For years, seriously years, I had memories of a movie I used to watch as a kid at my grandparents' house. I knew there were butterflies in the movie. I remembered an owl. And most of all I remembered a girl with a braid, lace-up boots, and a lunch pale. I had some other vague memories of the movie but I couldn't for the life of me come up with the name of the movie, or anything else about it really.
I grew up with 4 brothers and lots of cousins close by, so I was sure they too had seen this movie at The Farm. I couldn't have been the only one who ever saw that movie, the odds just weren't right. So on several occasions I would describe my memories of the movie to my brothers, and they'd laugh, in true brother form, because 1. I was weird for caring and 2. they didn't remember it.
So I resorted to Google. It was sure I was talking about Anne of Green Gables, but I wasn't. I searched online movie forums, IMDb, and still, nothing.
Finally I decided I'd ask my brothers, and my cousins on Facebook if they remembered the movie. Here was our conversation:
Ashlee Smith
March 12
Michael, Matt, Sherrod, Bryan, Katie, Rylee, Markee: Do any of you (or anybody else for that matter) remember a movie we used to watch at The Farm about a girl in a long dress with a long braid and tall lace-ups and a tin lunch pale? She maybe ran away from home or something like that and came across some sort of animal shelter where there was an injured owl and a whole room of dead butterflies in pretty display cases. Perhaps her aunt ran the animal shelter at a school or something? It's all pretty vague but I've been trying for ages to figure it out. Any help?
26Like ·
Sherrod You win. Weirdest post ever.
March 12 at 10:47pm · Like
Ashlee Smith Dude, whatever! I'm serious. Do you remember that movie?
March 12 at 10:48pm · Like
Markee haha I got nothin! So sorry!!
March 12 at 10:49pm · Like
Sherrod No idea what you are even talking about.
March 12 at 10:49pm · Like
Rylee just thinking about this movie today!!!!!!! No joke!!! Girl of the limber lost!!!!
March 12 at 10:49pm · Like
Markee oh ok now that I hear the name I can kind of remember! haha you guys are funny!!
March 12 at 10:50pm · Like
Bryan I remember watching William the Sparrow and grandma watching Violin Player in the Roof.
March 12 at 10:51pm · Like · 1
Sherrod Lol at brew!
March 12 at 10:52pm · Like
Bryan I actually do remember that movie though. For reals.
March 12 at 10:52pm · Like
Ashlee Smith Okay this is killing me!! I would have never in a million years come up with the name of that movie Ryles, but I just Youtubed it and almost started crying!! It's the one I've been trying to think of FOREVER!! THANK YOU! And who could forget Willy the Sparrow. All I remember Grandma watching was Days of Our Lives. lol
March 12 at 10:52pm · Like · 1
Bryan I mean on the roof.
March 12 at 10:52pm · Like
Markee willy the sparrow, wow!! Have not thought about that show forever, just watched some of that on you tube and memories came flooding back!!
March 12 at 10:56pm · Like
Connor Race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4V5cebc30
Babes in Toyland Trailer
This trailer for "Babes in Toyland" I cut for a School Editing project. This 198...See More
March 12 at 11:01pm · Like ·
Connor Race anybody remember that? ^
March 12 at 11:01pm · Like · 1
Markee yes!!!
March 12 at 11:01pm · Like
Markee used to scare the crap outa me
March 12 at 11:01pm · Like
Ashlee Smith Can quote every line! Sorry I didn't include you and ChantZ on this earlier!
March 12 at 11:02pm · Like
Bryan Cincinnati
March 12 at 11:02pm · Like
Ashlee Smith The best town in
O h
I Ohio
March 12 at 11:03pm · Like
Rylee I'm laughing so hard im crying!!!
March 12 at 11:13pm · Like
Ashlee Smith Haha
March 12 at 11:14pm · Like
Bryan Trolls, monsters, marching toy soldiers, a fat curly haired guy... everything I love in a movie.
March 12 at 11:15pm · Like
Ashlee Smith There were no trolls! Except the ones with neon colored hair Markee used to play with. Anyone?
March 12 at 11:18pm · Like
Katie Seriously you people. The girl of the limber lost only rylee can remember things like that.
March 13 at 11:32am · Like
Chantz I am too too young.
March 14 at 11:51am · Like
Michael No idea Ash...sorry.
March 16 at 12:06am · Like
So about half way through the Facebook conversation my parents started reading it, and were as hysterical as I was. And can you blame us? My brothers and cousins are pretty stinking funny. Anyway, fast forward to last week.
I called my mom with a HUGE dilemma. I couldn't find a dish rag at the store that I liked, and the ones I ended up with were useless. She laughed because we both like the same dish rag, and she said before my grandma died, Grandma had stocked up on said dish rags. Apparently she, and the aunts and the cousins all like them too! So my mom said she'd go out to The Farm and get some rags, and send them to me ASAP.
To tie this long story all together, when the package of dish rags came in the mail, it was accompanied by The Girl of The LimberLost VHS. I called my mom and she said she found it at a yard sale for $1 but she would have paid $10 for it after our Facebook conversation. We had a good laugh and hung up.
Then I burst into tears!
1. COOLEST MOM EVER!! To pay attention to something I said, and then to send me a sweet package and gift made me realize (for the 1,000,000th time) how amazing my mom is.
2. I had the best upbringing. Obviously if we watched movies like this, my childhood rocked! But that aside, I had grandparents attend every event I participated in. I had cousins to play with any time I wanted. I had brothers who would tease me relentlessly, but would have done anything for me in a minute. I had parents who loved me no matter what.
3. I sometimes miss being a little kid in Eagar, AZ. I miss the 2 stop-light little town. I miss waving to every car that drove by. I miss only having to give the last 4 #'s of my phone number at Safeway because the town was small enough that everybody had the same pre-fix. I miss watching the seasons change. I hope I get to live in Eagar again some day, but if I never do, the thousands and thousands of good memories I have of my childhood will have to carry me through.
Who would have known that The Girl of The LimberLost could teach me so much?!
