memoir - rough draft

8/10/2019 Memoir - Rough Draft

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Amanda Buehler

ENGL 110 001

Professor Marion Bruner

7 September 2014

Memoir Rough Draft

My Safe Haven

On April 13th

, 1996 the little suburban town of Simsbury, CT

was rocked forever with the addition of a smiling, hazel-eyed baby girl.

Horseshoe Circle was the center of birthday parties, “Thank you for

leaving” moments, family reunions and emotional goodbyes. The three

level house with blue shutters; stood at the front of the street when you

entered. Within the three levels there was enough room for a child to get

lost; with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, two living rooms

and a basement, let‟s just say it was the best hide-in-seek game ever. But

how do you say goodbye to something that was your home for eight amazing years and was

filled from top to bottom with family memories?

Horseshoe Circle was approximately 1.86 miles or five minutes away from my

grandparent‟s house on Firetown R oad. Since the day I could walk my parents would take me

through the backstreets to my grandparent‟s; those streets were lined with houses that looked

identical in architecture, home to one aggressive Labordoodle by the name of „Billy‟ screeching

to life behind an invisible fence whenever someone passed and the many moments of myself

falling and scrapping myself on the stubby rocks. Every bruise, scrape and fearful cry because of



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„Billy, paints a vivid a picture of some of the greatest moments of my life. My grandparent‟s

house was the center of family gatherings and family traditions. Everyday on my way to

Kindergarten at Apple Tree my driver would drive on Firetown Road everyday at 12:05, and I

would gleefully jump out of the van and race to give both my grandparent‟s a hug and kiss

before I went to school. My grandmother would have cookies and other delectable goodies set

out on their Victorian counter in their kitchen. Even when my little sister and myself would ride

home from elementary on the school bus, our bus driver

would deliberately drive by our grandparent‟s so we could

wave to them.

My Horseshoe Circle home was spent with funny

moments caught on videos that my parents had taken. I can

recollect when I had my third birthday party; I invited one of

my teachers over and literally took her on a 10minute

walkthrough of our house, showing her every room. Another

hilarious moment spent at our house was at the end of the „Blues Clues‟ themed birthday party

was while everyone packed their belongings, I told them, “Thank you for leaving!” My mother

has that on video and literally bursts into laughter every time she sees it.

Andes‟ and Fitzgerald‟s grocery stores were my „kid in the candy shop moments.‟ I

would attend every Halloween Trick-or-Treat social and Easter Egg Hunt in both stores until my

departure in 2004. Fitzgerald‟s was located in downtown Simsbury right next to this lovely

Victorian style-house later turned ice cream parlor. Fitzgerald‟s knew children would become

restless while our parents shopped for groceries and household items, so they decided to put in a



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train station/robotic interactive game at the front of the store; and let‟s just say I did not want to

leave after my parents were done paying for the groceries.

One of the final vivid memories spent up in Connecticut would be when our family

would attend the „Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus‟ Christmas specials at Flaming Farms. One of the

final times we went as a family; my cousins, little sister and myself spotted the Grinch after one

of his failed attempts to ruin the social, sitting on

a tree stump near one of the barns. As young

children we decided that we should take matters

„into our own hands‟ and deal with the Grinch

heads on about him interrupting our time with

Santa. We did not know in fact know that our

family were spectating this moment of

events from inside the cafeteria; and were

recording it. On the video you can see four little

pipsqueaks argue with the Grinch whom was

five times as big as them all and deliberately start to punch and kick the man. We would

surround the Grinch from all sides and unleash a furry of attack moves until he was on the

ground or until „Frosty the Snowman‟ came over and lectured us about not hurting the Grinch.

Our parents, grandparent‟s and our aunt were laughing the whole time and greeted us with

applause when we walked back into the café. The only downside to beating up the Grinch, was

that when the man took off his costume he was our driver for our horse ride around the land and

it got really awkward.



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You would think that I would have forgotten every heartfelt, horrible or special moment

since I moved out of CT at age eight and lived in two other states. Since we have left we have

only been back to visit our family around four times (one including attending my grandmother‟s

funeral last year) and I still pick out some of my favorite places in Simsbury and can go on for

hours about different memories that occurred. Janine was too young to remember all the times

we spent roaming around Simsbury, so I usually refresh her memory. Even though I only lived in

Connecticut for the eight years of my life, it honestly feels like I just left it two years ago.

Whenever I think about the future, which is really scary at times, I just reminisce all the fun

times I got to spend with my family growing up in my little safe haven.

memoir - rough draft

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