There's no place like Home

My dad was born in rural Maryland but was raised in Baltimore MD in this house. There was a lot of love inside. He grew up in this home until he went into the Air Force in his late teens. My dad moved to Philly after he married my mom whom he met when coming home on some weekends with his friend Albert whose mother lived next door to my mom's mother.

 

I miss this house on Bookert Drive. I use to spend my summers there as a kid until I graduated High School. I still would spend every other weekend there with my grandmother after my grandfather passed and I started working at HUP. I couldn't wait for the last day of school because I knew the next day I would be Baltimore bound. I had a happy childhood. My mother's parents lived in the same city as we did and my dad's parents lived a little further out near the country. I think I looked forward a little more to visiting my grandparents in Maryland not only because it was a chance to venture out of city limits but because of the special time that it presented for my grandparents and I. Those cool evenings on the porch covered in off because the mosquitoes were a mess. I loved the sound of the crickets on grandma's quiet drive while we listened to the baseball game on the radio playing in the living room. As much as I loved the cool nights I loved the cool early mornings. Grandma would open the front door to let the fresh air in through the screen door while she cooked breakfast. I can still remember the smell of fresh air coming in as I would come down the stairs for breakfast. Everything is still vivid in my mind; the rides in the car to take my grandmother to and from work, the trips to Gino's for burgers, Montgomery Ward to shop and picnics in Druid Hill Park. My grandfather Jesse was a quiet, laid back man, always full of joy. He left an unforgettable mark on my life. My grandmother Mary, his wife, was a strong woman, the cook, the organizer, the nurturer, the go getter, the one who had a slightly bigger part in creating the wonderful memories in my mind that I miss so much today.

At Holiday time grandma would have the house looking and smelling right. From the tree to the triple candle lights she would have in the four front windows, the hard butterscotch candy on the living room table and the cans of Kathryn Beich Katydids she would have hidden especially for me under the back bedroom bed upstairs. She sold these candies for fundraisers and would always put aside a can or two for me during the holidays. She would have Christmas cards all over the house. The house would be so warm, and the smells of the apple pie and butter cake that she always made filled the air, till this day I know that people love my butter cakes because I was able to duplicate her recipe. I remember many times sitting at the kitchen table watching her prepare with love those tasty butter cakes. The only other two things she made I wish I could duplicated were her homemade biscuits and preserves. My favorite was the Virginia Ham that she would bake. My grandmother was a loving person. She passed away in 1989.

Although it has been 27 years since I spent my last holiday with my grandmother, (for my grandfather died back when I was still in high school), I remember it like it was yesterday. It was January 1987 right after the New Year. I stayed with her for a week, and my husband, who then was just my boyfriend came to pick me up to take me home at the end of the week. He got to meet her. She embraced and accepted him as my future. I am also glad she got to spend a week with us at our apartment in May/June of 1988. I thank God for the sweet memories!