FROM AN OLD HOUSE (1890) TO NEW HOUSE (1953)

 I DON'T RECOLLECT HOW I FELT MOVING FROM GRAM'S HOUSE TO A NEW HOUSE IN A NEW DEVELOPMENT. IT WAS A HUGE CHANGE TO HAVE MY OWN BEDROOM, NICE SIZE YARD, UNFINISHED BASEMENT TO CREATE SHEENA OF THE JUNGLE WITH MY DAD'S PITH HELMET, OUR VERY OWN GARDEN, AND A GARAGE THAT WE CREATED PLAYS IN WHEN WE WERE ON SUMMER VACATION USING THE BIG GARAGE DOOR AS THE CURTAIN.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WAS A HUGE CHANGE. THIS IS THE HOUSE NOW. MATURE TREES THAT MAKE IT LOOK TOTALLY DIFFERENT BUT THE HOUSE IS BASICALLY THE SAME. THE HEDGE TO THE RIGHT OF THE FRONT DOOR EDGED THE FENCE ON TWO SIDES. MY PARENTS WERE GREAT GARDENERS. THE CURRENT HEDGE CAME FROM MY UNCLE'S FARM. PLANTED SMALL PLANTS THAT REALLY GREW FAST AND DISGUISED THE CYCLONE FENCE THAT KEPT OUR DOG IN - WELL MOSTLY. 

BUDDY WAS A BOXER/LAB MIX IF I REMEMBER RIGHT AND LOVED TO SAIL OVER THE FENCE EVEN WHEN ATTACHED TO A CHAIN. HE ALMOST HUNG HIMSELF JUMPING THE FENCE ONE DAY WHEN HIS FEET DIDN'T TOUCH THE GROUND BUT WAS RESCUED BY MY DAD TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY. HE WAS MY BROTHER'S DOG. IF MY MOM WENT TO WAKE UP, BUDDY WOULD STRADDLE HIM AND BARK AND BARK PROTECTING HIM FROM HER.

THIS ISN'T BUDDY BUT A REAL CLOSE LIKENESS.

I HAVE SO MANY FOND MEMORIES WHEN WE LIVED HERE. THE EMPTY FIELD ACROSS FROM OUR HOUSE BEFORE THEY BUILT MORE HOUSES.WAS OUR PLAYGROUND. THEY MUST HAVE DUMPED FILL THERE BECAUSE FOR A SHORT WHILE, WE TUNNELED IN THE DIRT AND HAD A GREAT TIME. NOT SURE THAT MY PARENTS KNEW THIS BECAUSE IT WAS DANGEROUS BUT WE SURE HAD A FUN, DIRTY TIME THERE.

MY VERY BEST FRIEND, JAN, LIVED TWO BLOCKS AWAY TOWARDS BEAVER LAKE. MY PARENTS SENT ME TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL WHEN I WAS IN THE 9TH GRADE SO WE DIDN'T SEE EACH OTHER VERY MUCH DURING HIGH SCHOOL. BEFORE THEN WE SAW EACH OTHER EVERY DAY, I THINK. 

MY MOM AND JAN'S, MOM WERE CLOSE FRIENDS. WE SHOPPED FOR CLOTHES TOGETHER, SHARED MEALS, ETC. THEY ALSO SHARED A LOVE OF GARDENING. I REMEMBER THE ANGEL WING BEGONIAS THAT SHE PLANTED BY THEIR HOUSE. 

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS WORKING ON A SCHOOL PROJECT THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE MEDICAL FIELD AND "MIKE", JAN'S MOM SHOWED ME AROUND MILLER HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS A NURSE. I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE TOUR. LATER I ENDED UP WORKING AS A TEMP IN THE HOSPITAL AS ASSISTANT TO THE COOK WHO WAS MY AUNT MILLIE. SMALL WORLD BACK IN THE EARLY 60'S.

HER DAD, BUD, HELPED MY BROTHER WITH HIS LITTLE TRAINS, I THINK. FUNNY HOW SO MANY THINGS ARE REMEMBERED AND OTHER THINGS ARE A LITTLE HAZY.

WE LIVED IN THIS LITTLE RANCH HOUSE UNTIL I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. I REMEMBER HOW SAD I WAS TO MOVE BUT MY SISTER WAS BORN IN 1960 SO FOR 4 YEARS WE LIVED IN THIS LITTLE 3 BEDROOM HOUSE. WE MADE SO MANY MEMORIES IN THIS LITTLE HOUSE THAT DIDN'T SEEM SO LITTLE THEN.