Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Birdhouse brings back fond memories...

Seeing this handmade red and white birdhouse brings back some very fond memories for me.

My grandparents divided their time between a wonderful home in Houston and the Old House, which my grandmother called, "the country."

Grandmother and Pa's next-door neighbors in Houston were a retired Army Colonel, who we called "Colonel," and his wife, Boo, which was short for Beulah. You have never met a more proper Southern couple than Boo and the Colonel.

Here are 10 things I remember about Colonel and Boo...

1) They never had any children of their own.

2) When Boo served us soft drinks, she'd always drop in a plastic piece of ice with a fly in it... much to our delight, of course.

3) Grandmother told us to stay off their grass and never to touch anything in their house.

4) Colonel had a fantastic collection of beer steins from Germany. They were way up high on shelves all over the house.

5) If Boo had a piece of furniture you weren't allowed to sit on, you'd know it, because it would have a piece of string tied across the seat.

6) Boo buzzed around Houston in her mint-condition Volkswagon Bug while her also-mint-condition '65 mustang stayed at home in the garage... I'm telling you, she was fabulous.

7) They had the biggest bottle of Old Granddad on their kitchen counter. It was so large, it sat on a wooden stand that tilted so it could be poured.

8) Boo was homesick for Victoria, Texas.

9) It was a rare honor for a child to be a guest of Colonel and Boo.

10) One day my brother and I spent all day in the Colonel's garage and he helped us build this birdhouse which still sits on a shelf in the Old House...

I'm so glad we held onto this treasure for so many years. I hope the Colonel is looking down from heaven and smiling.

Linking to Make it for Monday, Metamorphasis Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Make Your Monday, Transformation Thursday, Rednesday, Show and Tell Friday, Saturday Night Special

10 comments:

  1. What a sweet story! I love old memories such as those. Thanks for sharing. Carla

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  2. Oh, thank you so much for sharing this, and sharing Boo and Colonel..I enjoyed this.

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  3. This is the most wonderful of stories, so charming and touching. Thank you so much for sharing! What a delight to have known such rich and colorful characters as children.

    I love that her name was Boo. That reminded me that my mother used to tell me about how my brother called a family friend "Gaboon" because he couldn't say Laverne when he was little. :)

    I'm so glad you have the birdhouse you made with the Colonel, what a treasure.

    Thanks for the smiles and Happy Rednesday,
    Sally

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  4. Ah, A great story....I loved it!!! reminds me of some of my neighbors growing up. Happy rednesday!!

    nannykim/ at http://spindlecottage.blogspot.com

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  5. What a great memory, love the birdhouse.

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  6. I love when there's a great story to go with a beloved treasure! Boo and The Colonel sound like they were really interesting people, especially Boo with her two cool cars!
    Happy REDnesday!
    Carol

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  7. Awww, that was wonderful! What a sweet memory. And, yes, "back then" we knew to obey these special rules!

    The birdhouse is precious!

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  8. What a great story! Isn't interesting the people God puts in our path throughout our life?
    The string on the chair/furniture made me laugh.

    I like your tiny little birdhouse! Fond memories...
    corninmycoffee-pot.blogspot.com

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  9. What a wonderfuls tory...thanks for sharing it, and you two did a good job on the birdhouse! :)

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  10. Sweet story and birdhouse. Memories such as these are delightful treasures.

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