Memories of Grandpa's Part 2

This was the scene in the living room every time we all stayed at Grandpa's. Kind of looks like a crash scene where you can't quite figure out what happened doesn't it? I think there are only 2 people in this picture but I could be wrong. There could be 12. Grandpa had a spacious house but it was the place everyone vacationed at so the floors and couches got some pretty good use. I still have this couch in our basement, I just can't seem to let go of it. It's also the exact same couch featured in "Roseanne." (NOT the reason I'm keeping it)

I shouldn't be so attached to it since I was lucky enough not to ever have used it for a bed myself. Is it a spoiled youngest child thing that I always got my own room or was it because I was the only one who would sleep in the room off the bathroom? I loved that bed. I called it the "vortex" bed because the mattress was so beat up when I slept on it I felt like I was being sucked into a black abyss of unconsciousness.

Aaahhh, vacation. Sleeping in. I loved and now miss waking up to the sounds of mom in the kitchen making breakfast. (however, I do not miss the sounds of people using the only bathroom at absurd times in the morning)

I don't think this was taken in the morning but it pretty much looks the same as if it was. Mom was always in the kitchen.

And now I feel like I am. Although I'm sure my actual time spent cooking is no where near the same.

History repeating... sort of.

I love this picture of mom in her slippers. And that calendar that Grandpa wrote the weather on
can barely be seen in the corner.

There aren't too many pictures of Grandpa in his house. I'm not sure why, maybe because he was always in the garden. I think he loved to have his picture taken though. he hammed it up for me a little when I took this one in NM. (I love the "do not climb" sign)

I remember sitting next to him on the Amtrack bound for our first NM trip. There was a kid sitting behind us singing the Addams Family theme song over...and...over. With the snapping and everything. I thought Grandpa must be ready to blow up at the kid. I was a kid and I was ready to unleash some mean 8 yr. old karate-chop action. He never did. I guess I was mixing him up with Dad. Grandpa had such patience. I was always screwing something up. I once killed all his fishing bait minnows in a bucket left on the porch. He never got angry with me.

Not even when I (or my siblings) would clackety clack that Western Union contraption thing to death. He was so proud of that and never tired when trying to teach us Morse code. I never paid attention, I just wanted to make that cool noise.

I wish I had a photo of the piano. Every child learns chopsticks from someone. I learned from Grandpa. Or was that Teresa who taught me and Grandpa played something else? Someone was always playing on that thing. I'm surprised I don't have memories of Dad yelling at us to keep it down.

Poor Grandpa, when we showed up, we took over. It must have been kind of shocking for him while we stayed, 4 kids and all those great noisemakers in the house. He never complained about it. Not even when my brother set fire to the driveway.

miss him