#WQW.....Theme: Writers Choice: Hometowns

It's another week of  Writer's Quotes Wednesday, hosted by Marsha from Always Write. If you're interested in joining, you can find more about #WQW here.

Where do I want to go with this....it was writers choice or travel by boat or ship. I opted for writers choice, though after reading marsha's post, I realized I could've went with the other theme as well.

I decided to go with "Hometowns". Why? Because on our Tuesday Four link party, one of the questions had to do with hometowns which got me thinking "what defines a "hometown"? What makes us refer to a place as "my hometown". I have currently lived in my current town longer than any other town/city I've lived in. From the time I was little til I was in 4th grade, we lived in Lorain Ohio, then from 4th grade til I graduated we lived in North Bend Washington (I did go to college in Portland, Or for 2 years, met my hubby, moved home for a year or so and then got married), and now I live in Woodland, Wa where I've been for just about 30 years. Yet I refer to the second town I lived in as my hometown. I don't even know why. I suppose because I associate it with my growing up years. 

This photo from the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Society FB page is from the 1970's of part of downtown North Bend...many of the buildings had an "alpine" look to them, and many are still the same today. Here's a great video done in 2012 about the town..

However we look at it, there's just something endearing about the phrase "Hometown". It brings a sense of peace, comfort, joy, usually happy memories. 

Hometown = the town of one's birth or early life or of one's present fixed resident.

Well that definition (which is the one I found on every site), certainly leaves it up to interpretation. Perhaps your hometown is the place you feel most at home. Maybe the place you grew up doesn't hold positive memories, but the place you currently live does, that would be your hometown. I can probably say that each of the towns I've lived held positive memories and could be hometowns to me. 

Mt. Si...many people climb this mountain. To the right is "Little Si". They were named after a local homesteader "Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt. He died in 1882. Apparently it's summit is known as "the haystack" and is a class 3 scramble...whatever that. means. It is 4,167'. 

Growing up, my girls called this "Nannies Mountain" because when we'd take the drive to see my parents, as soon as they could see it, they knew we were almost to Nannie and Bapa's house. 

In August we are traveling as a family to Ohio, the place my parents were born and raised, and where I lived for a time. We will be staying on Kelly's Island, a place we visited when I was small. I don't remember a whole lot, but somehow there is history there, there are memories there that seem special to me, and I'll be seeing my aunts, 3 of my favorite people. While I'd never go back and live there, and I don't remember a lot, and there were many not so pleasant memories, there's something about it that draws me in. 

Snoqualmie Falls is another very popular tourist spot. 

There are so many songs about "hometowns". This website said there are 77 songs about home and hometowns. 

"Back roads raise us, highways take us, memories make us wanna go back...so stay or leave Part of me will always be half of my hometown". Kelsea Ballerini

Some of my favorites: 

1. The house that built me...Miranda Lambert

2. Our house.....Madness

3. Home....Michael Buble

4. Small Town...John Cougar Mellencamp

5. Give me back my hometown...Eric Church

6. Thank God for Hometowns...Carrie Underwood

Just to name a few. I know there are others I hear on the radio that tug at my heart strings. I'm sentimental and roots and memories mean a lot to me. Even in the places where it wasn't always happy, there are memories worth keeping. I think ultimately I will always think of North Bend as my hometown. It's where I became so much of who I am....where I found my faith, friendships that I still have though they're long distance. It's where as a child we found freedom and joy running around the neighborhoods playing kick the can and other games. I was in the band and drill team in H.S. 

Sometimes life goes on everyday and we don't pause to photograph where we live (the normal parts)...I know I have a photo of our current downtown but cannot find it, so the following photos are from past Planters Day Festivals...our yearly town celebration that is always so fun to be a part of. 

I love where we live now...it's a small town, near the cities, surrounded by nature and good people. My hubby grew up here, so did his mom. It's where we raised both our girls, were youth pastors for almost 20 years. It's a great little town. Sure it has it's problems and I'm not a fan of how much it's growing and let's not even start talking about the horrible traffic issue (yet they still want to build more homes/apartments). It's close to so many amazing recreational areas. Where I work part time, people know each other, become friends, remember my hubby or my in-laws from years ago...You feel known and loved. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin