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| My parents in 1979 |
My brother and I were quite lucky to have been born to our parents. They were the best parents and we clearly knew we were loved and wanted. It was just the four of us and I feel we were a pretty close family. Our parents spent time with us even though they worked. In our early years we lived in Harpursville, NY. My parents built and ran a gas station that was right across the road from our house. At that time the road was very busy with vehicles and tractor trailers going by almost all day long. Our gas station was the local hangout for teenage boys learning how to work on their cars. My father didn't mind teaching them how to fix and do preventative maintenance. That was why my brother learned at an early age how to drive and fix them.
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| Dran's Atlantic gas station in Harpursville, NY |
Even though our gas station was open seven days a week, my parents managed to put aside some time for our family. We always ate home cooked meals by my mother. Sometimes my father did not eat with us because he was so busy across the street. When that happened my mother would eat with us and then go across the street to mind the station so he could come eat his meal. She could pump gas and check oil and add oil if needed. That was back when gas stations were full service stations. She also did all the book work for the business of running Dran's Atlantic gas station.
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| My uncle winning a race! |
I think it was Friday nights that we went to the stock car races at Five Mile Point in Kirkwood, NY. Mom would bring heavy army blankets for us to sit on. Back then bleachers were basically a slab of wood and not that comfortable. I would end up laying on the blanket covered up. The excitement for me of the races would be overcome by sleep. My brother though, was into it the whole time no matter how late it got. After the race we would walk around the track and he and my father would examine all the places the cars had wrecked during the race. We also went to races in Pennsylvania. I think it was Penn Can. Not sure about the exact name now.
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| Our family, Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins & Me |
In those years all my aunts, uncles and cousins lived nearby and we saw them often. Almost every Sunday Mom would take me and sometimes my brother, to visit her brother (my uncle) and his family. It was my favorite place to go! I loved my cousins and would have fun playing with them. Sometimes we would pick up my grandmother and take her with us. If my brother was with us he would hide in the back of the car and tell me to get our cousins to come out and look for him. They would too! He would surprise them by jumping out of the car! I don't think they were really surprised because I had to hint he was out there for them to go look anyway.
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| Grandma |
I spent a lot of time back then with my grandmother. She lived 8 miles from our house. I loved being there with her. Sometimes I would spend two nights or more with her. She would make me a bed on the couch in front of the television. It was so cozy and I felt so happy being with her. She would make us popcorn and hot cocoa. We would watch television with all the lights off. Often she would tell me stories about her growing up on a farm. Her old house was beautiful to me. I loved it even though her children (my aunts and uncles) wanted her to get rid of it. It was full of treasures!
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| Grandma in front of her barn |
She had almost 100 acres of land. There was a big barn right across the road. It was a sad day when they took it down. I remember that day clearly, even though I was really young. I found a baby bird that must have fallen out of a nest. When I brought it inside my grandmother (who thought birds were nasty and full of diseases) had me put it in a box and set it out in the yard for the mother bird to get it back. Later I checked on it and it was gone. At the time I thought the mother bird did come back for it. Now all these years later, I wonder if my grandmother removed it from the box and put it somewhere that I would not see it.
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| Grandma's home on Snow Road, Harpursville, NY |
Now all these years later my memories give me comfort. I like to remember those times with my family. Memories are even more important than pictures as you age. I can picture every room of my grandmother's house in detail. Actually all the houses we lived in too. I don't need pictures to remember them. You may not remember things as they actually were or happened. It doesn't matter though. Your memories are your memories. Treasure them!
