Arlo and I moved our family from the house across from Maggie Weston to the house on 3rd street. That is where we basically raised our family. When we moved into that house, it was in terrible condition. It had been vacant for a number of years and there had been no care of it. Most of the windows were broken. We had to replace them. There was about 6 inches of dirt on all of the floors. The walls were plastered and it was a poor job, so there were holes in the plaster. We repaired the bad places and at later papered the walls. It had good floors and was structurally sound. There was a place for a bathroom, but it had never been finished. Arlo put in the bathroom. He found an old bathtub that was ancient. It was small and in good shape. We worked hard to make a home out of it and it did make a good home for us for many years.
The floors in the joint living room and the dining room were hardwood and were beautiful when they were cleaned and polished. We put new linoleum in the kitchen. The three bedrooms had wood floors and we didn't cover them for a few years. We painted them. There were colonnades between the living room and the dining room. I always liked them. There was a china cupboard between the kitchen and the dining room. I liked that too. There was a pantry that had cupboards. It was good. There was a big window in the dining room. I made a covered bench in front of it and it was a good place to take a nap in the winter. The sun shone in it. I put Priscilla curtains on that window and it was pretty. There was a big window in the living room. I put draperies on that window.
We had a big yard and there was no grass when we moved there. We gradually did a lawn. We just mowed the weeds and it made a fair lawn. I raised a garden every year. We had an irrigation ditch in front of the house and that is the water I used to water my garden. The land there raised wonderful vegetables. I have never had a better garden than I had there.
There was a field in back of the house that Arlo used to keep his horses at times. When the boys were home they mowed the back yard and it really looked good, but it was too much work for me after the boys were gone. The horses and small mules kept the weed down when they were there.
Our house was around the corner from the garage that we owned. It was handy for Arlo's work and we were close to the store and church also.
I'm sure those walls could tell many stories. We bought a piano when the Romeo Ward was abandoned and the ward moved to Manassa to our new chapel. The piano had been the Romeo Ward piano. Kent and Bonnie Lynn took piano lessons. Donnie bought the piano, but he didn't take lessons. Larry started, but didn't last long. I loved the music from that piano. Music is a great blessing in a home. That piano is now in Cory and Lorrita's home.
Our neighbors were: Dorothy and Shelton Sowards on the north, Elma And Boyd Padgett across the street. Donald and Deon Jarvies North of Elma, Boyd and Ouida Brady North of the Shelton Sowards' Carlyn Sowards and family on the South of us. Cecil Haslett's family on the Southeast corner of our block.
The floors in the joint living room and the dining room were hardwood and were beautiful when they were cleaned and polished. We put new linoleum in the kitchen. The three bedrooms had wood floors and we didn't cover them for a few years. We painted them. There were colonnades between the living room and the dining room. I always liked them. There was a china cupboard between the kitchen and the dining room. I liked that too. There was a pantry that had cupboards. It was good. There was a big window in the dining room. I made a covered bench in front of it and it was a good place to take a nap in the winter. The sun shone in it. I put Priscilla curtains on that window and it was pretty. There was a big window in the living room. I put draperies on that window.
We had a big yard and there was no grass when we moved there. We gradually did a lawn. We just mowed the weeds and it made a fair lawn. I raised a garden every year. We had an irrigation ditch in front of the house and that is the water I used to water my garden. The land there raised wonderful vegetables. I have never had a better garden than I had there.
There was a field in back of the house that Arlo used to keep his horses at times. When the boys were home they mowed the back yard and it really looked good, but it was too much work for me after the boys were gone. The horses and small mules kept the weed down when they were there.
Our house was around the corner from the garage that we owned. It was handy for Arlo's work and we were close to the store and church also.
I'm sure those walls could tell many stories. We bought a piano when the Romeo Ward was abandoned and the ward moved to Manassa to our new chapel. The piano had been the Romeo Ward piano. Kent and Bonnie Lynn took piano lessons. Donnie bought the piano, but he didn't take lessons. Larry started, but didn't last long. I loved the music from that piano. Music is a great blessing in a home. That piano is now in Cory and Lorrita's home.
Our neighbors were: Dorothy and Shelton Sowards on the north, Elma And Boyd Padgett across the street. Donald and Deon Jarvies North of Elma, Boyd and Ouida Brady North of the Shelton Sowards' Carlyn Sowards and family on the South of us. Cecil Haslett's family on the Southeast corner of our block.
3 comments:
I loved that house!!
I loved to lay in the window and be sun bathed; play with our cousins out back in the horse coral; in the trailer that had all the horse supplies; in the trailer in front of the house, locking each other in the compartment that had no window; playing in the grass, near the garden when Arlo and Craig were babies; walking around town in the dark and listening to Danette tell Detroit jokes. Petting Marcy's arm. Wanting to never leave Cory's side. Wanting never to leave period and always have those special moments!
That house was special. Being there was special. Sharing Holiday dinners, washing dishes, opening presents, hunting eggs, putting pieces into puzzles of jelly beans, watching Danette draw, listening to the Adult conversations, burning my hand in a toy oven, sniffing pepper and having it burn the heck out of my nose and having to confess to the doing so, the Pioneer Day Parade, bonnets, family....
Like daughter, like father.
I loved the southern window for exactly the same reason.
I loved family gatherings. I loved Christmases together as a family. I loved neighbors that care about each other. I loved living a half a block from work and from church.
I loved my brothers even though we quarreled at times. I loved watching Santa with my best friend in the world, my red-headed sister.
I loved my parents who worked hard to provide for us, to care for us, to teach us, and just being with them.
Going home for a weekend was so easy after I no longer lived there. I'd pack my car Friday night after work and come home Sunday night before work.
I miss the times that we had to be with one another. At times, I feel that time and distance have betrayed me. Sharing on this BLOG will have to meet my need for my family or origin until we can be together again, hopefully at the end of July.
Thanks for the comments. Sometimes I have wondered if anyone read them. Thanks Andrea, I also loved those times. I wish we lived close enough to everyone to have the same affectionate times with everyone in the family. I love all of you so much. Grandma Gatha
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