler time, my memories of living in Winters are pastel hued and edged with golden summer light. Our house was backed by miles and miles of open land, so we children would just take off for hours a time, exploring gullies and fields, digging holes and making forts. Riding our bikes up and down the hills. I loved my years in Winters, all my sisters have the same memories that I do. Safety, freedom, childhood simplicity, is there anything better?
As a child of the sixties, the flower child era was a part of my life. Winters is in close proximity to Davis, which was and still is a hippie enclave. My 4th grade teacher lived in Davis and commuted to Winters to work. She drove a VW bug, had hair to her butt and taught us to sing Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence". We sang the song happily, not understanding the words of sorrow and disenfranchisement. The song still makes me happy!
Along with Davis, Winters is also close to the town of Dixon, home of the Dixon Mayfair. My younger sister, Little and Loud won a trophy in that same Mayfair for singing "I'm Little But I'm Loud". Good times, peeps, good times!
And a huge shout out to ANYONE who knows where Winters and Dixon are!! Mwah!

16 Kids Who Want To Play:

Kristina P. said...

I grew up in Southern California, but I love Northern California. I really want to go to San Francisco this year. Love the pics!

And I hope you are planning on coming to the meet and greet! Looks like it will be the 21st.

forever folding laundry said...

Jo, you have done your hometown PROUD!! Love this post. Small town though it is, it really is a beautiful place. I'll bet it hasn't changed too much since you lived there.

And who doesn't love the Dixon May Fair: the oldest running fair in California! I, too, have many fair memories. Growing up in Dixon we used to get a minimum day of school on the opening Friday of the fair. Good times!!

Anonymous said...

that sounds like a really amazing place.

Jules AF said...

D-D-Dix-X-X-Xon. DIX-XON.... DIXXXXOOOON! We competed against Dixon and all they would do was chant that.... ANNOYING!

Jillene said...

I love the pictures and guess what?! I knew EXACTLY which one you were in both!!

rychelle said...

love that you shared the pics!

i, too, love northern cali.

Holly said...

I picked you out of the first picture, but had to take a second look on the second one. Love the memories. Makes me want to travel back in time.

Jami said...

Believe it or not, I have heard of the places. So were you a midwife here or in Utah? Or both?

Debbie said...

Great photos! I love northern California.

Jessica G. said...

I've only been to Cali a couple times and always to the desert portion...not a very fun place.

K J and the kids said...

LOVE those pants.
I think it sounds awesome to have all of that space and to sing Simon and Garfunkel songs :)

Amber said...

I have no idea where either of those towns are- but it sounds lovely- even with all the hippie stuff. ;)

Cajoh said...

At first I thought that it was the same song that the Skeletons covered— but I was wrong.

The only Dixon I know of is the birthplace of Ronald Reagan in Dixon Illinois— sorry.

Me (aka Danielle) said...

I have to admit that I have heard of neither place, but they do seem magical! What great memories!

Miss Melissa said...

Never heard of Winters, but Davis has an awesome grad program in nursing I'm kinda interested in a few years from now. The more you know, right? ;)

Bonnie the Boss said...

It sounds like the perfect place to raise a family! I think we need to move there! The black eye is funny!