Tuesday, October 15, 2013

There are memories stirring inside these walls.

 My childhood friend Diane lives back east in Toronto and has done so for many years.
We are still in touch, as we are "friends" on Facebook.

Her Mother passed away this summer...she was well into her 90's.

Many memories resurfaced after hearing of her demise...

So many wonderful memories from our formative years...
of times spent playing in their home.

Diane's home was the sort that fueled my imagination.
It had all sorts of nooks and crannies,
there were deep closets under the eaves...where their clothes hung.
These also made a great spot to make forts and play Barbies.

We were avid Nancy Drew readers and we would lie for hours on her twin beds reading side by side while munching on 5 cent candies.

We went to the Library Reading Program "Circus McGircus"...our Mothers allowed us to take the bus together as the stop was by their doorstep at the top of our streets. The bus stopped right at the Library stairs and Victoria was a small town back then, much safer in many ways.

We loved The Beatles...she liked John and I liked Paul.
One of her aunts used to send her the fan magazines from the UK so we would drool over the pictures of all the pop stars.
Her home was without a television set so she came over to our house to watch The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. I can still hear my parents telling us to stop screaming!

Diane's home seemed a tad more refined than ours...it was architecturally different and interesting and only had a radio and a piano....yet it felt steeped in culture....romantic.

Her Mother was a former ballerina from The Royal London Ballet Company and she wore her hair in a tight bun everyday. She would practice doing the splits up a wall in the enrty hall...I remember trying to emulate this to no avail!
Both Diane and her sister took ballet and they also took piano lessons from the lady across the street from our house. They were very accomplished like their Mother.

I could share many more memories but I think I'll keep some close to my heart.

Mother, sister and I popped by to see the house after we saw the SOLD sign.
It is enclosed in a wonderful greenspace, very private and we are a tad curious if it will be restored or demolished.

Fearing the latter I took some photos...
I hope you will see the magic in the bones of this home.

It holds so much of my youth wrapped up inside its walls.




the front porch where we shucked peas and licked ice cream cones


Not much has changed...


I love this front door...


the same carpet runner on the stairs


fabulous pillars


If these walls could talk...
you'd hear the sound of laughter and maybe a secret whispered between a couple of girlfriends so many years ago.

Years have passed by...
about 50 give or take since I set foot inside.
It still has charm.
 I am a die hard romantic when it comes right down to it.
I think I fell hard for this house when I was 6 and it still has the magic to move me today at 58.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and share these memories with me.

Hostess
XO

16 comments:

Kathy said...

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful home! I would love to set foot in that house and look in all the nooks and crannies. I was an avid Nancy Drew reader too, and I think those kinds of books fuel the imagination. Thank you for sharing your memories of a very special time in your life.

DaniBP said...

Wow that's a beautiful house, I hope whoever buys it preserves the charm. So sturdy looking too, what a wonderful place to have spent part of your childhood.

Susan said...

Hostess, I feel like you and I are kindred spirits. I grew up next door to a friend from the age of three. I always felt like her home was a bit more refined than mine and considerably more homey. She had an Italian manger scene. I pleaded with my mother for one--and she relented and we purchased one at the local five and dime store. I have it now and treasure it above most other possessions. We treasure our childhood memories and yes, I can see the magic in your friend's house.

Janet Higgs said...

What great memories to have of a beautiful house and great people who lived there. Sounds like you and I have some similar memories - Nancy Drew, The Beatles, Ed Sulllivan. Very fun years.

Lorrie said...

This post brought back a lot of memories of my girlfriends from long ago. Nancy Drew, music, giggles and more. The home is beautiful. I do hope it won't be demolished. Such stories in those walls.

materfamilias said...

How lucky you are in your memories and in being able to go back and have a peek inside -- your post makes me think of Gaston Bachelard's wonderful book The Poetics of Space . . . And I'm crossing my fingers that such a beautiful house is bought by someone who will love it and care for it -- what a shame if it's torn down to make room for newer and bigger.

A Labour of Life said...

What a lovely memory and an awesome house. I will pray that someone buys it to cherish what it is not demolish it. What a shame that so many wonderful pieces of history just get destroyed today.

Anonymous said...

What lovely memories you have - so much passed between you two as young girls and how beautiful to know that you have stayed friends. Time just concertinas and the past becomes so close sometimes....I think the memories you have shared are lovely. Best wishes, Renie

Anonymous said...

What a wonderfully poetic post, that is a stunning house, it just has that feeling of safety and security about it.

Anonymous said...

Renie, that's a perfect way to express it, time 'concertinas" I'm feeling that a lot just now.

Anonymous said...

The house has so much character, it is beautiful. Older homes always seem to have more depth. It must be the stories they tell. This is a lovely post ... wonderful memories.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories of you and your childhood friend. It's lovely that you two are still in touch. It has made me think of my childhood friends...sleepovers, talking about boys, the Beatles, talking about boys, Nancy Drew books, talking about boys...you get the picture. I hope the buyers of that lovely home cherish it and make their own memories.

flwrjane said...

The house is as lovely as the memories you share of it.

Lucky new owners. And lucky you two, retaining your friendship after all these years.

xo Jane

Anonymous said...

It's nice to have fond memories. I too lived in a beautiful neighbourhood with beautiful big old houses when I was young. The neighbourhood is still very nice but most houses have been torn down for newer and bigger ones. I guess it's a natural course of things with the increase in world population, it wouldn't make sense to under-utilize the plot ratio for either the developer or the buyer. We can't hang on to times and things that have passed and changed. For sure, someone else will have fond memories of the new house to be built where they will spend a wonderful childhood with other neighbourhood children at the top of the street, and 50 years later, they will post a photo of their "old" house online (or on whatever social media they will have in 50 years from now)!! For us, I guess it does feel uncomfortable to lose a physical landmark in our lives! Things are changing too fast in our generation. Sigh!

Judith said...

Beautiful evocative post.Thank you for sharing that period of your life.

Share my Garden said...

I do hope that such the lovely house will not be demolished. Happy homes have a presence about them. I was so pleased when a really nice family moved into my parents' home. We have become good friends and their front door is always open to me. I just need to put my head round the door and holler 'hello!" Thank you for sharing these lovely memories of a friendship.