On the East side of our house Grandma & Grandpa Olsen lived next door to us.  It was really fun living next door to them.    When my Mom and Dad would go on trips for my dad’s work, lots of times she would tend us and check-up on us.

Aunt Vawn and Uncle John lived across the street kitty corner from us.

I remember my bedroom upstairs with Linda.    At first I was by the wall as you walk into the room.    Linda was over by the front windows.    The closet was to the right as you walked in the door.    We had an old antique kind of secretary desk.    I think it has a roll top on it.    When we moved to the new house with I was 8, Mom didn’t want to take all of that old furniture with her.    Through the years some have wished it would have been kept because they were really nice pieces of furniture.

In the old red house, when you went to the front door, that room was the family room and on the west side next to it was the Living room.    I remember a big chest of drawers that was in that room along with the piano.

I remember the extra bathroom upstairs, but we weren’t supposed to use it – or at least, that’s what I thought.    I remember a closet that kind of had a door on it and I used to think it went up to the attic and that we could go outside on a porch even though we weren't supposed to.

I remember the kitchen and the pantry.    You also went from Mom’s bedroom into a bathroom and then a small hall which went into the kitchen.     I remember going in it one day to choose which “Mush or Cereal”    we were going to have.    I think Oneil wanted the “cream of wheat or cream of rice”, but LaMont wanted the oatmeal mush, so that’s what I picked – I don’t know why.    I also remember that my Mom was a good cook.    She made the best pies and cakes and whatever she made it was delicious!!!    There were always meals prepared for us.   She’s still a good cook today at 90 years old.

I lived in the old house until August 1958 I started piano lessons when I was 8 years old, so I started practicing in the old house and then when we moved to the new house when I was 9 years old, we got a brand new piano.  I have many fond memories of living in that house.

Bats: I remember that bats sometimes came down from the attic.    LaMont and Oneil were chasing them around with brooms trying to get them out the front door from the family room, while the girls were all running around screaming.

Oneil’s Wart

Our brand new TV - around 1954 maybe.

Sneaking out of the house: I remember taking a nap with my Mom in on her bed when I was little and after she would fall asleep, a couple of times I ran down the street to the Cahoons to play with them.    Mom wasn’t too happy when I did that.

Getting lost !   I also remember when I was very young – I ran off to Janet Eliason’s up the street to play with her.    She wasn’t someone I usually played with.    I stayed several hours.    When I started to go home, my Dad saw me and picked me up in his truck.    They had been looking everywhere for me.    They had even called the police to help look for me.    I’m sure I was in big trouble, but I don’t remember getting yelled at or anything like that.    Mom had been crying and they were just all concerned about me – I never did that again.

Dry Heaves- LOL: They tell the story that when I was little, I messed my diaper and LaMont had to change it.    He got the dry heaves and threw-up and then Oneil had to clean-up LaMont’s throw-up.    We all have a tough time with smells.   It was especially bad when I was pregnant with my kids because I would get the dry heaves so easily.

Family Prayer : I remember kneeling down in the family room for prayer and after someone else had said the family prayer, I fussed to say the prayer too, so Mom and Dad would stay kneeling with me as I said a prayer too.    I remember that scene as though it were yesterday.

Snooping in Mom’s drawers- long brown socks: I remember snooping through Mom’s drawers in her bedroom.    Once in a while I could find a piece of hard candy, or a piece of gum.     They were built in drawers with a closet to the side.    In one of her drawers she kept our long brown socks.    In the winter time we wore long stockings that were kind of heavy, but went all the way up to our thighs.    We had to wear garter belts to keep them up.    When I went to school, you never wore pants.    All we could wear were dresses, so we wore these long tan thick socks to keep our legs warm in the wintertime.