Skinned knees, bare feet
Freckled nose, skin aglow
Knotty hair
You’ve been where?
In the fresh air!
Summertime
Old Town Home
If my memory serves me correctly, there used to be a Country Time Lemonade commercial that had Benny Goodman‘s “How Am I To Know” playing in the background while a boy rode his bike down a dusty country road in summer. Every time I hear that song, I picture myself as a child, riding my bike around my old town home.
Sun peeks through the curtains, time to get up and go.
Grab my pack and jump on my 10-speed.
Cruise down past the hardware store and the spinning pole of the barber shop to the town center, where my friend is waiting for a match on the lone tennis court.
Lose track of the score and decide we both earned a cone from the local ice cream shop.
Smile at the Maytag Man, who is sitting alone in front of his shop with nothing to do, of course.
Wave goodbye to my friend, and roll over to the park.
Down goes the kickstand while I pick a handful of blackberries along the entrance.
On to the tee ball field where the Blue Jays and the Pirates are in the bottom of the 3rd.
Bleachers are full, so I ride over to the playground.
A few flips over the parallel bars and then I take my chances on the steep metal slide.
Seat scorcher!
Once is enough.
What’s next?
Pedal down to the toy store to see what’s new in stock and add to my wish list for Santa.
Across to the aquarium shop to decide how I’ll spend my allowance.
Only a dollar left in my pocket.
Penny candy it is!
Spin back up to the center, up past the historic homes, tobacco barns, and churches, up past the video and package stores, to the one convenience store.
I count out 10 sticks of Fortune Bubble, 5 Pixy Stix, 5 Bit O’ Honey, 5 root beer barrels, a pack of Pop Rocks and a box of Nerds. I’ve still got a quarter to spare!
Take my bounty over to the pond to share with who’s fishing.
They say they threw them all back, so they had nothing to show. Same as last time!
Time to check on my 4-H calf. We take a stroll through the barn together.
Take the long way home, past the cemetery, library, and print shop.
Friends have a lemonade stand set up on the front walk. There goes my last coin.
Whiz past the market where I see mom pushing her cart to the suburban. One hour ‘til dinner.
Rush over to the neighbor’s to check on our tree forts.
Go karts are out, time for a race!
There’s the dinner bell,
right on time.
Wash up!
Bless the food.
What’d you do today, Li’l Bean?
Oh…not much.
Family Reunion
A family member passed away this morning. As sad as it is when someone passes, I try to express gratitude for their time in my life, and the joy I experience as a result. George was the husband of my mom’s first cousin, Twila. Every summer, my family would stay in their home when we traveled out to Pennsylvania for our family reunion.
The reunion was always in July at Sunset Park in State College, right around the corner from JoePa’s house. We’d blanket the tables with homemade casseroles and desserts. The younger cousins would play a game on the baseball field. Announcements and prayers would be made concerning the happenings of the past year. We’d end the day at George’s house, catching fireflies and singing along while family members played their guitars and banjos.
A trip to Advent Cemetery was part of the trips, where we’d visit the resting places of my grandpa and other ancestors.
One summer, while swinging on the porch, a young girl walked around the side of the house with a basketball in her hand. In a fraction of a second I was by her side asking to play. Her family lived upstairs from George, so I was able to play with her every summer, and we were pen pals throughout the rest of the year. We’ve been dear friends for over 30 years.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (Arts Fest) was usually taking place on the same weekend, so we’d join the crowds and view the creations. I still have a photograph hanging on my wall from one of those artists. The festival takes place in State College, home to the Pennsylvania State University. I fell in love with the campus and the spirit of the university. I knew from a young age that I would attend and graduate from Penn State. Everyone knew of my dreams, but George took an extra step to help me feel like my dreams were within reach. One summer, George drove me out to campus and walked with me to the gates of Beaver Stadium. No one else was around, and he and I just stood there staring into the stadium, my mouth and eyes a lot wider than his. He was so patient, standing there for who knows how long, while my mind swirled with all that was to come. I hope George knows how grateful I remain for that gift.
Grandma passed in 2005. She was our matriarch and primary connection to the reunion. It was in that same period of time that most of my cousins had moved out of their childhood homes, gone off to school or the military, started careers, and started families of their own. It’s not that family became less important with her passing, but the reunion seemed to fall by the wayside for the younger generations. There are a lot of us and we’re well spread, but maybe we’ll find a time and place to reunite. While there, I hope to be able to provide an impactful experience for a younger relative, the way George did for me.
Juvenescent Junkets 