SUNDAY IS FAMILY DAY – January 23, 2011

SUNDAY IS FAMILY DAY – January 23, 2011

Earlier this week my Mom showed me my Baby Album. Inside of it were some letters that my Dad had written to my Mom while he was out of town working on insurance claims right after I was born. In one of those letters, ironically, he talked about coming home and going out for a drive on Sunday afternoon “because Sunday is Family Day”. It really brought a smile to my face when I read that. So, this Sunday drive tradition has been a part of our family ever since I was born!

As we got Mom and Dad into the car this afternoon, their eyes were sparkling and they had already started reminiscing about some of their memories of growing up in San Diego in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Though they lived several miles from each other back then, they actually attended the same schools. Grammar school was at Central Grammar School which was located at Central and Polk. They both had Mrs. Harrelson as their 6th grade teacher. They both attended Woodrow Wilson Middle School and Herbert Hoover High School.

The weather here in San Diego this weekend was absolutely gorgeous. There was a Santa Ana wind blowing which cleared out the foggy marine layer and blessed us with an unbelievably clear view of the Coronado Islands off the coast of San Diego past Point Loma to the north and the Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island to the south. The waters of San Diego Bay glistened as we crossed over the Coronado Bridge. There were dozens of sailboats out on the waters with their spinnaker sails full and gliding across the water. In the distance up towards where the USS Midway is permanently docked, there was a Carnival Cruise Lines ship in port. We could see the huge red fan tale from the top of the bridge.

Our first destination today was over to Coronado in hopes of finding my Mom’s grandparent’s home. Unfortunately, we could not find the actual address before we left home (we did find it later). So – we’re just going to have to go back and find it on another Sunday afternoon drive! We found a picture of the house after we got home today.

We took a leisurely drive back through Coronado and past the Hotel Del looking at all of the beautiful homes. There were many people out riding their bicycles and we saw several people playing golf on the municipal golf course as we headed back to cross over the bridge and continue on our adventure.

Our next destination was to go by the first house that my Dad lived in here in San Diego on Fairmont Avenue. The house still stands today. It is a nice looking two-story home north of University. He pointed out which room was his on the second floor and which one was his brother Carl’s. Dad does not recall having any pictures from this house when they lived here; but we’re going to go through some of the photo albums that he still has from his Mom (my Grandma Ro) and we’ll see if we can find one.

Mom and Dad were full of memories of the way things “used to be” back in their younger days. The Inner City Children’s Clinic used to be the home of Kerrigan Jewelers on University. The University Theater used to be where the Payless Shoe Store is now; and the building at University and Euclid was once a skating rink. There is a tall very vibrant colored building across the street. That was where the end of the street car line once was. The buildings back then were all one story. Mom recalled walking home from Hoover High and stopping to buy donuts – two for 5 cents! She said they had an orange long john that just melted in your mouth.

Dad told us that El Cajon Boulevard used to be Route 80; and that is what we drove between Tucson and San Diego when he got transferred to Tucson back in the late 1950’s. When he lived in the Fairmont house, he and his brothers would ride their bikes down to Adobe Falls to swim. Mission Valley at that time was not developed as it is today. Rose Toyota was at the bottom of Fairmont. John Rose was a friend of Dad’s; and he had the Rose Toyota was the first Toyota dealership in the United States.

We also drove by where my Dad lived on 56th Avenue just north of El Cajon Boulevard. Where their house used to be now stands an apartment building. My grandparent’s property was quite wide and had avocado trees in the back yard. It was one-story home with two bedrooms and a bath. Along the right side of the house was a single car driveway that sloped down to a detached garage behind the house. Along the driveway was a small pond with goldfish. We have been told that though the original house was moved away and replaced with the apartment building – the pond is still there behind the fence. We weren’t bold enough to try to peak over the fence today – maybe sometime in the future.

As we left Grandma and Grandpa’s Ro’s old neighborhood, we turned right onto El Cajon Boulevard and drove west. Mom and Dad would point out where certain businesses used to be.

Our afternoon continued with an early dinner at the Chicken Pie Shop. This is a San Diego tradition. It was once located on Fifth Avenue in downtown San Diego; but has been at its present location for years and years. When you step inside the glass front door, you are greeted with the smiling faces of well-seasoned waitresses. Mom and Dad recognized several of them as having been there for as long as they could remember. On the walls surrounding the large open dining room are large pictures from menus offering a chicken pie dinner complete with mashed potatoes and chicken gravy, coleslaw and vegetables AND pie for dessert for only 45 cents! You could have a cup of coffee or a glass of buttermilk for 10 cents! There were pictures on the walls from the early days of the Pie Shop as well as dozens of ceramic chickens and roosters lining he shelf near the top of the walls all around restaurant.

