Responding to my recent post on “Duck & Cover…”, my U-U friend Emily, who has posted several comments on my blog, recalled as a kid living next door to her elementary school and its playground. She recalls fondly having the playground so close, and being able to spend so much time playing there. I had a similar circumstance in my youth…

My mom and dad made a concerted effort when my brother and I were kids to live next to a park, so we had that great close by venue to play. During my early elementary years, we lived in our little house across the street from Almendinger Park in Ann Arbor. Not a big park, but it had a playground, big lilac bushes to hide in and do imagination play, a couple baseball diamonds, a tennis court and picnic tables under a stand of maple trees. The parks and recreation department also had a person on site in the summer to let kids in the neighborhood check out sports equipment – soccer balls, baseballs and bats, tether balls, etc. – and organize some activities. Continue reading →