This home hasn't changed much over the years. Grameez is still there in spirit and the Grandpa does a great job of tending to her flowers and planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting a big, bountiful garden. It's a home built on love, hard work, and a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ.
I write this post as a feeble attempt to capture and preserve the spirit and my memories of this home, for myself and hopefully one day my children. This home, along with my own childhood home, fuels my inspirations and dreams for the home I hope to one day foster.
This home was always a joyous sight after at least 14 hours packed in a van with the family people. The excitement would build as we pulled off I-15 and turned onto the country highways that would lead us to the place. Jumping out of that mobile cage before the engine was even shut off, we'd greet the Kyoo Grameez and Grandpa with grand hugs (breathing in the distinct, pleasant smell of their home) and then rush off to spend what was left of the day playing in the ditch, swinging on the old swing, stealing raspberries off the bushes, and just taking in every inch of that glorious backyard.
Usually beginning sometime in May and continuing thru the late fall, this ditch is rushing with water. The Kyoo Grandpa has cool canals masterfully dug throughout the vegetable garden and once or twice a week he'll dam one end and divert several streams on a replenishing mission.
It has an important purpose, but to us it was the toy of the century. Oh the hours we'd spend playing in the ditch! Never mind the stern warnings coming from the adult folk inside.
"Stay away from that ditch!"
"You'll get a spanking if you fall in!"
"Get your sister away from the ditch!"
These words only egged us on. We'd send make-shift boats assail on its swift currents, sit on the bridge and cool our feet in its icy massage (except it wasn't so relaxing for me because i was always terrified of the possibility of encountering a snake surfing downstream...it would have been traumatic!), and watch it gurgle past the old water pump.
Hours and hours of limitless entertainment that ditch was.
There are trees a plenty in their yard. Trees for climbing, trees for dreaming under, trees for picking apricots and apples and cherries. They're almost magical.
In the springtime the fruit trees are literally abuzz with busy bees, chaotically pollinating the sweet buds.
In the late summer their branches hang heavy with produce, shading the dozens of rotting corpses littering the ground below. The Kyoo Grameez would dutifully pick these up in 5 gallon buckets almost daily, sorting the good from the bad. Sometimes, if we weren't behaving, we'd be assigned that task.
I have never hated squirrels and worms so much in my life.
Speaking of trees, take a good look at this one.
I spent a solid afternoon one college weekend, camped in that tree with a handsaw. The Kyoo Grameez was bugged that its branches were blocking her dining room table view of the foothills and I was tasked with removing the offenders. Figured I should earn my weekend keep, you know?
I perilously and warily moved from one branch to another, sawing for what felt like hours on each one. The blisters! I sawed and the Kyoo Grameez watched from below, keeping me company and standing at the ready to, any second, call 911 if I fell to the breaking of my neck.
It was a dangerous job. Probably not as dangerous as I remember it, but you better believe I will be telling my kids all about it in a grand, embellished fashion.
The Kyoo Grandpa garage was kind of an eerily fun place to explore.
Filled with old, dusty tools and overrun with cobwebs, it has an earthy smell to it and houses the residual fruits from years of repairing and building. The Kyoo Grandpa is quite the Mr. Fixit. There's rarely an excuse to rush to the store to replace a broken machine or weathered piece of furniture. Nope. He'll take it out to his garage shop and work his magic. It's what he taught for decades and he's sure good at it.
I remember seeing this most especially during the early winters of my childhood. He had these (years multiplied by years old, i swear) snowmobiles that he'd get working without fail and off we'd go bumping along in the sled across the snow-covered fields.
We never spent much time inside the garage, but at least once a visit we'd timidly sneak inside to pull out our favorite toys.
Stick horse, perhaps?
The pogo-stick was a must.
Along with a rusty old wagon. Except, this wasn't my favorite because, as the oldest child and grandchild, I rarely actually got to ride in the wagon. I had to pull it.
But I'm not bitter...
If we weren't frolicking around outside, then us girls were buried in the basement playing for hours and hours with old Barbies.
And horses. There was even a pioneer-like carriage for them to pull! We'd make such a mess setting up houses and putting on outfit after outfit. You wouldn't expect it but I loved Barbies as a kid. I'll confess that now. But I won't tell you at what age I actually stopped playing with them on a daily basis...
...going to change the subject now. On to more favorites from their home!
Remember the Heinz ketchup bottle? Here's the original!
I still have mine centrally located above my own sink.
The Kyoo Grameez had a lot of bird plates.
They lined the lengths of her kitchen walls like so.
And then this one was randomly in the middle. Guarding the birds, maybe? I never asked about it. The shame!
The fridge is the main focal point in the kitchen. It's plastered with photographs and colorings from the grandchildren now. Along with magnets from many of the states the Kyoo grandparents have visited. I remember playing with the state magnets a lot. I thought it was a cool idea...so now I try to buy a magnet from each new state I visit. My fridge isn't quite as decorated yet though...
The stair shelves lined with plants and trinkets galore. Please notice the Taco Bell dog. (or chi-wah-wah as nicole would say!).
And let me never forget these bowls. These bowls are bittersweet memories in and of themselves. If we visited at just the right time during the summer, we'd get to spend hours in the kitchen, snapping ends off green beans and preparing bowl after bowl of them for canning.
I complained more than once about this job as a kid.
But now I kind of miss it.
On Sunday afternoons these bowls are full of popcorn. The Kyoo Grandpa loves his popcorn. Popcorn and apples are just about mandatory snacks at this time. Along with some feel-good family film. This past Sunday it was "The Waltons". (though i think the kyoo grandpa would prefer his old westerns).
Also of note, the lei I brought back from Hawaii for the Kyoo Grameez after I graduated from college. It's still hanging on the back of the office door. She never got to go to Hawaii herself but I tried to bring a little of Hawaii to her that Christmas.
Now, if I could steal 3 things from this home, these would be the first stuffed into my burlap sack:
The best egg beaters EVER. If they still make these, why can't I find them?? Also, the bath tub toy of choice growing up.
A squirrel (chipmunk?) cutting board made by mine truly, the Kyoo mom. I JUST discovered it on this last trip and loved it! Will she make one for me now? Probably not. Did I put in a request? Yes.
The Anne of Green Gables book series! Confession: I actually did take these. Though with full intentions of returning them to their rightful home when I am finished. New goal for this year: finish them all.
There are so many little things that I love about this home. The chime of the clock from the front room. Every hour and half hour it rings its tolls! The natural light that streams into every room. Except the basement...it's kind of a semi-tamed dungeon. The hordes of pictures showcasing family and loved ones. The walls I helped to paper. The fact that there's very little cell reception in the house and only one Internet connection so it's a welcome escape from the "modern" world. I mean, the telephone on the wall still rings! Crazy, huh??
My list goes on.
But my very favorite thing is the sweet, peaceful spirit I can feel in that home. It's not a perfect home. It's seen and still sees its struggles and trials and pains like any other home. But there is truth in that home. It's filled and blessed with memories of the lives of good people lived and living there.
This is why it's one of my favorite places. Whether I'm there in person or spirit it will always be my happy, safe, beautiful Garden of Eden.
Have a great day :-)
1 comment:
chi-hoo-ah-hoo-ah. :) I'm so glad you posted this! I know how much you love your grandparents and I'm so glad you took me once to meet them and shared that with me. I miss you!
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