A Trip Down Memory Lane

I drove down to Long Beach last night to spend the rest of the week with Mr. SS and our #1 son, Scott. They are still working on the remodel for my friend's cousin.

After dinner tonight we decided to take a drive and show Scott some of the places that hold memories for us from our childhood. He was probably bored silly, but we sure had fun.

Remember this post when I told the story of how Mr. SS and I went steady in elementary school.

Well, this is that school. It was Sutter Elementary when we went there and now it is an acadamy of some kind, so I couldn't get a close-up of the front like I wanted as the street was blocked off.

The next one is of Hughes Jr. High where I attended school.  Mr. SS went to a different Jr. High, but he said his practices for his first Little League team was on the field here. I didn't know that.

We didn't drive by our High Schools because they had done that the night before, so no pictures of those.

Next we drove by the house I lived in when I was in Jr. and Sr. High.

What a surprise to see that it is now a two story house. Doesn't fit very well in the neighborhood, and don't know if I would have recognized it if I didn't remember the address.  I learned how to drive in that driveway. It used to have the strip of grass up the middle and a flower bed with bushes on both sides. We had a Ford Fairlane and my Dad made me backup and pull forward until I learned to stay on the cement and not touch a bush.

 

I really wanted to show Scott where we lived when we brought him home from the hospital.

Back then you stayed in the hospital for 3 days after the baby was born.  I wanted the whole place painted and cleaned before I would bring my new baby boy there. My sweet Mr. SS got his first inkling of  what it was going to be like from then on. Even back then, we were painting and refinishing furniture and homes. He painted the whole two bedroom duplex including doors and trim in 3 days.

Here's the front.

 

Here's the back yard. I got out of the car to get this next one in an alley and stuck my head around the gate.

I really wanted this shot because I have a picture of Scott in his walker or on a blanket in this little yard..

This place and the next two were in what is considered North Long Beach. It wasn't the best part of town when we lived here, but was okay. Now it is a lot more run down and really not a good place to be out taking pictures, if you know what I mean. We were honked at if we slowed down and definetly got a few stares. But you know I had to get these pictures.

Right across the street from this duplex is the trailer park I lived in off and on while in elementary school.

Not far from here was our very first apartment, so off we went to find it.

How can I remember these addresses when I can't remember where I put my glasses or keys??

18 Morningside. I loved having that for our first address. It sounded so fresh and sweet, just like being newlyweds.

 

Well, not so sweet now, but you can see the number and the words Morningsi  Apts. So what if the de is missing, which my smart-alec son pointed out....and not fenced when we lived there or bars on the windows and doors either.  Such are the signs of change.

Okay on to the last place we lived in Long Beach before making Bakersfield our home.

Our door was at the top of the stairs and to the left.  This is where we lived when our second son, Eric was born.  It is also where our "Corvair Monza" was stolen from the street in front. Okay, maybe even back then it wasn't such a great neighborhood.

I'm sitting here wishing there was something I could add or post to make this a little more exciting for those who got through the whole thing. I apologize for being a little indulgent by going on this Sentimental Journey.

Tomorrow, I go to Aunt Fanny's for a little while. Maybe I will find some fun things there to take pictures of to post.

P.S.

I just remembered...

I do have something exciting to add to make it worth reading to the end of this post. My sweet friend Marcia

is having a giveaway. It is a $50.00 gift certificate from CSN. Click on her name and hurry over to her blog, leave a comment and learn about this great giveaway.