The 10-20-30 Meme
Just got tagged by Jessica and Georgiana D for the 10-20-30 Meme, started at author Mary DeMuth’s Relevant blog…
Quick: What were you doing ten, twenty and thirty years ago?
Ten years ago–
Age 22. We’d just moved from our cozy first trailer home into an old fixer-upper on 12 acres. I’d been killing myself sanding and painting because…I thought I was going to give birth to our first child in a mere week. Little did I know she’d be 17 days overdue. Yes, I resisted inducement that long before finally giving in… I was busy directing our church’s puppet team and having kids’ club meetings each Wednesday night at church and loving being a stay-at-home-wife. Life was indeed very good!
(this pic, scanned out of oldest’s baby book and cropped, is at my first baby shower, during which several girls on the puppet team surprised me with a puppet skit about my upcoming “blessed moment”…that feather-haired puppet played me–pregnant and delivering! It was a hoot…)
Twenty years ago–
Here the memory gets hazy…Twelve years old, beginning junior high at a small private school in Texas, and d
esperately trying to “fit” in. Somehow I’d made it to that age without caring about fashion or hairstyles, but I remember driving my mom crazy trying to find a pair of hot pink flats to go with a fuschia colored dress I’d bought myself on a trip to Canada that previous summer. That was the year, I believe, that my friendship blossomed with Teresa (who became my future maid of honor).
I had three jobs:
- Each Monday night after school I’d go home with a family of 7 and spend the evening babysitting their brood so the parents could have a date night. Then they’d take me back to school the next morning. I have so many good memories of those times…and got $25 a week for pure pleasure!
- On Wednesday evenings, our church paid me $5/hour to babysit during mid-week Bible classes.
- On Saturdays, I helped out in a clothing boutique…steaming the newly arrived clothes, dusting, vacuuming and washing out wine glasses!
The above jobs kept me from feeling too much of an only child (my siblings are 11, 13 and 17 years older than me) and from missing my 4 adorable nieces and nephews, who all lived in other states. 
I loved evenings spent bicycling with my dad around the big city, coming home to watch reruns of the Donna Reed show or American Movie classics.
Thirty years ago–
Two years old, just returned from a three month long trip that hit each of the mainland states and Prince
Edward Island with my mom, my sisters and one of their school friends. My cute curls got chopped on that trip, I rode the merry-go-round gazillion times in a row at Disney World (according to my saint of a mom) and brought back a Cinderella nightgown that I loved so much I was still wearing it at age 7! We lived on the West Coast at that time.
I tag (trying to think of those of you who are at least 30):
- Jen at My3BoysandI
- Amy at Knight’s Acre
- Colleen at Talk About It
- MInTheGap at Weekend Kindness
- Elizabeth at Wisdom Walk
- Jana at Queen of Many
- Leticia at Leticia’s World
Here’s the idea, post your own 10-20-30’s, tag some friends, and link back to Mary DeMuth’s releventblog post.
Have fun!
Comment by jen
October 15, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
wow your daughter was 17 days over due????
when you came to tagging you said you were trying to think of who was at least 30
how old do you think I am???
Comment by E Bussey
October 15, 2007 @ 8:00 pm
Okay, I took up the challenge.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Comment by Mary
October 15, 2007 @ 9:38 pm
Jen! Of course, from your comment, you must be over 30! Now you must play–I added you!
And yes, I was that far overdue. Went through a lot of non-stress tests and other nonsense just because I *really* wanted to have her on my own, but the dr. ended up breaking my water when I’d been dilated to 3 and 90% effaced for 4 weeks! Can you believe it? Here my dr. was saying I’d go anytime (she started saying this 3 weeks before my actual due date of Oct. 21st, and then dd took an additional 17 days to arrive. God must have known I needed patience??
As far as how old you are, Jen? I’m guessing 40, based on the fact that you talk about having older children, older than Billy…
Elizabeth, good–will be looking forward to your 10-20-30!
Comment by jen
October 15, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
40!!!!!!!!!!! NO
although I wished I was yesterday
went for a long overdue womans test at the doctors and if Id been 40 it would have been free
as it was it cost me $NZ45!!!
I do have one older daughter estranged (15 years old)
Im 37
Comment by jen
October 15, 2007 @ 10:30 pm
Oh and Ill play
later this week
Comment by Mary
October 15, 2007 @ 10:39 pm
Ack, hiding my head! For some reason I thought your daughter was in her twenties! Ah well, only 3 years off! Thanks for playing!
Comment by Amy
October 15, 2007 @ 10:55 pm
oooh you tagged me! Ok, I’ll get onto this in a few days.
Comment by Mary
October 15, 2007 @ 11:20 pm
Great! Can’t wait.
Comment by Colleen
October 16, 2007 @ 6:10 am
This was a great reflection into the past few years! I can’t wait to sit down and write my own, although it’ll have to be a 10-20-28.75
Comment by Georgiana Daniels
October 16, 2007 @ 11:15 am
I cannot believe your daughter was so many days overdue–I’d have been going nuts!!! Great pictures Mary!
Comment by Leticia
October 16, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
Oh, yeah, I’ll do this tag!! Thanks Mary!
And, I am very impressed on what a hard worker you were. Most kids just had one job.
Comment by jen
October 16, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
mines up
Comment by Mary
October 16, 2007 @ 6:28 pm
Oh Colleen…duh! I knew that…yes, go ahead and make it a 28.75 year for that last part! Lol…
Thanks, Georgiana!
It’s funny, Leticia, all those jobs came my way naturally, w/o me seeking them out. Everyone I worked for attended our church and were good friends of our family. It never seemed like work!
And yours was fun to read Jen, thanks for letting me know!
Comment by Jana
October 16, 2007 @ 7:16 pm
Code 46, Section III, Article d of the Internet Blogging Courtesy Code says that one blogger cannot be blogged more than one time in a 30 day period…guess I’m off the hook!
Comment by Jana
October 17, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
Oops I meant TAGGED:) That’s what I get for trying to be funny…
Comment by Mary
October 17, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Wha-at? Didn’t you also read (at the wikipedia of blogging facts and paraphernalia) that *different* memes can be tucked away for rainy days when no blog ideas are forthcoming? But, we can go with your netiquette, definitely!
Comment by Gina
October 25, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
This meme is on my to do list. I just hope I remember as many details as you did!
Comment by Mary
October 26, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Can’t wait to read yours, Gina!
Comment by Gina
October 31, 2007 @ 10:08 am
Mine posted today!
Comment by Mary
October 31, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
Goodie!