Sunday, January 5, 2014

The Old Neighborhood

 
We had an errand to run into the city last week and I took a trip down memory lane.
With traffic backed up on Irving Park Road, we took a side street
and ended up at my Alma mater, Alvernia High School.
I had to get out of the car to take a couple of photos.

 
This is the very same courtyard, photo taken from my yearbook
back in 1973.

 
It is now a Chicago Public School.

 
Back in the day it was an all girls Catholic High School.
We wore scratchy woolen uniforms.  We could not have a boy pick us up from school...
As if, only our friend Sue had a boyfriend through HS.  The
rest of our close knit group obsessed about boys...
Planned our route home in hopes of seeing some
Gordon High School boys!
( I did snag a Gordon boy...my dearest, but not until a year after graduation.)
 
I spent most of my high school years on the 4th floor.  That was where the glee club met,
and the art studio was located.  I also spent a semester in supervised study.
Spending a "mod" in supervised study was supposed to help raise your grade, in my case,
algebra.  It did no such thing.  The great part about being on the fourth floor was
the view of my neighborhood.  It was the highest vantage point I had ever experienced.
My mind would wander as I sat and looked out that window.
I vividly remember a ice storm,
and how the trees sparkled, and made everything
look magical.
My memories of high school are so sweet.  Since I never went to college,
but right to work after graduation...it is were I learned the most,
and became who I am.
(I still have no math skills, but love art and music.)

 
This is our old homestead.  Our first house.
Funny that my kids are so much more sentimental
about it than I am. 
We moved when I was in eight grade,
a hard time to move...but the friends I made
that first year, are still my friends today.
When honey and I got married, we moved in right across the street.
I could not imagine being away from my Mom.
When we lost Mom and Dad was alone, we moved in.
It's the house my kids grew up in.
It's for sale!
Everyone of my kids would love to live there again.

 
 
Just around the corner, is our Parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary.  It's where were were married, all our kids were baptised.  The school is now a public school, but still has the Blessed Mother out front.  I used to decorate his statue for May Crowning each year.

The city has gone through many changes, but will always be the place where I started...where I fell in love
and where ultimately my roots lie. It's strange to see the changes that have taken place in the years we've lived in the burbs.  I personally would never go back, but appreciate how my kids feel about the city still.
I asked my hubby if there would ever be reason to go back to the city to live.  He said maybe to buy a three flat, so that we could live with the kids, then counted again and decided we would need an apartment building to hold our family.  That's where we both started, in apartments.  We know the luxury of having our own home, our 1/4 acre.  It's a dream fulfilled.  Grateful, especially on a cold cold day as this.

Starting to feel better, just in time for the below zero weather we will experience for the next couple of days.
A perfect time to take down the tree and start getting things in order around here.

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay warm and enjoy this beautiful day!




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6 comments:

Lynne said...

I love looking back . . . and remembering. Thank you for telling and showing another chapter . . . What year were you married?

Debby said...

Sweet memories. How nice is it that you and your children grew up in the same home. No wonder the memories are still so strong. I am glad that you are feeling better.
My Colorado kids left this morning. They are staying near the Dayton airport tonight to be close for an early flight. My daughter has a friend that lives there. We were worried about the weather. It is just starting to rain here. Stay warm and healthy. (((((HUGS))))

Blondie's Journal said...

What a sweet walk down memory lane...I know how excited you must have been to get snaps of your old school, church and home. We live in the area of Chicago close to where my husband grew up (I'm from the Southwest suburbs). I often think how lucky he is to be around all his life long buddies.

It's nice to look back but I sure would be thrilled with a 1/2 acre!! :)

XO,
Jane

Our Hopeful Home said...

I'm a big fan of living close to friends and family, seeing that I've lived hundreds of miles away from most of mine for the past 15 years! Your high school and romance stories are so sweet. Also the first house. Tom and I are going on our FOURTH house...sigh. Even so, each house holds special memories for us. And as we told our kids when we told them about the move, "Home is wherever we all are, together." Thanks for sharing the sweet memories, Penny. And for goodness sake please stay warm over the next two days! xoKathy

Melanie said...

I liked reading about your Chicago memories! As you know, Brian grew up in Chicago (through jr high) and then we lived there a short while right after we got married. Would I want to move back to the City after now living in the suburbs? No way! Nice to visit though.

Barb said...

Thank you for sharing a part of your past with us. The good ole' days, huh! It,s fun to re- visit but hard to imagine going back to what is was!

Delighted you are feeling perkier!