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…