From farm life to city life

The year was 1958. We moved from the country life to city life (Insert Eva Gabor singing Green Acres here) One year of living in the woods had been enough for Mom. Especially after the spring rains made a retaining wall near the house fall down and in the muck were wads of snakes. I still can hear her screams, "We are out of here". Never mind that she would also have to kill a snake nearly every time she would hang clothes outside on the line.

1958

My first Easter in the new to me house. My dad, Shorty, and I posed on the front porch.

My brother, Wesley, and I pose for our Easter picture.



In 1961 my baby sister Lona joined us. This was about the time Mom and Dad added a "great" room all the way across the back of the house. We used it as a family room. I remember it was shut off a lot in the cold winter months. "Too much to heat", Dad would say. The summer months would have all 6 windows open wide. It was the pre-AC days.



Neighbor kids would come to our yard to play, just to hang out in the Mimosa tree in the front yard. In early summer the tree would be full of bright pink and green hairy blooms. Late spring we'd all gather the seed pods to play with, pre Nintendo and Wii days.

We lived there until my brother graduated from high school and joined the Navy. I made some life long friends there. Today we reminisce on Facebook about the good old days.

I tell you about this cute little house because, last week, I saw in the local real estate guide. It's for sale. For $89,900 you can own this house. It's been spruced up and updated. However the yellow brick and green cedar siding stayed the same. I see it has had central AC added.

2011

The front room now has carpet. I know that a hardwood floor is hidden under it.

The great room has been turned into a master bedroom.

I bet it's no longer closed off during the cold winter months.

The kitchen is now red. Mom had it yellow for a few years and then it was painted with a pink enamel. "Easier to keep clean" she would say.

So, if you are in the area tomorrow, there is an open house. Don't think I will be stopping by. It just wouldn't be the same. But if you do go by, would you look in the attic? Mom thinks she left a box of my toys there.