Front Porch

Jud and Kara moved into their new home last week.

Doesn't it have a beautiful front porch? As my Aunt Marty says - it looks like a happy place. Complete with a front porch swing. I can't wait to visit.

All of the homes Paul and I have owned have had small front porches - stoops really. Nothing as grand as this. It reminds me of my grandparent's home at 909 Poplar in Atlantic. I have so many great memories of that home - the place my father and his sisters grew up.

It's on Zillow now, so I was able to get photos of what it looks like today. Someone has taken good care of this beauty!

I wonder if there are still peonies along the left side of the sidewalk?

We always went in through the back door - so this was our view. The kitchen. This was where my grandma, Zora Clayton Stewart Bullock whisked the turkey to when the card table holding the turkey collapsed - tossing said bird to the ground. It was Thanksgiving and my great uncle Max Bullock was attempting to carve the turkey. That's my recollection anyway. My gran, Momo, proudly brought the turkey back out moment later saying, "good thing we had a spare!"

Beautiful fireplace

We spent many holidays in that home, playing games in the front hall. We'd play with the toys our father and aunts once played with - board games from pre WW2. Tiddly Winks into the corn bread container. Sometimes we would bravely go down into the cellar - unfinished and chilly. Or the attic, where I was told the insulation (by sister Cindo no doubt) would swallow me alive. In each of those places there were remnants of my aunties and Dad - prom gowns, toys and books, like the Bobbsey Twin and Nancy Drew.

So much built in storage

 There were four bedrooms upstairs at the home. It was fun to stay overnight with Momo and Bubba (Wallace Orville Bullock). And sleep in the room at the top of the stairs. Once retired, my grandfather took oil painting lessons in Omaha. He became quite good, winning ribbons at area art shows. I have a couple of his works. I remember the front bedroom filled with easels, paints and paintings in various stages of completion.

In the early 1970's my grandparents moved to a condominium (Bub couldn't ever say that work right - he called it a condo -ninium). It was lovely and fit their needs with everything on one floor. My former boss at the gas station, Harry Hjortshoj and his wife purchased the house on Poplar. We were glad to see it go to someone who would love it as we did.

And so it goes from life's front porches. No matter where we live, be it a house with a big front porch, or an apartment in a city or a townhouse. We are all connected - creating memories. We are family.

A photo from 909 Poplar - living room

I'm wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.