Christmas & Disneyland

{my family in 1958 at Disneyland}

{me at Disneyland for my 53rd birthday 11/25/09, this was before my daughter told me my birthday buttons looked like pasties...I moved them! LOL}

Growing up in the late 50's, Disneyland was every child's dream. If you were lucky enough to have grown up in southern California it was often more then a dream. If you were really lucky, your parents saved their nickles & dimes & once a year would pack up the kids, throw them in the back of the station wagon {without seat belts} & drive to Anaheim to go to the Happiest Place on Earth & if you were really, really lucky, your Daddy worked there!

{excerpt from a past post}

I was born in Long Beach, CA because my Father joined the Marines right out of his High School in Illinois & was stationed in Oceanside. With the VA Bill he was able to go to college & buy our 1st house, but he worked 2 jobs to support his family & we never went without, a gift. One of his jobs was working at Disneyland as a janitor back when Disneyland & the idea of amusement parks was brand new. My brother & I kept empty mayonnaise jars on our dresser. Every morning when we woke up the jars would be filled to the brim with shiny pennies, nickles & dimes. I would find a Disneyland pen light in my jar, while John might find a pop gun or giant pencil in his & of course we would always get TICKETS! Long after the rides had closed for the night & the smiling, sleepy children & worn out parents left the park, my Father swept Main Street. He cleaned the bathrooms & the shops & arcade that lined the street. He worked through the early morning hours while we were home asleep in our beds & at the end of his shift the work crew would divide up the remnants of abandoned toys & lost change & take them home to their children. Every morning when we awoke it was like Christmas!

{Susie 51 years later at Disneyland with Courtney}

Disneyland has always been the Happiest Place on Earth to me, it still is! So when I leave this earthbound form & finally, truly have my wings, scatter a few of my ashes in the flower beds surrounding Disneyland...I'll be smiling in heaven, wearing my Micky Mouse Ears!!! ;)