Thursday, March 4, 2010

The House is Smaller!


It was the most exciting event of my entire childhood -- the long train ride from Devils Lake, ND, to Tacoma, WA, to see my Peterson relatives. The year was 1960, I was eight years old, and I took the trip with my mother and my great-aunt-Alma. Here's Grandma and Grandpa's house - the place where we stayed. It was all white back then. And it sure seems like it was much, much bigger in 1960. I remember sitting on those steps in the warm June sun. And I remember the yard filled with cousins and aunts and uncles when they all came over to see us.

Yes, I got a tour through the past today. After landing in Seattle about 10:30 this morning, Cousin Kandy took me to see Aunt Elvera and then she drove me around to places from that memorable trip "out west". I found the "reservoir" and the chain link fence where I got my picture taken with Grandpa. Kandy showed me the probable route of my very first city bus trip when Grandma, mom and I went downtown. The department store downtown is where I saw, and rode, my very first escalator. I was hoping to see the corner store where grandpa bought me a 5-cent push-up each day, but it is no longer there. Another first from that trip was watching my Grandpa wash the siding of the house with a hose. I had never known anyone to do that before.

Oh, what a good time I am having! Tomorrow I will be having lunch by the water with my aunts and uncles. Then we go for a visit with Elvera. And Friday night is the "cousin" party. Currently there are 23 planning to attend.

One big disappointment - Kandy took a couple good pictures of Elvera and me -- but I lost the pictures from my phone. So tomorrow we'll try again. Be looking for a picture and an Elvera update soon!

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