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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

15+ Memories: Why I Know I Had the Best Childhood

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Did I tell you about the time my Dad and I went to Santa Barbara for dinner? We ate at J. K. Frimbles by the tree, and later, we walked up and down State Street, window shopping.

the shadowWhat about how Mom and I used to sit in the “family room” half of her bedroom at night and listen to old radio shows—Fibber McGee and Molly, Paladin, Dragnet, Henry Ulrich, The Shadow. She’d knit or crochet, I’d embroider, and while the night came alive for the desert creatures, we learned all about how you should never buy a house without an attorney. Thanks, Bruce Williams. Sorry I didn’t follow that advice back in 1988 when we bought ours…

Or did I tell you about how my brother, Berechyn, used to bring home treats from his class parties? Someone might bring cupcakes because it was her birthday. Maybe one of the guys brought Valentine cookies, courtesy of his mom. Perhaps the teacher let them make something for “chemistry.” It didn’t matter. If he got a treat at school, he brought one home for me. I sure hope he got some of those himself!

Why I now I Had the Best Childhood Ever

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Oh, surely I’ve told you about sitting at Grandma’s kitchen table playing Crow’s Foot, Go Fish, and Aggravation. Grandma rolls the dice on one of Uncle Oscar’s handmade, super-sized boards with a lip edge so the dice can’t roll off. Oops! Into one of the dimples for the marbles. “Diaper rash!” She’d re-roll, of course. Can’t let a diaper rash stand. Dad walks in. “How’s the game going?”

“Plum ducky, quack quack!”

Never did know what that meant. Just one of her Ruth-e-misms. She had a million of ’em.

Argosy JunctionIf you’ve read Argosy Junction, I know you know about how our dog Boozer used to run straight for the car, do a side jog, jump through Mom’s  window (while we were still moving!) and land on my lap (usually covered with homework). Every. Day. I just had to put that somewhere.

And, of course, there’s that bit about how I almost fed Challice (#1 daughter) hot chocolate one night when I got up to make her a bottle of formula and grabbed the wrong canister. If you read Aggie, you know how that would have turned out if I’d not noticed a brown trickle running down my wrist when I tested the temperature.

See the Book Chat about it HERE.

Climbing in the Superstition Mountains after donut holes and milk at Duncan Donuts—good times.

Listening to Mom’s stories from when she was a girl.

Dad playing the guitar.

Drat. I promised myself I wouldn’t go there.

After all, you’ve heard me ramble on and on about those music fests more often than not. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out the posts linked on THIS page. There’s some fun stuff in there if you’re just anxious to read more of my nostalgic blather.

Has this week’s challenge topic become obvious? Yeah.

“My Favorite Childhood Memory.”

Who asks someone to pick just one? I’m supposed to choose between laughing with Noemi about the craziest things and cooking sourdough pancakes with wolfberries inside? How do I choose between time with my amazing uncles on Dad’s side and my amazing uncle on Mom’s?

How did I never realize that the day would come when I wouldn’t have to anymore.

swimming pool
Image free from listcoloring.com

Uncle Ron went home to Jesus a few years ago. He always made me feel so special. Well, except for when he got a cool-beans new above-ground pool and I asked when he was going to put up the “Play-Boy Pool.” For the uninitiated in ’80s pools, that’s Doughboy Pools. Yeah. He laughed like I’d done it deliberately. And me? Totally clueless.

You know, I realize some people had these epoch-like moments in their childhoods—those really unique things that set one day above all else. Maybe it was an older sister’s wedding (or the birth of her first child. Now THAT was a cool day. I became an aunt at age seven!). Maybe it was that trip to Hawaii, or the family reunion when that uncle came—the one no one ever thought they’d see again.

I don’t have one of those days. I just have day after day of ordinary moments that created one extraordinary childhood.

Want to know a secret?

If people analyzed my childhood, they’d say it was a dysfunctional mess. Between moving often (sometimes more than once a year), a father who was a drunk (he’d kill me if I said alcoholic), siblings who ran away, a grandmother who hated me, another grandmother who wouldn’t speak to us—and that’s just the beginning… It should have been horrible.

It wasn’t. God blessed me with a childhood I’d never trade with anyone else’s. As far as I’m concerned, I had the best childhood ever.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
byChautona Havig

When I talked to Ernest Yip last month, I was crazy excited to learn about his fantasy novel, The Shattered King, an allegory about the attributes of God. Ernest talks about his inspiration, how he got started, and what’s coming next for us. I loved hearing more about the story and my copy is on its way to me now. EEEP! Listen in to learn more.

Note: links are affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Experience the Attributes of God in a Whole New Way

In the tradition of Pilgrim’s Progress or the parables of Jesus, Ernest Yip brings us a story that introduces to a King like no other through the various attributes our main character meets through out the book. I love a good allegory, and listening to Ernest talk about his book had me choming at the bit to get started.

Though written for teens, The Shattered King is sure to appeal to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure. I especially love how it is a great introduction to who God is without being a heavy or preachy tome of apologetics. Instead, we’re taken on an adventure to discover it all for ourselves.

I can’t wait to see what Yip does next!

The Shattered King by Ernest Yip

Finding his way home means finding something else first—someone else.

When a dark force shatters the benevolent and mighty king Eloa, the land of Astrea lies broken and dying. Though Eloa lives, he is a shadow of his true self, unable to restore his kingdom unless he is reunited with the living Fragments of his being and made whole again.

Catapulted into this unfamiliar world and gifted with a magical sword, teenager Jax faces the ultimate test—finding the lost Fragments of Eloa. Only by fulfilling this quest will he be able to return home. But there are new forces in power, forces that will do whatever it takes to thwart Jax’s efforts and defeat Eloa.

But Jax will soon find that Eloa is no ordinary king, and neither are his Fragments—

A creator of living stone beings A father of orphans in a storm-filled land A desert warrior of limitless power

And they aren’t the only ones out there…

Encounter the Fragments of The Shattered King, a tale of danger and discovery that explores timeless truths about the world we live in, where justice and mercy are sometimes the most powerful weapons.

You can find out more about Ernest from his WEBSITE.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
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