I’ve always been sentimental. Nostalgic. A smell, a sound…it doesn’t take much to take me back into another place and time. I was just about 6 years old when I moved to Tulsa to live with my Mom and Step-Dad Johnnie. We lived in the house that Johnnie and my Step-Sister Amy lived in and I considered it my own home. I think my Mom never really thought of it as “hers” though. I can remember going to look at open houses on Sunday afternoons. My sister and I would always call dibs on whatever bedroom we thought should be ours. We’d dream up ways to arrange our furniture and think about how neat it would be to live in that “new” house. It wasn’t until the summer before my senior year of high school that we actually did move. I don’t remember feeling sad about it at the time. It was just a house after all. As time went by though I started missing that old house. 219. That was the house number and how we would refer to it after that. “Remember when we used to slide down the stairs at 219?”

Even after I was married and Brad and I started thinking about building our own home, it was that floor plan that I wanted to duplicate. Not because it was an awesome floor plan. I think it was more that it was what I thought of when I thought of “home”. Yes, it was just a house but it held so many memories. Maybe if I could build that house again the memories wouldn’t fade.

We are in the process of trying to sell our current home. Brad built this home and the memories just from that time period are too many to count. We love this home. But when it comes right down to it, it’s just a house. We realize now that we could downsize some and spend our money on things a little bit more important. Over the last year and a half I’ve just been praying that we would get an offer and we just never have. I found out yesterday that there is someone who might be interested. I don’t know it it will work out or not but I know that I got off the phone with my realtor and felt a little bit sick. All this time feeling like this is the path that God was leading us on and talking the talk about “it’s just a house” and all of the sudden I just felt like I couldn’t move. This is MY house. This is where my children have grown up. I can’t leave this place.

I don’t really like change. If things change then I only have memories left. I think that’s enough though. More memories will be made no matter what house we live in. And when it comes down to it, it’s really just this simple:

Whether we stay in this home forever or move next week, we will always have the memories that have been made here. Just as I have these memories forever with me from 219.

1. We had a basement in that house that terrified me. It’s where the laundry was, and the deep freeze, and the “pantry” was the side of the wall going down the basement stairs. If I ever had to get anything out of the pantry I would open the door and without stepping on the stairs I would lean out as far as I could to reach what I needed. If I couldn’t reach it I’d have my little sister get it. (She was my go-to girl when I was scared. I could get her to do anything.) There was a crawl space under the house and you could see it from the basement. I’m pretty sure Freddy Krueger lived under there. And the stairs didn’t have backs on them. So on the off chance that I had to actually go down there I would walk up the stairs and could see through to the crawl space. I probably should have been a runner back then. I was like Flash from the Incredibles going up those stairs.

2. There was a little bitty half bath downstairs and on the back wall there was a mirror. In each corner of the mirror was the screw that held it in place and there was a little clear plastic flower around the screw. One of the little flowers was broken and it would turn freely. I’m not sure how I discovered that. I just remember any time I was in that bathroom I would give that little flower a big push and see how many times I could get it to spin around.

3. We kept track of our growth on the door frame of the door going to the basement. I loved to sit and look at all the different marks on the wall and try to remember how it felt to be when I was shorter. Like growing a couple of inches made everything look differently. I’m pretty sure there was a little tick mark down at the bottom where I had held my guinea pig up on his hind legs to see how tall he was. If you were a member of the family, you were on the growth chart.

4. Our kitchen floor was black and white checkered. I loved it. I would hop through the kitchen from the dining room, on the way back to the family room, pretending that if I stepped on the white the hot lava would get me. Sometimes it was alligators. Whatever it was, I always stayed on the black ones. I’m not sure why, those were just always the safe ones.

5. In the dining room there was a big huge grate in the floor. I guess maybe it was the air vent. It was big. Really big. I’d never seen the grate cave in but I was certain if I walked on it that’s exactly what would happen. And you had to go over it to get through to the kitchen. Unless you went around the table the long way OR if you went through the living room. Either of those routes required extra steps though and as a chunky child I was not looking to take any more steps than I needed to. So I jumped. One quick jump over the grate and you were safe. Just in time to hop all the way through the kitchen on the black tiles.

6. When we moved in the number of people in the house went from 2 to 6. Johnnie built onto the back of the house our family room and back stairs that led up to their new master bedroom. At the landing at the top of the stairs was a closet and in that closet were pull-down stairs that led to the attic. Just up those stairs and then out a little side escape and you were safely on the roof of the new addition. Amy showed me how to get up there and that’s where I would go bake in the sun where no one could see me. I’d climb up there with a big Coke and a book and a towel and sometimes my walkman (I was cool.) and just fry. One time a friend told me she used Crisco as suntan lotion and I thought that sounded like an awesome idea. We only had butter flavored Crisco and I figured that wouldn’t be a problem. I don’t think I had it lathered on me for more than 5 minutes before a nearby bee’s nest found me. Apparently bee’s like butter as much as honey. Who knew.

