All Request Tuesday: Strong Memories

A Pointless Story

The question, "What is your strongest memory from childhood?" has been asked of me. While it is hard to quantify strongest I'd have to say it was my grandma's kitchen. I remember how walking in it would smell faintly of talcum powder and food. The clock in her old stove ticked very quickly, like a loud stopwatch. The yellow linoleum had a pebbled surface that I liked a lot, it was like flattened beach stones. There were a few spots where it was loose from the floorboards and I would poke at the bubble to get it to go down temporarily. It had these very high ceilings, probably higher in my memories than in life, with cupboards that went all the way up. We would have to get out a short stepladder when we wanted something down from them. The little breakfast nook had a linoleum-topped table with a rolled metal edge, very 1940s. There was a drawing that looked like an old black and white photo. I loved to look at it while I ate my breakfast of shredded wheat or oatmeal with her. It had a one of those round florescent tube lights, also something right out of the 1930s or 40s, in the center of the main part. The stove was a battered white enameled metal affair with rounded corners. I could draw a layout of it perfectly after all these years.

I think that's a good candidate for strongest. Working on the next request. If anyone else has questions answered or stories told, or whatever today is a very good day to ask.