Friday, September 12, 2008

Favorite Family Foto Friday

Deborah of Pictures Pots and Pens is hosting Friday's Favorite Family Fotos. She is on vacation this week but I am still playing.

This picture is of the house I spent most of my life in. My great grandmother's parents lived in this house and 6 generations of my family lived here. Looking at the picture fills me with so many memories and makes me sad that it is no longer in our family. I am typing this getting very emotional thinking about strangers living in "our house".

My great great grandparents were the first in our family (that I know of) that lived here. The part of the house on the right was shipped from Nantucket over to this part of the Cape and it served as a store. The part of the house that is on the left was moved from a couple of streets away to the spot that I always knew it to be. The back of the house had a barn that my great great grandfather used for his cooper business. I remember being told that he would roll the barrels he made down the street to the ocean for the boats that needed them. (The house was walking distance to the ocean).

My great grandmother and her sister were raised here. My grandmother was raised here. My mother and uncle were raised here. I spent most of my childhood/teenage years here. My daughter also lived here for a while.

I learned to play the guitar when I was twelve years old sitting on the porch. I would strum away for hours. Thirty five years later I still have the same guitar!

When I look at this picture I can remember the smells of my great grandmother's cooking. I can remember the feel of the doors opening. I remember sharing a room with my sister and then finally being allowed to move to the upstairs. My great grandmother wasn't too sure of the safety of the upstairs so I was only allowed to have a cot up there to sleep on. I didn't care, it was my own room!! I remember one winter it was so cold and windy that when the wind blew the window it left enough room for the snow to creep in!

I remember when we lost that big tree in the front yard during a hurricane I cried! I remember playing under that tree and the ones in the back yard thinking how wonderful it was that my great grandfather had planted them.

I remember sitting in the front room on Sunday's after church watching Shirley Temple movies while my great grandmother prepared the big Sunday meal. I remember the pies she made would sit on top of the kerosene stove in the front room. By the time our meal was over it would be nice and warm. I still like to make a big Sunday dinner to this day. I think it is a feeling of comfort I get remembering how special I thought they were as a child.

Oh, I have so many memories I could go on and on but I don't want to bore you all.

This house feels like a part of the family to me and I still can't drive by it knowing it's not ours anymore. I dream about this house ALL THE TIME. I dream that there are secret rooms with treasures I never knew about. I guess all the treasures are my memories.

take care,
Dawn

12 comments:

Darlene said...

What a neat post...and to have had a home in your family for that many years...just fabulous!! I bet it does make you sad that others are in "your" home. How well put the comment and I am sure the "treasures" are your memories!!

Unknown said...

Hi Dawn,
The house looks like it would have been a great place to live...I love the porch.

You have so many memories there...I kinda felt that way about the house we sold before we moved to this one.

Maybe one day I'll drive over and take pictures of it and blog about why we sold out.

You are very talented...you knit, scrapbook, and now I find out you play the guitar!

Have a great day,
Diane

Anonymous said...

Dawn, I have gone into the most nostalgic frame of mind while reading your beautiful post this morning. Your memories of that home so mimic mine about the farmhouse on the dairy farm I have mentioned several times. Those memories are what makes you who you are. Thank you for the most beautiful story of your families history. It is so NOT boring. Smile.

Love, Jeanne

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you do have your sweet memories.

I get sad every time I think about my grandma's house, too. Years ago the new owners invited me to come in to see the changes they made. I had squirmed out of going in so many times, that I finally had to enter. I don't remember seeing a thing. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I got out of there the first chance I had.

SmilingSally said...

Dawn,
You are a sentimental one! My granddaughter had the same feelings when her parents moved the family from her familiar place. She resented the family that moved in and painted HER room a new color!

Funny--I used to dream that there were hidden rooms in my house. I think Diary of Anne Frank influenced me.

Kim's Treasures said...

What a nice story! How cool to live so close to the ocean! I have only been to the ocean once.

Have a great day!
Kim

Nola said...

I am a porchaholic, so you had me at the porch! I think you have all the treasures from that house safe and sound in your heart! Thanks for sharing your memories.

Montee said...

Dawn, I am playing FFFF too! I thought Deborah would want us to carry on! I understand your feelings about that house. I hate seeing others live in my grandparent's house in TN. So many, many memories and I remember them as though they were yesterday. My Foto I posted today is of my grandmother who lived in that house I so miss.

litanyofbritt said...

i'm mad about it too and hope the walls bleed everytime they show it.

One Shabby Old House said...

That is a great post. I loved my grandparents home too. Oh the memories that house held. I just want to go back sometimes and run the pasture that was between their house and ours and see my granny's big warm smile and eat some of her famous tunnel of fudge cake.
Thanks for the memories.
Becky

Theresa @ Take A Sentimental Journey said...

Oh Dawn, what wonderful memories you have.And the house sounds like it is in a beautiful part of the country.Thanks for sharing this.

Glennis said...

What a great story, and such a fascinating history of the house. How rich your memories of it must be!