ps, either wood or cement, in front of the house leading to the front door. Between every 2 was an alleyway leading to the backyard. Only way to get to the backyard, since the houses backed up to other houses behind them. Mrs. Reinhart lived next to Nannan on the side that had the alleyway. Loved to play with "Butchie", Mrs. Reinhardt's dog. The alleyway was very narrow and just big enough to get a push mower through it. Today I am mowing her back yard for her. This year is the first year I was allowed to use the push mower. She has a small yard and I need to use the grass trimmers as much as the push mower. She is very particular about her yard and checks up on me every few minutes. A brick walk leads to the back door of her house. After I finished mowing the yard, I went in her back door, into the large kitchen at the rear of the house. Gas stove that you needed a match to light was against one wall while an old enameled sink with a drainboard was on the back wall. White metal cupboards hung from the wall above the sink. She had a small kitchen table with benches on either side close to the door leading into the dining room. When I was very young I lived here with my mom and dad in the third floor while they saved money to buy a house. One of my favorite things that we did together was have pound cake and lemonade after mowing the grass. Sat at the kitchen table and used the jelly jar to spread jelly on the pound cake. She even had real butter in a butter tray on the table all the time. So neat to see jelly and butter next to the salt and pepper shakers. Today, I can close my eyes and still see the inside of the house from the dirt floor basement with the coal bin next to the front window, to the china cupboard in the dining room, to the huge big front bedroom on the 2nd floor, to the cardboard closets set up in the third floor for our clothes. I'm sure there were no air conditioners, but back then I was a kid and didn't mind the heat. Just loved my Nannan! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.s PS - photo is of "Butchie" and me in front of 147 N. Pine which is Mrs. Reinhardt's house.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The "A Day at Nannan's House" Story
It was an ordinary day. Visiting my Nannan who lives at 145 North Pine Street in Lancaster. Nannan is my father's mother. Some people call their grandparents a variety of different names, but I have always called my grandmother Nannan. I never knew her husband, my grandfather, since he was killed in an accident at the Lancaster Post Office when my dad was very young. I have fond memories of visiting her at her row home on Pine St. There were about 8 houses in the red brick row, all three stories high. Each had a set of steps, either wood or cement, in front of the house leading to the front door. Between every 2 was an alleyway leading to the backyard. Only way to get to the backyard, since the houses backed up to other houses behind them. Mrs. Reinhart lived next to Nannan on the side that had the alleyway. Loved to play with "Butchie", Mrs. Reinhardt's dog. The alleyway was very narrow and just big enough to get a push mower through it. Today I am mowing her back yard for her. This year is the first year I was allowed to use the push mower. She has a small yard and I need to use the grass trimmers as much as the push mower. She is very particular about her yard and checks up on me every few minutes. A brick walk leads to the back door of her house. After I finished mowing the yard, I went in her back door, into the large kitchen at the rear of the house. Gas stove that you needed a match to light was against one wall while an old enameled sink with a drainboard was on the back wall. White metal cupboards hung from the wall above the sink. She had a small kitchen table with benches on either side close to the door leading into the dining room. When I was very young I lived here with my mom and dad in the third floor while they saved money to buy a house. One of my favorite things that we did together was have pound cake and lemonade after mowing the grass. Sat at the kitchen table and used the jelly jar to spread jelly on the pound cake. She even had real butter in a butter tray on the table all the time. So neat to see jelly and butter next to the salt and pepper shakers. Today, I can close my eyes and still see the inside of the house from the dirt floor basement with the coal bin next to the front window, to the china cupboard in the dining room, to the huge big front bedroom on the 2nd floor, to the cardboard closets set up in the third floor for our clothes. I'm sure there were no air conditioners, but back then I was a kid and didn't mind the heat. Just loved my Nannan! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.s PS - photo is of "Butchie" and me in front of 147 N. Pine which is Mrs. Reinhardt's house.
ps, either wood or cement, in front of the house leading to the front door. Between every 2 was an alleyway leading to the backyard. Only way to get to the backyard, since the houses backed up to other houses behind them. Mrs. Reinhart lived next to Nannan on the side that had the alleyway. Loved to play with "Butchie", Mrs. Reinhardt's dog. The alleyway was very narrow and just big enough to get a push mower through it. Today I am mowing her back yard for her. This year is the first year I was allowed to use the push mower. She has a small yard and I need to use the grass trimmers as much as the push mower. She is very particular about her yard and checks up on me every few minutes. A brick walk leads to the back door of her house. After I finished mowing the yard, I went in her back door, into the large kitchen at the rear of the house. Gas stove that you needed a match to light was against one wall while an old enameled sink with a drainboard was on the back wall. White metal cupboards hung from the wall above the sink. She had a small kitchen table with benches on either side close to the door leading into the dining room. When I was very young I lived here with my mom and dad in the third floor while they saved money to buy a house. One of my favorite things that we did together was have pound cake and lemonade after mowing the grass. Sat at the kitchen table and used the jelly jar to spread jelly on the pound cake. She even had real butter in a butter tray on the table all the time. So neat to see jelly and butter next to the salt and pepper shakers. Today, I can close my eyes and still see the inside of the house from the dirt floor basement with the coal bin next to the front window, to the china cupboard in the dining room, to the huge big front bedroom on the 2nd floor, to the cardboard closets set up in the third floor for our clothes. I'm sure there were no air conditioners, but back then I was a kid and didn't mind the heat. Just loved my Nannan! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.s PS - photo is of "Butchie" and me in front of 147 N. Pine which is Mrs. Reinhardt's house.
Now that is a story, cousin. I so enjoyed it. You have a very vivid memory. Thank goodness!Carry on.
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