Stories for my grandchildren

Sometimes when I sit here in my chair, I stare out my bedroom window, wondering what the world is like outside these walls. Times have changed and I know they're not like they used to be when I was growing up. I like when my grandchildren come to visit so I can tell them stories of how life was, when I was growing up.

I'll never forget my first boyfriend. We met at school. He sat in the front row in the corner of the room beside the windows. His sleek black hair always shined in the sun. I didn't know it at the time, but later in life he would become my husband. I got distracted at school, looking at him. Back then if you weren't paying attention, you would get a lickin'; and if you talked too much, you would get scolded. I never got a lickin' for being distracted, but I came close a couple of times. Our one room school house had 8 grades and we all had recess together that usually lasted for 15 minutes. At recess we often had a ball game going on. Once in a while I would play catcher. After ball playing, everyone would have lunch. If you forgot to pack your lunch or water to school, you had to hope you'd find someone to share theirs with you. If not, you didn't eat until you got home.
At the end of the school day, you could always tell who had chores to do at home. These were the kids that would drag their feet all the way home, then hope they didn't get yelled at for taking so long. Back then, living on a farm was something you bragged about. Most of your foods were grown or raised. You had to make sure that you took care of the animals and crop. We had to feed and milk the cows and pigs; pick chicken eggs before we fed them. In the summer, Mom and I did a lot of canning. The back kitchen was mainly used during the summer because of the heat. Canning was hard work. We canned fruits, vegetables, and even meat. Canned goods were stored in the cellar for winter. In the winter, Mom would use the main kitchen for heat. She would bake bread every week, just to keep the stove going. The heat from the cast iron stove kept parts of the house warm.

On Sundays we would head to church in New Freedom, or whatever church was closest. After church and Sunday School, we would always visit family members. Some folks would play games, while others just visited. These days, families go out to eat on Sundays. When I was growing up, restaurants only existed in major hotels. Now they're everywhere.
On Sunday evenings, before we had TV, we would gather around the radio to listen. Our favorite Radio broadcast was a comedy named, "Amos 'n Andy". Once we finally got a TV, we liked to watch "Kukla, Fran 'n Ollie". Ollie was a puppet that talked to Fran about life - and she always made a joke of it. Although it wasn't fun being sick - if I was, I'd get to listen to Radio shows. That made the days better.

Speaking of being sick, there were many doctors who made house calls. I remember: Dr. Snyder (who lived in the Rescue House on S. George St.), Dr. Eisenhower (from York), & Dr. Posey of Brogue.

Times sure have changed. But no matter how much it changes, it will always be beautiful to me. I just hope my children, grandchildren and their grandchildren will be able to experience life and enjoy it - just like I did when I was younger. And I hope they remember the stories I've told them, so they can see how things have changed.

StoryWall - our combined memories

As I get older, I look back to my childhood past and recall the good times I had as I was growing up. Family vacations were always fun. Getting packed up and filling up the back of Dad's 1920s coupe and heading to the beach was the thing to do. Our favorite vacation spot would be going to Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. Playing in the sand and watching the waves come ashore was my favorite. Especially when other people's sand castles were knocked over by the waves. Having sand between my toes, and even up to my knees was fun. That's how you knew everyone was having fun. At Atlantic City, NJ - we rode horses along the edge of the ocean. I remember the smile on my face as the horses trotted with the rhythmn of the ocean waves. It was a beautiful moment with my wife - as I recall seeing her locks of hair dance in the sun.

As I look back farther, I recall the smell of a roast cooking in the oven. Mom worked hard to prepare the dinner for the family. I would bring wood in for the stove so mom had a fire to cook food and keep part of the house warm. Bringing in the wood was just one of the many chores that I had to do as a kid. Tending to the animals, like milking the cows, washing dishes, hand-washing and ringing out the laundry; hanging out the clothes on the line to dry... even picking eggs from the chickens for breakfast. We did it all. In the wintertime, I remember our beds being filled with straw to keep warm at night.

Every year during the summer when the garden is ripened for picking, our family did its yearly duties of canning. We canned everything from meats and vegetables to fruits. I'll always remember mom measuring out the salt and pepper for me to pour into the quart and pint jars to preserve our meats. After letting the filled jars sit for a week, we listened to the lids pop. It was its own musical tune.

After chores where done, the family would gather to listen to the radio. The Lone Ranger would have an exciting adventure to look forward to. I would always be prepared by wearing my cowboy hat and have my toy guns ready for the show. When television first came out, the going price started at $150. Back then, the screen was no bigger than 6 inches, and in black and white. All the neighborhood kids gathered to watch at my house.

I'll never forget what school was like. It ran all year long. No weather would stop it. Though it was fun, it seemed as if I brought my chores with me. We brought our books, our lunch, our water, and got wood everyday for the black belly stove in the middle of our one room school. There was no plumbing. Boys and girls had separate outhouses.

I think, now, about our doctors who made house calls. That doesn't happen much anymore. In our area of PA we had several: Dr. Dellinger, S. Main Street in Red Lion; Dr. Hoover of Dallastown; Dr. Atkins of 1st Ave., Red Lion; and Dr. Shenberger of Windsor. Dr. Shenberger even gave whiskey for pain. That wouldn't happen anymore today.

I keep my memories close now. Anytime I feel down about something, I pull out my photographs and find a smile with my memories.