26 June 2008

Just a note to say I will be in Vermont after Tuesday, so nothing new here until I return on the 9th of July. But watch then, I plan to write about the 4th of July parade in Randolph, and the big birthday party the same day. Should be worth waiting for.

25 June 2007

I have been thinking about doing a column on growing up in SR, but the more I thought about it , the more I realized it was like so many other articles I have read over the , years, you know, the place where everyone knows everyone, everybody tells your parents when you do something you shouldn't. Where you could play outside and not worry about anything, or anybody. You know the stories.



Maybe there were a couple things that were different or unique to our town. One thing that I enjoyed and have many memories is Frans Food Store. Fran and Shirley DeCoste ran the local grocery store for many years. The store started in what now is the beauty shop, with groceries in the front and in the back they sold grain and some farm supplies. When I was 5-6 years old Fran got a new cooler for milk etc. I was in the story at the time and somehow got inside the cooler and couldn't get out. Sometime in the late 50's or so, Fran moved to what was the old First National Store and the store stayed there until it closed after both Fran and Shril died. Mother worked for them for several years. I used to go there to get my favorite snack, banana and baloney. I was allowed to get the baloney out of the meat cooler and slice a piece off and then wrap it around a banana, I know it sound bad but to this day I still eat that great snack. Fran was also a basketball referee, he should did take a beating at home games. The store was a place that many people shopped because Fran would give them credit, I often wondered if he even tried to collect from some of the local families. No matter how much they may have owed him, they would never go hungry. It would be hard to find a place like that today.

The second place I would like to give a little info on was, Sparky's, which was the Rexall Drug Store, owned by Earl Spaulding, better know as Sparky. Have no idea why. This was one of the stores that burned in the big block fire in 63,64 or somewhere close. This was the old time drug store that had a soda fountain, yellow and white , where you could get a coke for a nickel and a hot fudge sundae for a quarter, and if there not girls around Sparky would tell us boys some off color jokes. Not real bad stuff, just things that we thought were really funny. That was quite a hangout after ball practice or after school. Earl wife was a school teacher, she taught me in the third grade I think, but that was a long time ago. After the fire we were without a soda fountain and the town was out of a drug store.

I may, in the future highlight more of the old stores around town.

BIG NEWS..............................................

WE ALL KNOW THAT HANNAH IS WITH CHILD, BUT TODAY WE FOUND THAT SHE IS WITH CHILDREN........ADDIE WAS RIGHT, SHE HAS BEEN SAYING SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE TWO LITTLE BROTHERS......DON'T KNOW IF ITS TWO BROTHERS, BUT TWO OF SOMETHING.....SHOULD BE AN INTERESTING YEAR.......

Sunday June 22

It's been a few days since my last post. Hannah has updated the "look" of my blog and I think she did a good job. Haven't been doing much the last few days, mostly helping Hannah with Addie and transporting her to Gainesville. Its not over yet, tomorrow its swimming lessons and who knows what else. At least I have the time to do these errands. I do find time to play a little golf in between everything. This weekend I played in a tournament in Williston, it was a two day affair. Day one was not fun, didn't look like I had every played before, but today was a different story, played to my handicap and won my flight. Made a little money so about broke even for the weekend. Have another coming up the week after the 4th, so maybe I can make it two in a row.....Next week we go to Vermont for a week, will be good to see family and friends. With a little luck the whole family will be there, hopefully we can get another family photo like last year. If you didn't see last year I am enclosing it now
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Vermont should be fun and the week is about time, I hope when I get back I can get back to work, it has been slow at the course so I got "layed off", but still have my free golf so it's not all bad, plus gives me more chances to play.

While in Vermont we have to big events to enjoy and they are both on the same day, first is the annual 4th of July parade in Randolph and second, the big birthday party for my mother in law, who was born on the 4th of July, but not recently. Happy Day. The birthday party will be a big family affair and I guess I will be cooking chicken for one and all, or at least I normally do, I hope they are planning on it. I am going to end this with some pictures from last years 4th and went I get home there will be pictures from this year parade and birthday party.

Hard Work

Been busy, Took Nancy to the airport this morning and now have time to write a few lines.Yes, I have been working, in the house that is. It was time to redo the "office", I took everything out and started over, paint, paint and more paint, then a new floor, no I didn't put the floor down, my neighbor Jim did that , I could have, but I'm sure it looks better with his help. It is still not complete but I am working on it. It will be easier now that Nancy went to Vt. In this project I am also trying to get rid of "stuff", forty years you accumulate a lot of "stuff".

Am including a couple pictures of the newly renovated room, love that red paint...........