Neosho was a great town to grow up in. I have good memories of the "Store", our family carpet business that was located in the IOOF building on the square. Here are a few pictures of that building, and the alley next to it. This is where Town & Country Carpet and Sleep Centre was located for several years. I experience a flood of memories each time I see this building. I think of the sidewalk sales, fall festivals and Christmas parades that used to annually clog the streets.
Every year the town shut the square off to traffic to hold the Annual Sidewalk Sale. I remember the Kiwanis BBQ shack smelling oh, so good when the chicken was cooking on the grill. I remember kids running around with pea shooters, and folks selling bread and pastries from their trucks. This was also a time to make some money selling carpet "squares", or samples that were from discontinued colors and patterns.
Times have changed. I would imagine the only time the square is full of people these days is during a big trial at the Courthouse. While there are still stores open for business, many businesses seem to have closed up shop. Gone are the annual sidewalk sales, the smell of great BBQ, etc... Funny, I don't miss those events as much as what happened inside the "store". I would spend days dreaming about college, reading the Grit newspaper, and looking forward to our trips to Colorado. Sometimes those days would even be punctuated with a quick trip for coffee at the restaurant off the square (can't remember the name), or ordering excellent burgers from R&W's. At least I think that was the name of the restaurant. This is also where we absently celebratated Nicholes 1st birthday. She was the first grandchild. Dad played Alabama on the stereo and everyone got misty-eyed because this little girl was growing up.
These days I still daydream about life. The location changes, but never the memories. They are good ones.
6 comments:
There are a lot of good people who have come from towns like Neosho. That community fabric is somewhat replicated here in our communities today; but, not to the same extent. It does make one wonder what your children will be writing about their childhood someday?
Memories!!!! how I love that song from Cats. Your memories of growing up put my big city memories to shame.In the big city our memories are something like this
Friday night movies at the Cinderella
Fried chicken from Hodaks
Donuts from California donut
Streetcar rides to Sportsman Park
Different from yours but still fond memories.
We are both blessed with good memories now it is our duty to help the next generation to achieve great memories.
The restaraunt was probably Neal's. Although I couldn't tell you if it is still there. But, we had a lot of meals there!
Do you remember the rides in the small train that would circle the square endlessly during the sidewalk sale?
LaLa
What a wonderful thing that God has blessed us with - Memories! Memories of times gone by, memories of loved ones long gone. memories shared with those still here, memories of comfort and joy, memories that we can all learn from and not make that mistake again. Memories, wonderful memories...how grateful I am for them!
Now if I could just remember what I read in my test book for class on Thursday ngiht!
Isn't it bizarre how quickly things change the older you get? Or is it that suddenly we are more aware of time passing and the finality of it all?
My home town didn't have a McD's when I was a kid. There was a old movie theater on main street that had 1 screen and the little glassed in semi-circle where someone sold tickets....I always wanted to do buy that place and show old classics in it like Casablanca for $1 a head and popcorn and coke for a quarter. But then they tore it town because it was rat infested and put in a parking lot. It was so sad.
When's that baby girl coming? You gonna bring her to CO to visit to?
Love you guys.
JENNA
Yes we will be bringing her to CO to see you. We aren't sure when. I hope to fly to Seoul within 3 weeks...but who knows. We are waiting on the government, and you know how they work. Painfully slow.
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