Back on Grandpa's ol' Homestead

[primsong]

I had a more unusual Memorial Day event than usual this year... went out early this time and got my flowers on one set of grandparents graves then drove to the little farm town where my other grandparents now reside beneath the grasses. Beautiful day, couldn't ask for better. In a fine mood, I decided to pop over the hill to the little town of Roy itself to see if the old general store they used to run was still standing. It was, though it turns out it's been rented out as a residence which was a little weird (you look in the old store front and see someone's piano and fern, etc. behind the old 7-up sign) but it was kind of funky too... and across the street from it a lady worked in the front yard of the house that once was my grandparents' home.

Fun thing was we ended up talking about the history of the store and the house, then I asked if I might peek around the back yard (grandma's garden used to be there) then she invited us in! I'd never thought I would ever set foot in that house again...hadn't been there for 20 years, since it was sold after grandma died. So many memories! My grandparents were the center of their community for many, many years and these folks said every time people in the area found out where they lived, the reply was always "Oh yes! You live in Spud & Irene's old house!" Even after all these years. (Grandpa's name was Julius, but he went by Spud all his life).

It was the most wonderful afternoon, just lovely people - my daughter started playing their piano and the husband ran to the other room and returned with a mandolin to jam with her. They played and laughed, I gave the dog a good scrubbing behind the ears and the lady grilled me on memories of the house and what it was like - seems they want to gradually restore it to its original form, as over the intervening years someone added various cheap built-in cabinets and 'updates' that really don't fit in. I can't even express how wonderful it is to find my grandparent's home being in such loving hands. They invited us back, asked for pictures of what it was like in the past - we've just made new friends and all because of a burst of nostalgia on a sunny day.

Comments

[thisbluespirit]

It sounds lovely. Glad you had such a nice time. (And you're almost turning into a family historian as well - unless you are one already?)

[adaras-r0se.livejournal.com]

What a lovely day, Prim :) It's always hard when a well-loved home is no longer in the family, so knowing that it's now owned by people who love it enough to want to bring back its former glory must be wonderful :)

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

That is amazingly cool! How wonderful of that lady to let you in to see your grandmother's home....in these days of tearing down and rebuilding and ever-present change it is so wonderful to be able to step back in time and see homes and stores still standing. Am so glad you had that experience! I wouldn't even know where my grandparents grew up. However, my Dad just sent me a small book he wrote with stories of his boyhood days in South Carolina :)

[estellye.livejournal.com]

Oh what a lovely serendipitous meeting! It must be such a comfort knowing your family's history is in such caring hands. I especially like that they are interested in restoration and that they even own, much less play and jam with a mandolin!

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? :-) He had a picture of his own grandparents on the piano, her with a mandolin and him with a violin, said his grandparents could play "anything with strings". He plays dulcimer as well, so it looks like she passed on that heritage very well.

The house has lots of fun stuff in it, like a laundry chute and funky old brass registers, so I'm very pleased it isn't being homogenized.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

It is- I wished an aunt or uncle had been able to buy it and was sad to have 'strangers' living there when it was first sold. She wanted to know what the original colors of the walls were even - though I told her I think she's done a much nicer job of decorating it that my grandma did, lol... Grandma just had plain white walls for the most part, now it has lovely pale green, blue and yellow rooms.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I do tell my kids a lot of family stories because we've got some real whoppers but never thought of it that way. :-) I suppose in this case, yes! They said they'd been there five years but never quite connected with the neighbors so they loved having company and asked us to come again. And this from just driving by - as I always tell my kids, the world is filled with wonderful people, don't let the sour ones ever make you think otherwise.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I love old stories families have - enjoy that book! I think it's wonderful he wrote them down for you.

And yes, it's *very* cool to find them wanting to restore it. They shook their heads over the 'weird things' the previous people had done to the interior (her bright little sewing room, for instance, was painted a bright blood red on the walls - a bit of a shocker - they're working on changing stuff like that) I asked if the old doorbell was still there and they said "no, there's just a wire sticking out of the wall." - so I described the wood case with its long brass tubes that sounded like Westminster bells and she brightened up "Oh! There's something like that down in the basement...!" :-D

Meanwhile her husband is saying "Were there swinging doors to the kitchen? I found what looks like it should have been a hinge under this new flooring. How tall were they? Do you remember the color?" (My brother and I played with those doors endlessly - wild west saloon moments - oh yeah!)

We definitely going back once I find the old pics of what the exterior looked like. They're working on pulling off the cheap vinyl siding and restoring the wood right now.

[thisbluespirit]

Heh, I am a bit of family historian, you see, although not many real stories to go on.

They sound really lovely. (Maybe one day I'll tell you about how I went to Wales and met a long-lost relative by talking to a man on a tractor. It was like something off TV.)

You're lucky two. My great-grandparents had a house that my family still reminisce about, but they sold it to someone who knocked it down because they were only after the land! And we still have photos. It was big, with wood-panelling inside.

Sorry, I seem to have started waffling! I was going to say enjoy the rest of your weekend, but I forget we don't share bank holidays!!

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Actually, we have this Monday off because of Memorial Day, so it works. :-D

So sorry to hear about your family's former home - that would be even worse than having it 'remodeled'... No chance of ever getting it back then. I'd love to hear about your Wales story, btw - I love stuff like that.

[acciochocolate.livejournal.com]

That's one of the sweetest and kindest and most loving RL stories that I have ever read on the interwebs. :)

[primsong.livejournal.com]

It was quite wonderful - I hope everyone's good-memory grandma-house could end up in such good hands.