Memory Lane Part II
After I had started the 6th grade, my parents decided to buy a new house on the outskirts of the Ballard area. This was quite a step up for them, from a wooden house to a brick home. It is larger than it looks as it has a full daylight basement. We moved here in 1961.
The lot sizes were larger here, and there is a beautiful park-like yard with this house, which suited my Dad as he was the gardener in the family, and would work off stress when he came home in the evenings. Off to the right in the photo is a slope down to a little stream, and the slopes were beautifully landscaped with a little gravel path down. The house itself was interesting in that it had a 'new-fangled' heating system, with hot water pipes in the ceilings of the rooms. Dad didn't like it because the floors were always so cold. The bedrooms all had built in wooden beds and shelves and closets. We only stayed here for about 4 years, so I don't have too many memories. One special one though, is that I was baptised at church when I was 12, and we had a party in the basement here afterward. I remember it so clearly...and since I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was five, it's the baptism that has stayed with me and provided me assurance all these years.
This was the street corner we lived on. We also had a peek-a-boo view of Puget Sound that my Mom was thrilled with. Since Ballard was a primarily Scandinavian neighborhood in those years, we had Swedes and Norwegians all around us at home and at our new Church, Sunset Hill Baptist. I remember some wonderful holiday baking from them.
This was my new school, North Beach Elementary. It certainly lacked the charm of the old Bryant School! It was almost new in 1961. That's me out in front during my week in Seattle. On this day, I met up with an old friend of mine, Trina Hegge Patrick. When I moved here, her family was attending Sunset Hill Church and she lived only a few blocks away. So technically speaking, she is the friend I have known the longest (and greatly value the connection). We attended sixth grade together here, and so we drove to our old houses on this day and walked back to school just like we once did.
This is the view from the school...isn't it great? I have to admit though, that I don't remember valuing it at the time. Trina and I walked to the spots where we used to be on 'safety patrol', safely crossing the little ones across the street. This photo was taken from one of those spots.
This is Trina herself, a Norwegian whose Dad was a halibut fisherman in Alaska. She is standing in front of the trail we used to take to school from our neighborhood. We walked the old trail together for the first time in 46 years...and really had fun doing it and laughing about the good memories. Trina's lovely Mom passed away this past March, leaving behind her old home. Trina and her siblings are in the process of cleaning it out but it remains in the family for now. We spent the morning sitting on folding chairs in the big picture window of the house, which has a view similar to the one from the school. What a treat, after all these years to walk back into the house, basically unchanged, and re-live our memories and fun times. Later, we had a hamburger at an original drive-in in Seattle, 'Dick's'...and I got to see where Trina lives now and meet her two youngest children. Truly a memorable day.
The lot sizes were larger here, and there is a beautiful park-like yard with this house, which suited my Dad as he was the gardener in the family, and would work off stress when he came home in the evenings. Off to the right in the photo is a slope down to a little stream, and the slopes were beautifully landscaped with a little gravel path down. The house itself was interesting in that it had a 'new-fangled' heating system, with hot water pipes in the ceilings of the rooms. Dad didn't like it because the floors were always so cold. The bedrooms all had built in wooden beds and shelves and closets. We only stayed here for about 4 years, so I don't have too many memories. One special one though, is that I was baptised at church when I was 12, and we had a party in the basement here afterward. I remember it so clearly...and since I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was five, it's the baptism that has stayed with me and provided me assurance all these years.
This was the street corner we lived on. We also had a peek-a-boo view of Puget Sound that my Mom was thrilled with. Since Ballard was a primarily Scandinavian neighborhood in those years, we had Swedes and Norwegians all around us at home and at our new Church, Sunset Hill Baptist. I remember some wonderful holiday baking from them.
This was my new school, North Beach Elementary. It certainly lacked the charm of the old Bryant School! It was almost new in 1961. That's me out in front during my week in Seattle. On this day, I met up with an old friend of mine, Trina Hegge Patrick. When I moved here, her family was attending Sunset Hill Church and she lived only a few blocks away. So technically speaking, she is the friend I have known the longest (and greatly value the connection). We attended sixth grade together here, and so we drove to our old houses on this day and walked back to school just like we once did.
This is the view from the school...isn't it great? I have to admit though, that I don't remember valuing it at the time. Trina and I walked to the spots where we used to be on 'safety patrol', safely crossing the little ones across the street. This photo was taken from one of those spots.
This is Trina herself, a Norwegian whose Dad was a halibut fisherman in Alaska. She is standing in front of the trail we used to take to school from our neighborhood. We walked the old trail together for the first time in 46 years...and really had fun doing it and laughing about the good memories. Trina's lovely Mom passed away this past March, leaving behind her old home. Trina and her siblings are in the process of cleaning it out but it remains in the family for now. We spent the morning sitting on folding chairs in the big picture window of the house, which has a view similar to the one from the school. What a treat, after all these years to walk back into the house, basically unchanged, and re-live our memories and fun times. Later, we had a hamburger at an original drive-in in Seattle, 'Dick's'...and I got to see where Trina lives now and meet her two youngest children. Truly a memorable day.
1 comment:
What a wonderful trip, Jennie. I have tears. Thank you.
Kathy
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