Anderson Cousins- in search of good memories.

Summer always meant some sort of vacation, usually to grandma and grandpas house in Richfield. Attached is a picture for you of one of those fine memories. It’s the history of the bearskin rug… It comes to us from Aunt Bobbie’s refrigerator door where Steven found it posted. Thanks for being vigilant Steve and bringing back all those repressed memories of childhood terror!

So… just to celebrate the wonderful world of thoughts and experiences long buried and mostly forgotten, I share with you my top ten list of great memories from grandma and grandpa’s house:

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10. The spring ditch with all of those long strands of moss. What a great place to play!

9. The flour bin in the kitchen. It looked like any other cabinet door, but had hinges on the side and a bin of flour attached behind. There was also usually a bottle of Jim Beam tucked away in the flour (it kept the weevil out).

8. The steep stairs that went upstairs, with a turn at the bottom, a turn at the top, and a long straight section in the middle. And a little hole in the wall halfway up next to a stair. I’m sure it was a mouse-hole.

7. Probably the biggest, oldest, apricot tree in the world. When they were in season, it was heaven.

6. A chicken coop way in the back (the earlier years). And those chickens didn’t part with their eggs very easily.

5. Grandma’s “go to town” car. A Chrysler sedan with a push button automatic transmission… the wave of the future!

4. Grandpa’s green International Harvester pickup; with a bale of straw and a 55 gallon fuel drum in the back. The turn signal always blinked left, a 30-30 rested behind the seat, and to ride shotgun you had to compete with Shep the sheepdog. (And all sheepdogs were named Shep).

3. The dried lizard nailed to the wall. Was this an example of early, southwest, high-desert décor… or a graphic warning to any other reptile that dared enter?

2. A clothes chute that was a great for sending clothes to the basement washroom, but better for those of us kids who hardly ever got to ride any real carnival rides!

1. And the number one fine memory… A cranky Chihuahua dog that lurked beneath the blanket on the couch and did not tolerate young children. “Chico” was a fine little example of pure meanness and an unmistakable exception to the saying that “all dogs go to heaven”.

May everyone have a great summer and keep the memories safe.

The next installment will feature exclusives of the reunion in Antimony, the summer romance of Vicky & Marcus, and how the younger cousins learned the art of auto-asphyxiation.

Kindest regards and great memories,

Brad