Yesterday , I drove out to Pennsylvania with my dad to help him paint the house he owns up there and has been renting out for the past 5 years to a tenant that just up and left. This house was my great grandfathers house, the one that he and his wife, my great grandmother lived in for 60 years together. My grandmother grew up in that house, my mom summered in that house very often growing up, going on vacations to see her grandparents and my brother and I spent tons and tons of weekends (we went up there every single weekend until my great grandfather moved in with us in 2002). This house has tons of memories, and walking around the house and scoping it out, it just speaks to you. The walls, the floor, the steps, the closets, the basement , the metal swing; everything speaks to you. I really miss that place and unfortunately my parents are thinking about selling the place because of the expense it would be to keep the outside looking nice, living 2 hours away. Yesterday before we left, I was sitting underneath the beloved grapevine that I spent many days and nights underneath with my great grandparents, parents, and brother with...looking down at the house, I could just see my great grandmother in the window, cooking something , or cleaning the dishes in the sink. Looking up towards the garage from the house, I could see my great grandfather walking out of his beloved garage and going to take a seat underneath the grapevine.
It's funny, how memories are not only visual, but are stimulated through senses. Certain areas of the house always had specific smells that I to this day can associate with my great grandparents house, the place that was my second home, a home away from home for 12 years of my life. Walking into the house, there is that smell of old coal dirt,mixed with old world slavish cooking, and just a myriad of specific smells mixed into one, that to this day, eventhough they have been out of the house for 7 years, I smelled yesterday. The basement still has all of my great grandfathers chalk writings of dates to remember, like when they moved into the house, when the heater was put in, where he hid things, and many more. The basement still smells that same musky, moldy , mildewy smell, that I long remember as a kid when I would sit in the coal room with my grandfather as he made wine and smashed grapes. Memory is a remarkable thing, and as always I was in tears leaving the house yesterday, eventhough I knew I would be coming back next week, because there was a finalization this time, that was never there before. Maybe going back to places that you have so many fond memories are, is a bad idea. I lost my great grandfather 2 years ago this past February, and for 5 years, he lived in New Jersey with my family and those were the best years of my life. I miss my great grandparents sooo much because they were my grandparents, not great grandparents, they treated my brother and I like we were gold and something so special...we has a love from them both that we never got from our grandparents because my dads mother passed away before I was born and my mom's grandmother (my great grandparents daughter) passed away when I was 18 months old. So grandparents I never really had, but GREAT grandparents , I had that, and they well deserve that title of great, because that is what they are..or were, great, loving, beautiful individuals.
My great grandmother passed away in 2001 at 89 and my grandfather passed away in 2007 , at the hearty age of 95 and and half, so he lived long because his daughter ( who is my grandmother) passed away so young, and he had to live long enough to teach my brother and I life long lessons that you can only learn from grandparents....lessons like indulgence, and slow and steady wins the race and instilling a love for the beauty of nature....I can't say I've had ideal grandparents, but I have had over the top amazing great grandparents, and that I would not trade for the world =]
Well, for not having anything to say in the beginning, I sure said a bundle. Hope you all are having fantastic thursdays!
1 comment:
You're a very poetic writer - I felt like I was there with you, that's quite a talent you have there Missy! :)
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