7. One of my favorite things about 219 was the big huge magnolia tree in the front yard. I was never much of a tree climber but my brother would scale that thing up to the roof line of our house. I preferred hanging from the bottom branch which was much safer. What I really loved was using the fallen magnolia blooms to write secret messages on. You could write out a whole message and not see it right away. Not until the creases made by the messages turned the flower brown. Not long after we moved from 219, the new owners cut down that old magnolia tree.

8. We didn’t have a mail box at 219. Instead, we had a mail slot in the door. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. Every day, the mail man would come and open that slot and just drop the mail in on the floor. If you happened to be in the living room when it came in, it seemed like letters and flyers appearing from no where. My sister Amy and brother Matt were both able to open the front door without a key using the mail slot. They’d stick their long skinny arm in, reach over to the door knob, turn the lock and they were in. My little sister Emily and I had chunky arms so if we got locked out we had to just wait till someone let us in. One time Amy told her friends about how to get into the house. Then some jr high girl drama happened and one particular friend was mad at Amy so she snuck in our house while we were gone and poured shipping peanuts and maple syrup all over the kitchen floor. Not cool.

9. We weren’t allowed to have our own phone in our rooms. At the top of the stairs there was a rotary phone on the wall that had a super long cord. I spent hours on that phone. I’d pull the cord tight and go into my room and talk and pretend like it was my own phone. Or I’d sit at the top of the stairs blocking the way up or down with my body and the cord. It was like an obstacle course trying to get past someone on the phone up there.

10. Our neighborhood was pretty awesome. At any given time there would be a group of kids outside playing. Whether it was a game of baseball in the middle of the street with the older boys in the neighborhood, playing “house” pretending the little twins Charlie and Dave from across the street were our kids or getting bundled up to go out and build and igloo on a snow day there were always plenty of people to play with. We’d have block parties where the street would be blocked off and all the neighbors would come out and hang together. We had garage sales with the Kerns and Champions and Perrys. From my street, within just a couple of blocks there were just so many people to play with. Jennifer and her little sister Melanie, Benji, Jeb, the little twins, Emily, Nan, Jason, Amanda, my best friend Lisa who moved all the way across town when we were in elementary school… Man, I loved that neighborhood.

Here’s to memories we hold with us and new ones to be made. What are some of your favorite memories from the home you grew up in? Does your family still live there? Do you drive by every time you’re in town? Comment and share your memories with me!

It’s time for another edition of  Ten On Tuesday and this week I’m sharing the last 10 jobs I’ve had.  Actually, there is a bonus #11 this week because as it turns out that’s how many jobs I’ve had in my lifetime.  I’ve apparently been a busy bee.

So starting with the most recent, before my current photography business (so actually I’ve had 12 jobs!) they are as follows:

1.  EFCMHC.  That would be Edwin Fair Community Mental Health Center.  My kids liked to say that I just acted like I worked there when I was in fact a patient.  Some days I felt like I could definitely be a patient there.  I worked as the receptionist in the Med Clinic and it was insane.  (No pun intended.)  We were always crazy busy and the doctor was always rushed.  I really had a heart for a lot of our clients and hated that they weren’t getting better care.  However, the ratio of patients vs care givers was completely out of proportion and so we did the best we could.  I was working my photography business on the side at the time.  I went round and round with the administration saying that we needed more help but things never seemed to pan out.  So in December of 2008 I left EFCMHC and decided to give madigan.e.photography a full time try.  Yay!

2.  SIM.  Also known as Stillwater Internal Medicine.  This was the first outside-of-the-home job I’d had in a long time.  With my youngest in Pre-K I took the part time position and really enjoyed it.  I filed papers.  Lots of papers.  And took phone calls.  Lots of phone calls.  When my good friend Leah left to work at EFCMHC and needed a full time secretary I considered it.  Then I found out my very favorite doctor was leaving SIM (I still give him a hard time for that!) and my decision to leave was sealed.  I loved working here though.  Tons of great co-workers!

3.  Stay-At-Home-Mom.  From the time I had Eli in August of 1996 till Teagan was old enough to go to school in the fall of 2006 I was blessed to stay home with the kids.  I LOVED being home with them.  I still get weepy when August rolls around and it’s time to send them off to school.  I just like having them all home with me!  During these years, I tried several things to supplement our income.  For a couple of years I taught the 1 year old class at our church’s Mother’s Day Out program.  I sold Mary Kay, Artistry, Pampered Chef.  Well, I tried to sell it at least.  I went through a period of making wood crafts and painting them and sold them at craft fairs.  And finally, I started a business called Pretty Please Originals where I sold one-of-a-kind pieces of clothing for little girls. Eventually I moved from clothing to making nap-mats after Sadie went to school and I saw the need for them.  Oh snap!  I just googled my name and found an old interview! Too funny!

