My most favorite thing would be to sit at their long picnic table; it had round sits. It was on the left side of the house looking down the hill. My brother and I would have gingerale in beautifully colored aluminum drinking glasses. I thought the glasses were the neatest thing. I wished we had them at home. For some reason, the gingerale just seemed to taste better in them. Even the cookies tasted great sitting out there. Aunt Margaret and my gram (her sister) would sit out and talk enjoying themselves.
There was so much to see, hear and do there. Aunt Margaret had the most beautiful flowers. The smell was heavenly and my favorite smell was that of the petunias. I remember a gazing ball on a stand, and I loved looking at a small cement (I think bird bath) that looked like a pond with a frog fishing on it. It sat near the barn I believe by a willow tree. That's where I grown to love listening and watching Robins. But, of course, my recollection is from a that child's perspective.
Somethings have changed since we played there years ago. The house used to be white. And, the flower garden has now been fence - to protect it from deer. Apparently they love the flowers too. Though what's nice about it now; it's more like a secret garden, with much to explore. . . .The homestead has changed hands; Aunt Margaret and Uncle Vance are no longer with us. But, their son Herb gives the same love and attention too his home there. He too has fond memories to think of. We, of course, moved away. But living here in Ohio, I sometimes get a chance to visit. And, Herb and I can reminisce over old stories we love.
Its fond memories we hold dear.
From far away and very near.
Remembering loved ones,
Who’ve past on?
With all the visits;
And, it’s childhood fun.
We hold them close for they’re so dear.
Even to this very day.
VB 5-30-08
2 comments:
Is that a home here in my hometown? I remember those cups fondly, too, at my grandparents' house! They lived in Springdale and it was such a wonderful treat to go there and have a rootbeer float in those cups!! My brother and sister and I were talking about those cups not so long ago. It's funny how little things like that hold such dear memories.
Do you remember going downtown New Ken on a Saturday and spending the whole day shopping? We were talking at work the other day about the stores that were there - how that has changed too!!! There was Montgomery Wards and Sears, Harts and Altmeyers, Princess Pastries and Isaly's, Murphys and Sun Drugs, and on and on it goes. And the wonderful pizza at North Star Pizza....a quarter a piece - 35 cents with mushrooms. We would walk down and take a bus back home - I think it was a dime!
I wonder if our kids will have the same kind of memories...........
I love listening to my wife's stories from New Ken as well as her experiences after leaving PA and moving to Arizona. She's got a number of really funny one's from her time working at Tang's Market in Glendale, Arizona. As for her family stories, I'd always questioned whether or not they were true -- at least to the detail she'd retell them. Of course I found them to all be true and that there was always more to the story. Now I'm not that she intentionally left out parts, just that rather then embellishing them -- as I thought -- they were actually watered down or missing some additional twist that she didn't know or had forgotten.
I wish I had just half the happy or funny story's that she does; my memories are almost all unhappy ones, dark, sad recollections of parents saying and doing terrible, hurtful things under the influence of alcohol. It seems that these sad memories have overshadowed what should be happy ones. As a result of all the talk about memories and listening to her and Herb talk about old times the other day, I've tried to remember happier times and hope to have a chance to tell a funny story or two as soon as I can think of one.
Lastly, I want to say that for the most part, the memories that Vicky and I share are happy ones. She's made my life complete as my wife and as a wonderful mother to our three boys -- now men. She's the glue that holds us together and is the reason for the closeness we share as a family. Needless to say, I love her very much and thank God each day for bring her into my life.
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