Every week I want to come up with a special subject for my blog. Sometimes an idea comes right to me, or I need to think about it. As Winnie the Pooh said, “Think think, think, think”! You need to love that Pooh.
I am finding myself in July watching Netflix Christmas movies. Christmas in July right? They even bring a few tears to the eyes. As you know, fairy tales with happy ending are every girl’s dream. No matter how old one gets, you still love those happily ever afters. Bring on those movies. Plus what would life be without Netflix??
Onto the blog….
Growing up in Pennsylvania, there was a lot of family around. When checking the census records for the early part of the twentieth century, you would find most of the family living in the same area. It appeared in the census records that families stayed together, and never ventured out of the area they were born and raised in. Now my immediate family is living in Costa Rica, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Georgia, and South Carolina. Yes, a few of us have become southern Yankees. We are “East Coast” people!
My mother’s family was born and raised in a little berg in Pennsylvania called Swissdale. It has a crossroads, church and at one time, a one room schoolhouse. One of my mother’s aunts taught at that school. The building is still there and is now used as a social hall. I still remember it having that school aviance—dark baseboard wood, wooden floor, and maybe a hidden blackboard and stove that kept the room warm.
My grandfather’s family immigrated from Bern, Switzerland. Perhaps most of “the mountain” population came from that part of the world. My grandmother’s family most likely immigrated from Germany. She cooked “very German”. This food could be called comfort food! So good, especially, the homemade noodles.
My grandma’s sister, Della, married a man named Ray Chambers. We called Aunt Della, Aunt Do. We never knew her as anything else., or why she had that nickname. Uncle Ray fought in WW I. I am not sure what Uncle Ray did for a living when he did return home from the war. My aunt worked very hard cleaning people’s homes. They never had any children. They were a cute couple — each being maybe 5 ft 6 in.
My mother helped Aunt Do at a party that was being given by a very prominent family that lived on West Main Street. Most of the homes on that street were big, single family homes. As time went on, many were turned into apartments. Some of the homes were purchased by the local university for fraternity houses. (Lots of boys!)
West Main Street is still a beautiful street, lined with trees. In the fall the street has a décor of fall colors. You can still find the town library on that street. At one time, our high school gym and cafeteria were found there, too. A city playground was beside the high school gym. Such great memories.
We had a terrible flood in our town in the early 70’s. Much of the town was devastated. My mom’s house was also flooded. My Uncle Ray and Aunt Do purchased a home right beside the Susquehanna River. It was a beautiful setting, but the flood got it, too. The house itself was still standing, and a few pieces of furniture were saved. She gave me a beautiful breakfront; which is now in Massachusetts with my youngest son and his family. I loved that piece of furniture mostly because it came from my aunt.
Often my aunt would ask me for lunch. My office was about ten minutes away from her, I had an hour for lunch, and it worked out great. When I think of her, I can still feel the kitchen’s atmosphere. It smelled cool and clean.
Aunt Do really missed her husband. Uncle Ray became very sick. Being a veteran, he ended up in the Veteran’s Hospital in Lebanon, PA. I took her to visit him a few times. Then he passed away.
One day she told me she was ready to pass away anytime. She really missed my uncle. I did not understand how she could make a statement like that one. I was in my mid-twenties, and my life with my husband was just beginning. As time went by, I began to understand her feelings.
As I will restate, I just didn’t understand how she could make a statement that “she was ready to go” anytime. Now that I am almost the age she was at that time, I understand. I really don’t think we control our destiny by making a statement as such. Perhaps we give up on life. It becomes a burden to keep from getting lonely, paying bills, and wishing for more family visits. Yes, it can be tough!
Losing my husband, thirteen years ago, I still miss him very much. I don’t believe he would want me to give up. Sometimes you feel like it. Don’t get me wrong, you do get lonely. Yes, I believe loneliness is a feeling or state that really effects the older generations. Learning to stay in the state of contentment keeps you moving ahead, and only thinking of the good memories. You see that is the key.
Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction. The whole purpose of this particular blog is to encourage you to be satisfied. Happiness is part of the definition, but I feel you can be content without being happy. I guess we need to find a way to stay in contentment. The key is to keep pulling out the happy memories. Sometimes they are what a person needs to give them a smile. “Count your blessings instead of sheep.”
We cannot change our past. It would be a great thing if we could. I guess it is like wanting to control the weather — not happening. What a crazy world it would be if we could. Don’t you agree?
Find that way to, “Stay in contentment “.
Blessings from The Blogging Grandma