Memories of those carefree days are wonderful! We, too, left the house (summer) after breakfast, returned for quick lunch or maybe didn't ate at friend's house (we never called home and no one worried), back for dinner and outside again until you heard your mother calling your name from the back porch as it was getting dark- we entertained ourselves all day!! Today I am afraid to leave my granddaughters out of my sight for too long - my grandfather had the most wonderful Irish brogue. He lived with us until I was 11 yrs old and when I would fall or cry for being punished I always felt so safe hearing him sing to me hoping to make me feel better: (settle down Lassie he'd say before singing)

Over in Killarney
Many years ago,
Me Mither sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good ould Irish way,
And l'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."

And I loved his Irish lamb stew and his sense of humor. I have told Denise I know I was born to a Jewish family and was accidentally switched at birth and was sent home with an Irish family! OY!