Another Flash From the Past

I'm so thankful for these pictures, though they came about in a sad way.  Several weeks ago, I looked at the obituaries.  This is something I do daily, because when you get to be a certain age(!) you are always glad to be READING them and not BEING them.  I digress.

I saw the obit of our next door neighbor from my childhood there that morning, and was sad to read that she had passed away.  She was the mother of six, and we grew up cheek by jowl with this brood.  In those days, we all went to the same school... the same church.... we knew all the same people, the good places to hide out, the fun stuff to do on summer nights.  We knew who was fighting with whom, who was "in love" with whom, and how to sneak under the fence on 14th street to get into Ward football games on Friday nights.  It was safe to run around the neighborhood on Friday nights, then, even for a bunch of little kids that were six blocks from home.  A few years ago her husband had passed away, and I could remember laying in my parent's bed at nights during the summer, reading by the light of their bedside lamp, and listening to ball games on the radio as Andy listened to them on his porch.  Yes, we had tv... it was black and white... but there was something about the announcer talking there in the dark, that Andy loved.  I couldn't have told you who was playing, but I liked hearing the announcer's voice rise and fall in the night.

My dad made a cement swimming pool for us one summer.... and our neighbors and us loved to put food coloring in it and turn the water different colors.  There was just one problem, it drained into the neighbor's basement, so everytime we "swam", they pumped. 

My sister and I were able to see our old friends at the wake, and had a good visit, since unlike our family, they are mostly spread out.   One, Mark, who was in between my sister and me age-wise, told us he had some pictures of us he wanted to send.  Yesterday, they came.  Today, I'm sharing them with you.

Thanks, old friends, for your friendship and the memories!

Chris, Mark, Kathleen (my sister)  She does not remember this picture (she was five) but I remember that heavy scarf like yesterday!

Phil, Mark, Andrea, Mary Ann, Kathleen

Their mom made the BEST POPCORN BALLS ON 14TH STREET FOR HALLOWEEN!