4. Shortly after Madi was born in 1995 I went to work at the District Attorney’s office. My official title was “misdemeanor clerk”. I basically filed/did the paperwork for the misdemeanor charges. SO fun. Especially the people I worked with. Several of us are still friends today.

5. I consider this job my first “real” adult job. Stillwater Police Department. Boom! I had a badge and everything! I applied after finding out that we were unexpectedly expecting Madi. Brad was still in school and had just started a part time job with the City of Stillwater. I needed a full time job. So I applied, went through testing, and then found out that I didn’t get the job. I was so sad. But THEN, I got a call that the person who had been offered the job had already taken another position. So yeah, I was second runner up. Ain’t no shame in that if I end up with the job. Right? I worked right up until Madi arrived. Good times.

6. IGA Floral Shop. I got this job in college. Then I got my boyfriend a job here as a delivery driver. It was awesome. A big huge grocery store with a flower shop. I knew nothing about flowers but I was “artsy” and I soon learned all about making arrangements and funeral sprays and wedding bouquets. My boss, Steve Harris, now owns Little Shop of Flowers here in Stillwater. He was really an awesome guy to work for. My Mom was battling cancer when I worked for him. I asked off for Mother’s Day 2003 which was one of the busiest times of the year for us. He let me off so that I could go spend the day with my Mom. She passed away 6 days later. Since my family figured I “knew” about flowers I was put in charge of them for her funeral and Steve took care of the entire thing. Eight months later Steve and a crew made the trip to Tulsa to deliver my wedding flowers. They were absolutely beautiful. He still calls me by the nickname he had for me way back when every time I see him. Bambi. Don’t ask.

7. Lerner’s. You know that store that used to be in the mall? I worked there for like 2 months one summer. I hated that job. My boss never liked me. I mean, she hired me but I just never felt like I belonged there. Which is probably why I didn’t last very long. I left to go back to school and never looked back.

8. Mazzios. Ah, Mazzios. “Thank you for calling Mazzios Pizza 41st and Peoria this is Margo speaking how may I help you?” That was my spiel when I answered the phones. I was pretty awesome at it. I liked this job a lot. Probably because I worked with a bunch of other high school kids and we all kinda ran the place. I’m not even kidding. It was like our own store. Awesome.

9. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Yogurt. Yum! A married couple owned the franchise. I remember his name was Greg and his wife had long black hair that she wore up on the very top of her head. They had 2 kids that were often at the store too. And there was a guy who always came through the drive through to get his dog a cone of peanut butter yogurt. He claimed that if he drove by the place without stopping his dog would go crazy barking until he turned around. Some time after I stopped working there they had a break in. Greg kept a gun in the store for such instances. Unfortunately, the robber was in the store when Greg got to work one morning. As he entered the building, he was shot and killed with his own gun. Such a sad story.

10. Swensen’s Ice Cream. I consumed more than my fair share of New York Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream while working here. A guy named Virgil owned the store and his daughter Libby, who was just a few years older than me was always working. It would often be just the 3 of us in the evening. I really loved working with them. We were like a little family. At dinner time Virgil would cook up some patty melt’s and we’d sit and eat. We could do that, cause there wasn’t a ton of business. Which is why I eventually left when Virgil had to close the doors for good. Several years ago while at the Tulsa Airport I saw Virgil working at a little deli. I stopped to get a drink for my flight and was so happy when he recognized me. We talked, he caught me up on Libby. Pretty cool.

Bonus! My very first job ever was at Chimi’s in Tulsa. I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong working at a Mexican Restaurant. I lived at 27th and Peoria and worked at 81st and Lewis. If you are familiar with Tulsa then you know that is quite a commute. Plus, I didn’t drive. My poor Mom had to drive me and pick me up every time I worked! I’m fairly certain she spent as much in gas as I made in wages. She was so cool. There were a bunch of people from my school that worked at this location and then my older brother started working there too. It was a pretty awesome first job.

Well there ya have it, the last 10 places I worked plus a little bonus thrown in. Of course, while writing this out I thought about all the jobs I’d forgotten. I tried babysitting. (Tried because I’d always get scared and my Mom would have to come save the day.) I did a short stint at The Gap when a new store opened. I spent everything I made in the store. I was one of those super annoying people at the mall who you always want to avoid eye contact with because you don’t want to do their dumb surveys. I wasn’t good at that, I guess I couldn’t be annoying enough. I know you’re surprised at that one. There may be more but this is what my old brain remembers.

So, what was the most favorite job you’ve ever had? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

This post has been up for just a couple of hours and I’ve already thought of a HUGE job that I completely forgot about. Maybe I just blocked it out? Who knows. Anyway, once upon a time in that period between the DA’s office and SIM there was this little place called The Riviera Tanning Spa that I opened. No big deal.