Our meals were served with warm rolls and butter. Mom and Dad and Jim all had the chicken pot pie dinners; but I had to order their fried chicken just to see how that was. My dinner came with a nice little side salad, vegetables mashed potatoes and gravy and three nice pieces of breaded fried chicken. It was moist and good – though I have to admit I’ve never had fried chicken dipped in bread crumbs before. We all had leftovers to bring home including our pieces of pie that were included with our dinners.

After that, we drove home and called my cousin and her husband and my Aunt Mary (Mom’s sister) who just live down the street from Mom and Dad. The three of them came down after we got back to Mom and Dad’s. We enjoyed a piece of pie and some decaf coffee. The best part of that was to bring out some of the old family photo albums and sit around the table and look at old pictures. Mom and Aunt Mary sat on one side of the table with Mary Jean and me on the other side. I cannot even begin to tell you how much fun it was to sit there with our Mom’s and go through pictures of when they were newlywed’s and new parents. The pictures are priceless to us. My Uncle Eugene passed on a few years ago; and oh how we miss him. But Mary Jean and I so enjoyed looking at the pictures and watching our Mom’s reminisce about how things used to be.

I cherish these times with my parents. It is so much fun for me to hear the enthusiasm in their voices when they talk about their memories and walk down memory lane. And, to be able to share that with my cousin and my Aunt was extra special. In the next few weeks, we are planning on all of us getting together for an afternoon picnic down on Harbor Island. We’ll sit and enjoy the stories because “Sunday is for Family”. Till next time…

