Sundays in my childhood

 

I have many memories of how Sundays were as I was growing up. I believe I was about seven or eight when Sunday was usually a trip to West Warren. The day started early with a breakfast that consisted of scrambled egg, toast and coffee. Yes, I started drinking coffee at an early age. I can still remember the sound of the coffee perking on the stove and the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

After breakfast we would pile in my dad’s old Chevy for the trip to West Warren. The trip was over what is now Old Warren Road. We called it the bumpy road. It was really bumpy at that time and it went up and down like a roller coaster. There weren’t many houses on the road back then and we all would pick out a house and call it our own. I remember my house was a trailer and my brother's was a house set back off the road in the woods. My dad would sometimes pull over to the side of the road and would say ‘We’re out if gas’. We believed him the first few times and would wonder how we would get home since it was always a deserted section of road where he stopped. I think I inherited his love of practical jokes because I still pull some on my own kids.

The first stop of the morning would be our Baci’s house. A few facts about my Baci. She was born in 1884 in Poland. She immigrated to the United States in 1908 and came to Ellis Island at the age of 14.  She lived in a two-family house with her daughter Lizzi, Lissi’s husband Joe, and Lizzi’s daughter Mary Jane. We would usually find Baci in the living room in her rocking chair. She would have a glass of blackberry brandy and my dad would join her with a glass too. ‘Best Medicine’ she would say. When I got older, I was offered a glass too. The house always smelled Polish specialties. There was usually pierogi, golumpki and kapusta. If it was around Easter or Christmas there would be more food including babka bread which was delicious. Baci also had chocolate covered strawberry candies which were offered to us.  We never left hungry from Baci’s house. Baci taught herself English but she and my dad would often speak in Polish. I have more to add to this post and will update it soon.