Thursday - February 5th

After Bink was done with school, she and I went to my Aunt Maxie's house to help her with Philadelphia Phillies display. It's now home to a number of things from their trip to see the Phillies at one of the World Series home games. I think it was really nice of her to think of doing this and mounting it on the wall somewhere in the house, especially considering how perfect her house is. I know Michelle will cringe, but you and my Aunt Maxie are a lot a like. You say you don't care how things are and that your house is a sty, etc., but the two of you have homes that are so clean and in order that you could eat off the floor. You both can deny it, but your homes are one of the few places where white socks won't go black when walked on.

It's always a memory flashback when I go over to Aunt Maxie's home. It was built by my Pop-Pop and Mom-Mom back in the fifties and she bought it when Pop-Pop died. It's a huge brick house next door to my parents place where I grew up. And out back of my parents home is my other aunt and uncle. Our families are really tight, so in a way, we were like a commune, living next door to one another. I love all the memories of being with our families. I think that's the major reason why I really want to move back to P-City. I want Bink to know what it's like to be near family. Close enough that you can walk across the yard to family. If we had the money now, I'd buy the house that's up for sale next to my brother. I miss being close to them in a way most people can't understand.

Back to Aunt Maxie's place. As soon as I step through the back door and into the enclosed porch, I'm teleported back in time to when it housed several large fish tanks filled with guppies and a number of house plants. Even though my Mom-Mom died when I was only five, I have many memories of her and things that happened and those fish are one of them. She loved to raise guppies.

When I walk into the kitchen, I always get a warm, safe feeling. It's one of those places where you knew that you could sit down and be with people who truly loved and cared for you. No matter how much the rooms have been redecorated and changed through the years, I can still see it the way it use to be. I can still hear my Mom-Mom's southern accented voice talking to me. It's a great feeling to have and if you don't have anything like this in your life, then I feel bad for you. Being able to flashback to the past for feel good emotions is a great gift and I wish I could share it with those who don't have any good childhood memories.

I love going into the large living room just for the memories of the family Thanksgiving meals and Christmas parties that use to be held there. There would be twenty to thirty people at this house for those dinners and it was always a fun time. The only time we do this now is for the family Christmas party and that is held at different homes each year. I was always afraid that once Pop-Pop died we'd splinter apart, but luckily that hasn't happened yet. So now there are closer to fifty people at the homes for the party. :)

I know that after we left Aunt Maxie's we did our usual play time and dinner, etc., but the feelings that were evoked from that little visit stayed with me all day. I love that house and all the memories it brings back of growing up.