This is my hand print which was created on the 12th of January 1964. I was less than two years old. It was a little more than six months after my grandparents purchased their home at 255 Vine Street in June of 1963. This is on a concrete slab that was poured to set the washer and dryer on in the basement.
Here is the house now.
After more than 50 years it is about to be sold to someone else. After my grandmother passed away, my father made this his home. Although I didn't spend that much time here in my adulthood, it was nice knowing the home was still in the family and it seemed as if it always would be.
This was a magical place to be when I was little. We had Sunday dinner here with my gram and granddad. We played for hours with the toys in the basement. There were dolls and coloring books. I remember a wind up monkey that lifted a beer to his mouth. I loved the old pots and pans I found in the back room and played house with them. There was a refrigerator in the basement filled with pop. I remember making Christmas ornaments and other crafts in the basement.
There always seemed to be a big box of chocolates at Gram's house. Ribbon candy and my brother's favorite, chocolate covered cherries.
We always had Thanksgiving dinner here and while Gram and Mom were cooking, Dad and and his dad were watching football. Granddad was drinking Black Label Beer. Well, that was the routine every Sunday, not just Thanksgiving. And if it wasn't football it was Wide World of Sports and Indy Car Racing. We watched the Wonderful World of Disney, The Red Skelton Show and lots of other shows that are now classics. They all remind me of being at Grams' house.
There were only four of us children on January 12, 1964. Exactly one year later, on Jan. 12, 1965 our youngest sister was born.
Valerie is standing next to my grandparent's birdcage in their kitchen by the back door. Her hand prints are not here but she got to experience the same amount of love and good memories as the rest of us.
I said my final goodbye to this special little house yesterday. I thanked it for all the love and good memories that it sheltered. I hope the new owners are happy here. They will have our little hand prints to remind them that we were there.
