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Flying Mom's UmbrellaThis fun FLYING story is for children and anyone young at heart.
I like storytelling. I can remember my aunts and grandmas telling stories to me when I was a little girl. Now it is my turn to tell stories to my little grandchildren, and I love it, and my grandchildren like my storytelling even more. So...this story is about when I decided that getting up into the sky was definitely for me. I could use my mom's navy blue silk umbrella as my airplane if she would allow me to borrow it for a little while. Trust me, it is totally possible IF you have the imagination of a skinny, little, red-headed, freckled-faced, eight-year-old Norwegian girl with the name of Anne Grete. On a windy, rainy day, I saw a lady hanging onto her umbrella so it wouldn't take off. That's all it took for this little girl to come up with the idea of flying. Mamma had a beautiful navy blue and white silk umbrella...I thought to myself, "Maybe I could borrow it for just a little while."? Flying could be very possible IF your mom's navy blue silk umbrella was sitting there doing nothing, completely ready for a flight - DON'T YOU THINK SO TOO? I had an intense interest in flying a plane since I was very little - I even dreamed about it. I had many dreams about flying without a plane, using my legs to maneuver around up in the sky. I would stand at the top of a hill and take off to the skies. Adding to my desire to fly was after I looked at the fireflies my friends and I had caught and put into a glass jar a while back... As I watched the fireflies cruising around in the jar, it made me think even more SERIOUSLY about flying...  Fireflies Oh, you want to try it too? Remember, all you'll need is a "bumpershoot") and it probably should be a navy blue one... What is a bumpershoot anyway? A few years ago, when I lived in Chicago, the Windy City, I learned that "bumpershoot" is another word for umbrella. That information is free. But wait, before you try an "umbrella plane", read my story here... Growing up on a farm in Norway was and still is quite different than living in the city. We had many farm animals, such as sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, and horses. I loved all the animals we had on our farm.
 Anna, the Horse But, Anna, my horse, Polly and Penny, my pet chickens, and Daisy, the dog, were my favorites. There were kids on the farms around us, so I had plenty of friends to play with. We had wide-open spaces where we could run and play games.
Hiding places were plentiful in the woods around us where we would play Cowboys and Indians, and Hide and Go Seek. We had "secret spots" where we picked sweet, wild strawberries, and a huge area where delicious wild raspberries grew. This was heaven for little kids who loved sweets. We frequently came home with blue teeth, a blue tongue, and, of course, blue fingers from eating wild blueberries. My dad had built a dollhouse for me, where we did a lot of "cooking". Our specialty was mud pies and "cakes" decorated with yellow dandelions, pink clover, and green leaves. yummy! Dressed up in mom's old dresses with purple flowers, orange stripes, and red polka dots, and wide-brimmed hats with feathers and buttons, we held "dinner parties" and "birthday celebrations". My little friends and I had plenty of imagination and were constantly coming up with new things to do. Sometimes we got into trouble.
This soaring the sky story actually began on a stormy and rainy day when Mom took me along shopping. I saw a lady in a green raincoat and red boots trying to hold on to her bright red umbrella. It seemed as if the wind would lift her into the air. I wondered if it would? Maybe she would take off? If I were going to fly, I would have to get up onto something high so I could jump off. I began thinking very hard...and there it was...Dad's woodshed. Y E S, a perfect take-off spot for me.
I found some wooden boxes and stacked them on top of each other. I struggled while I climbed up, thinking out loud, fearlessly.
SOON, so soon, I would be flying! - I could hardly wait.
The Norway sky was beautiful bright blue with a few whitish clouds hanging up there with the warm sun brightly shining on the deep blue fjord that sparkled as if it had been sprinkled with diamonds.  Mountain Top View of Isfjorden
I noticed birds everywhere chirping and flapping their wings. "If birds can fly, so could I", I thought". I pictured myself flying amongst the clouds while holding on to mamma's umbrella. What fun I would have flying my plane.
How exciting! I looked around, OH NO, it was really far down to the ground. I got scared AND had a sick feeling in my stomach. NOW WHAT?
My horse, Anna, was peacefully eating the juicy, green grass in meadow.
Penny and Nelly, my favorite chickens were nipping and picking at whatever goodies they could find to eat around the yard. Daisy just wagged her tail. I knew they surely couldn't help me. What would I do? My problem was HUGE, I needed to get down from that roof!!I called out Mamma! Pappa! But, they could not hear me.
"Sure I would be fine???". OH NO!!! "Umbrella-flying" came to a screeching halt when my knees hit the ground. OUCH-OUCH - PAIN!. I screamed, and mom and dad came running. They called, What happened? Mom's beautiful, navy blue and white silk umbrella was history, and I ended up with bloody knees and a sore "SEAT OF WISDOM" so I would remember to ask my parents for permission before I would plan another daring adventure. What is the moral of this story???????? Do not use other people's things without asking first. and... If you want to fly, try a plane, not an umbrella. He he. Going for a ride in a horse and buggy would be a lot safer and a bunch of fun, too.
I hope you have as much fun reading my flying story as I had "winging" it. COMING SOON...Children's stories about growing up on a farm in Norway, the land of the Vikings, and the Midnight Sun.
What fun for children to read, but maybe grown-ups will enjoy the stories as well. All Rights Reserved
To the Funny Dumpling Story after Flying
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OH YES, if only I could get on the roof of the woodshed, I would be in business...!!!!
Finally - I had enough courage...I opened mom's umbrella and thought about how much fun it would be flying around in the sky over the mountaintops looking at people and everything from "UP THERE IN THE SKY".
Going for a Ride with a Horse and Buggy
Photo by Martin Tanner
You will find stories, such as The Mystery of the Scary Red Eyes in the Mountain Cabin, The Doll Dress, Sledding down Wild Mountains, Ann's Blueberry Factory, The Fox-Cage Doll House, Cardboard Shoes, The Secret House, Tante's Cherryberry Tree, Green Pancakes, and more. 