A November to Remember

November 2 - Cherished Memories Day 2

Another cherished memory from when I was little was being able to visit my aunt and uncle who lived down the street from us.

I would get in my car...

and ride down the block and around the corner to their house.  I don't even think my mom would come with me sometimes and in this day and age I wouldn't have let my four year old do something like that!

My Uncle Phil, was a hunter and he had this huge deer head hanging in the living room.  One time I went down there, he had just brought home a deer he had killed.  What a sight!

This is Uncle Phil and Auntie Alvina.  I used to call her Auntie Me.  I think I heard people call her "Vee" and I understood them to say "Me."  She was my mom's older sister.  I always thought my uncle looked like Cesar Romero.  Right behind where they are sitting in their backyard there was a patch where strawberries grew.  I loved to pick the strawberries.  

I remember that they used to have parties and my parents would go and play cards with them.  I loved visiting the next day because there were usually ham sandwiches left over.  I don't think she did anything special to them but those were the best tasting sandwiches!

After my aunt died and my uncle sold the house and moved away another family moved in.  Turns out they had a daughter who was my age and we ended up being pretty close friends through high school.  It was odd visiting her at first because the house was so different from when my aunt and uncle lived there.  No more deer head and they added a second story above the garage.  We lost touch for most of our adult years but I recently saw her at our "Class of 1973 - 60th birthday bash."  It was fun seeing her again.    

I still live in the same town so occasionally I drive by the old neighborhood.  What a difference!  They have remodeled the front of the house and the church that was next door burned down.  Now they have added more houses in that vacant lot.  Makes me kind of sad, but at least I still have my Cherished Memories!