SUNDAY IS FAMILY DAY - January 16, 2011

SUNDAY IS FAMILY DAY
I wrote an article in 2007 entitled “Don’t Let Your Parents Tell You No”. It was about spending some quality time with my parents. Since that time, my parents’ health has been declining; my Mom has Parkinson ’s disease, my Dad had to have a rather sudden quadruple bypass, and as of last week they have given up driving. This past summer we lost Jim’s Dad. His Mom is still with us and we are blessed that at 90 years young, she is in relatively good health and doing well. We visit her in Huntington Beach as much as possible and are grateful for our time together.
One thing that has become increasingly important to me is to make sure I ask those questions that I’ve always said “someday I have to ask my parents about that”. Well, now is my “someday”. We have decided that “Sunday is Family Day”. Having said that - we decided that we will make plans to do something with either Jim’s Mom or my parents every weekend.
Our weekend began on Saturday when we drove up to Huntington Beach for a Celebration of Life for one of Jim’s longest friends. We picked up his Mom and the three of us were on our way to a wonderful afternoon of memories. In addition to hearing some touching stories about our friend Jan who left us all too soon, we also enjoyed our time with Jim’s Mom and talking with her about some of their early days in the Navy. We talked about their homes in Newport, Rhode Island – Taiwan and Charleston, South Carolina as well as Long Beach. She also shared with us some family history about the silver tea set she proudly displays on the sideboard in her dining room and a couple of chairs that were in her family home in Washington, D.C. She told us the story of a small covered chair that sits in her entry-way. It is now upholstered in a soft pink stripe fabric. It is quite a short chair and has no arms. In this small chair, she began to knit a baby blanket when she was pregnant with Jim. She said she didn’t finish the blanket but that her mother did and presented it to her so she could keep her baby warm when he came home from the hospital. She also told us the history about a couple of tables in her living room. We have many more questions about things in her home and other memories that we will pursue on another visit. We spent time with her for a little while after we returned from the Celebration of Life; and then we had to be on our way home. Driving back home to San Diego, both of us kept remembering things she had mentioned during our day with her. Off to the west, just after 5:00 p.m. the sun was setting. As the brilliant, flaming sun set on the horizon, the reflections on the glassy Pacific Ocean waters was breathtaking. The water was so calm, there was hardly a ripple. The colors of the sunset were amazing bright pinks, oranges and purples. What a fabulous way to end such a nice day!
On Sunday, we began our “Sunday is Family Day” with my parents. We got Mom and Dad into the car and off we went down the road in search of some of their early homes in San Diego and some of our relatives’ homes. Before we got too far down the road, Mom began telling us that their first apartment was on 30th Street here in San Diego. They were newlyweds; and Mom put an ad in the San Diego Tribune that read something like “Veteran just married looking for place to rent”. The apartment on 30th Street in North Park still stands today. Their apartment was in the back of the main house. It was hard to see their apartment in its entirety – but we could see the corner of the back building where they began their life together. Their toilet had a pull chain. They had an “ice box” where the ice man delivered a 25 pound block of ice once a week to keep their food cold.
Our next stop was to go by their apartment on Iowa Street which is also still standing today. It is much the same set up as the first apartment on 30th Street with the apartment behind the main house. The main difference with this apartment is that Dad’s Mom, my Grandma Ro, thought this was a much nicer place and she “approved”. I was born when they lived on Iowa Street. Mom and Dad have a picture of both of these apartments in a frame of pictures along with pictures of all the homes they have lived in.
After Iowa Street, Mom and Dad really took a giant leap and bought their first home on Hannah Street here in San Diego. My Dad worked for a large insurance company; and his territory covered all of San Diego County as well as El Centro and down to the border in Tijuana. I remember the dress he brought me from Mexico that had the white top with ruffles on top and the multi-colored ruffled skirt. My brother was born when they lived here.
Our afternoon continued by driving by the Columbia Street home that my Aunt Cassie and Uncle Ralph used to live in. It was a small house on a hillside that had an absolutely breathtaking view of the planes, trains and ships in San Diego harbor. On a clear day they could see out to the end of Point Loma and out to Coronado Island. Their house had one very distinctive feature – they had one of the first elevators in San Diego. I remember as a young girl going to visit them. The entrance to their home has a small courtyard. The back of the house is a plate glass window with this stunning view. But my brother Rob and I were fascinated with that elevator; and we couldn’t wait to visit Aunt Cassie and Uncle Ralph just so we could go in the elevator!
¬My Mom is a San Diego native. Her Dad was a master printer. His first shop was in the Hotel del Coronado where he perfected his craft. He then moved to a shop on the first floor in the building at 5th and Laurel. This is the same building that is the home of the famed restaurant Mr. A’s that is on the rooftop. Back in the early 1930’s Mom’s family lived on 10 acres of land on Rosecrans Blvd. Her Dad had the opportunity to buy this land for $865 in back taxes. But, it was during The Depression. It was all her Dad could do to pay the rent – there was no way he could scrape together enough money to buy the property.
That property today would be worth millions upon millions of dollars. They actually had two houses back then – a day house and a night house. They had their meals in the day house and slept in the night house. Mom tells stories of her and her two sisters, knowing every inch of that property. They would run and jump down the hill right down to the waters’ edge. Today, this area is known as Playa Point Loma. Where their two small houses once stood on an empty ten acres of waterfront land, today there are hundreds of private residences with San Diego Bay as their backyard. They have views of Point Loma, Shelter Island and Harbor Island as well as out to North Island and Coronado.
We actually found the location and address of the original two houses, but standing there today is a very modern two story stucco home that must be well over 5,000 square feet. We drove down to the street below Rosecrans (which was not there when Mom’s family lived there); and at the end of the street we found a waterfront access and walking path along the waters’ edge. Mom wanted to get out and go down so Jim got the wheelchair out of the trunk and while Dad chose to stay in the car, the three of us walked down to the path and meandered down a ways. Mom was telling us stories about how she and her sisters knew every inch of that property and would jump down to gather clams. They would stomp down the tall weeds that filled the property and would pretend they were in a huge house. As we were going down the path, we came across a lady whose Golden Retriever was romping in the water as she walked on the path. When our paths crossed, she said hello and Mom asked if she lived in the area. She said yes, and Mom told her she used to live there back in the 1930’s. The woman knew some of the names of the people that used to be nearby neighbors; and amazing as it was, she said some of those families still own homes there. Before we parted, she took Mom’s name and was going to show it to some of those people. Mom was thrilled and you could see the pleasure of the afternoon in her face.
Our day continued as we proceeded to Anthony’s Fish Grotto on Harbor Drive for an early dinner. They seated us at a wonderful window table where we had a view of the Bay. Because it was an incredibly clear day today, we could see all the way out to Point Loma where The Old Point Loma Lighthouse proudly stands. Mom’s mother’s sister, Aunt Nel, married Rollie Israel – the son of the last lighthouse keeper of The Old Point Loma Lighthouse.
While Mom and Jim and I enjoyed our soup and salad, Dad enjoyed his Huevos Rancheros and the conversation continued. Dad talked about only paying 5 cents to take the passenger ferry from San Diego over to Coronado back when he was a young boy. He also recalled riding his bicycle down to the Bay when Old Ironsides – yes the U.S.S. Constitution – was in port. He was about 11 years old. He and his friends who were in the Boy Scouts together would go to the Postmaster and have envelopes stamped “Old Ironsides” on special holidays such as Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday. He also used to come down to the Bay to go duck hunting.
After Pearl Harbor was bombed, Dad told us he joined the Navy at the 11th Naval District offices at the base of Broadway in San Diego. The building is still there. He said that his Dad had taught him the Morse Code; and because of that, he did not have to go to Boot Camp. Once his enlistment papers were signed, he reported directly out to Point Loma.
Sunset was just after 5:00 p.m. While we were getting ready to leave, a rowboat with about 8 scouts and their parents passed in front of the windows of Anthony’s. We imagined these young boys were out earning their “Rowing Badge”. The waters of the bay began to calm as the sun set in the West. The wispy clouds in the sky above began to turn yellow and orange, then pink and purple. The waters shimmered with the beautiful, colorful reflections from above; and the small scouts rowed away and became just a silhouette on the water.
It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. We talked about where we were going to go next Sunday as we drove home. We have lots of possibilities; but nothing was determined. But you can rest assured that I’ll be writing about our adventure – because “Sunday is Family Day”.