Talk about Tuesday - My old home

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Is there a time or place in your life that has such wonderful memories that it just warms your heart? My all time favorite place to live was in the home above in Lincoln, Nebraska. To this day that home represents my dream home. Part might be because this was the first home that my parents owned and their excitement and joy spilled over to us. This brick 3 bedroom home was on "M" Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. You walked in the front door and turned left to go into the living room or right to go into the dining room or if you went straight ahead, you would climb the stairs to the second story to a landing. At the top of the landing, mom kept her Singer treadle machine. Left was my room and left again went to the boys room. Right took you to mom and dad's room with a large walk in closet with a double fold door and the full bath. I spent many hours sewing baby clothes for my dolls at that sewing machine. On a warm summers night, you would find my bedroom window opened with a jar or two of fireflies that I had caught earlier in the evening. The kitchen would often smell of good things that mother baked or cooked. off the kitchen was a mudroom that led outside or to the basement where again there was a toilet and of all things a shower! The mudroom? Well, THAT I remember smelling of my brothers' stinky tennis shoes! We had the most wonderful neighbors! The house next to us on the corner was where the Marti's lived. Every year they would vacation in Hawaii and bring me back a souvenir (made in Japan!) They had the most intriquing maid. Her name was Olga and I was fascinated to hear her talk. Often I would wander next door and sit in the kitchen with a glass of milk and cookies. I remember missionaries coming to visit there one time that had a monkey! We were invited over to see their films. On the other side of us was a two story duplex. The ground floor was occupied by 2 sisters, one a "spinster" (as we called them in those days) and the other a widow. They, too, were such kind and caring ladies. I would go over to visit them and would come home with dog bones for our dog. They had a birdbath in the back yard that cardinals would visit and I loved to watch them bathe! Upstairs lived Thelma and Hugo. Thelma turned out to be one of my mother's best friends! She was a Native American. I wish I knew more of her heritage but I believe that it would be the beautiful Indians that lived in the New Mexico, maybe Colorado area that did all that lovely work with Turquoise. She was a striking woman with long black hair that she braided and wound into a flat type bun in the back of her head, high cheek bones and very slender. These were the days when life was simple and a more innocent time. The milk and eggs were delivered to our door and the milk man was a friend to someone as social as I. He, too, intriqued me as he had a glass eye! I did give my mom a scare one day as I disappeared. The milk man had come to the door and I hopped in the truck with him and did the route 3 blocks down and back again. Boy did I get a scolding for that. At that age, I didn't know a stranger! Everyone was a friend! Autumn was a beautiful time in Nebraska. The huge oak tree in the Marti's yard would shed it leaves and as the boys raked them up into piles, I would love to jump in the big, ol' cracklin' pile!

Many memories were created in that home. We lived there from June 1955 to January 1961. We attended Westminister Presbyterian Church. Mom and dad were helpers with the one of my brother's youth groups so I got to go to those meetings and loved it when they were learning to square dance! Guess there were no age differences for me in those days either! Often after Sunday morning church, we would stop at the bakery (the only one opened on Sunday) and pick up sticky rolls and have friends over for coffee and rolls. I loved that as the adults all sat around the dining room table and talked and laughed and visited. We always had an afternoon supper on Sundays and it was one of two meals, either fried chicken or rump roast. Love them both! I never heard of a school bus back then. I lived on the border of the school district and walked to school every morning. The family across the street went to a different school as the dividing line was in the middle of "M" street. These were the days of party lines on the phone and you dressed up to go downtown. Speaking of going to town, I would love when we would go to Gold's Department store on Saturday as Mom would treat me to lunch in the cafeteria! Chicken pot pie was always my choice! The best I have ever tasted! I don't ever remember going out to a sit down restaurant in Lincoln. We just didn't go out much in those days. There was a Tasty Inn N Out where they served the BEST loosemeat sandwiches and that was always a treat! Dairy Queen once in awhile for a dipped cone and A & W for for a special mug of root beer! Those were few and far between, making it very special. McDonalds came to town just before we moved to Washington and they had already sold a million hamburgers before I had ever tasted one! Yep, those were the days of poodle skirts, saddle shoes, white socks, rolled up jeans and the short lived "ducktail." A simpler, innocent time filled with a treasure chest of memories!

This is part of a meme that takes place on The Lazy Organizer every week. Click here to see what others have to talk about!