By Georgia Osten
As we sit in the Dead of Winter these days, Christmas is long over, and the next holiday isn’t until Easter in April, what do you think about?? These days, I think about the past a lot. Every time I pass “our store,” the store we owned and ran with my in-laws back in the 70’s, the store where I met my husband, where my future father-in-law hired me to work with him, I can’t help remember those summer days. After we were married – my 2 year old, the 3 of us, would work the store together. I think he fell in love with her first, and therefore, decided I might fit into the package as well …
We would trade opening or closing with Mama & Bop. Lovely days in the sunshine no matter which shift we had. The pop-top VW Camper would take us to the beach every day, this 2-year old little girl literally lived on the beach. Back in those days, we didn’t have an outdoor shower, but we sure did have a hose in the back yard – enough for us, especially since we didn’t have any neighbors behind us at all and nobody in the neighborhood during the week anyway.
When we worked at the store, Leigh had a tricycle, with a tall flag, just so we would know where she was. Janet Leigh called it the Green Machine! Way back then, the kids would wait for the school bus to pick them up at the store. Tom organized a yoyo contest each morning to pass the time, Jody and Jackie, Frankie, Jimmy and Artie…a few windows had to be replaced, no problem. The Locals would come by for the paper and some coffee. Goldie would watch us ring up customers announcing, “now, that’s some combination!” Katie would ride up on her horse after school. Nor would always have her bottled Coke with a bag of salted peanuts poured in. Annie O’s was thriving across the street. On the night shift, Daddy would come home before Leigh had to go to bed with an ice cream sandwich, the late night snack, a tuck into bed, and a goodnight kiss.
Keep nice thoughts – Summer will be back before you know it!
(This article published 1/12/2015)
GO’s Sand Bucket is only one beach bum’s journal of life at the beach, probably something each of you can relate to. Please feel free to email me with your thoughts, visions and/or feelings of just exactly what the beach means to you.
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