The Store

Grandpa's Store was always a fun place to visit. It was like he owned this Kingdom. Especially to a young girl like me. My main memories were from when I was about seven until ten years old. There were so many wonderful smells in that place. It was a somewhat large square building with open space everywhere except where goods were piled or arranged on wooden shelves.
It was amazing. There was a smell of the pink cleaner he always used to clean the floor. It was just called Sweeping compound as far as I know. My husband remembers it being called that. I just remember how it smelled and how I used to watch my Grandpa clean the floor with it. He sometimes even let me help when he was feeling particularly patient and work was not in a rush. He used to sit and play Cribbage a lot in the "back room". There were always several regulars there playing cards, having coffee or just generally shooting the breeze. It was the local gathering spot around the area. Being a rural place, farmers would come in for goods and sometimes could take a few extra minutes to relax before going back to their work. Grandma was known for putting the coffee pot on at the drop of a hat.  There was even occasional fresh home baked goodies offered or brought in, too. Even when passing the time,  the folks seldom stayed very long, only a few minutes, but the entertainment materials were many. Stories came out about so and so. Or, weather will be changing soon. Miss Molly the teacher has a male friend. The regular, tame gossip. No harm was meant, it was just conversation. There was no television yet, so self entertainment had to be it. I was always reading something when possible.

There was a special Meat Counter. It was always stocked to the hilt with the normal fare. I do not remember how it got there, but I assume it was delivered. I do not want to think of where else it could have come from. I know he didn't butcher it himself! I have had more time to think about it and I believe that he may have had it delivered by the local Locker. Those meats were always piled high and seemed to go quickly whenever a customer would arrive. I don't remember a meal without it, though sometimes there was not a lot of it. I was pretty little at that time and did not worry on such matters. My favorite was the different choices of lunch meat! It was a sandwich heaven!

There was a wooden glass candy cabinet too. It was a large rectangle box with glass on three sides. It
always amazed me to see how many different kinds of candy he had there available to buy. It opened on the back side with a latch.This was the only wooden side and made access easy.  He said it was the only way to keep the penny candy from leaving without getting paid for, even back then! Guess certain things are just too much to pass up. I know I was guilty of taking a piece of bubble gum one time. It bothered me for a very very long time...till I fessed up and he forgave me. Trust me, I never ever did any stealing again, ever! We kids used to get to eat whatever sandwiches we wanted when we were visiting there. Usually Grandpa would make us up one with mayonnaise or pickles or whatever we were in the mood for. Sometimes Grandma would bake or cook for lunch, but most of the time it was a quick lunch and something more grand for supper hour. She always had some sort of very good meal there waiting for us hot and simmering when we got home from the store. She would either start something before she went over to work in the store, or she would leave early in the afternoon to begin something.

There were only a few houses in the town, Seneca. It is still there, but the store isn't. It has been gone for many years now. The town had been larger, but over the years, folks either moved away or found jobs away, or both. In the last few years of the store, it became pretty much like a little ghost town. So are all the people who lived there then, dead and long buried. Sometimes I wish I could go back then just to observe more things that I never paid attention to. The memories of that place have faded as the years have gone on. By the time I was big enough to spend time in the store, a lot of the business had ended. The changing tires, repairing engines, etc. were a thing long gone then. Grandpa used to have a hired man who did the garage part and when he left, it was just stopped. They demolished the store sometime in the seventies. I remember being really sad when we drove by and saw what had been done. It had been a big deal when my grandma sold the store. Grandpa had died at 68 and she lost the will and strength to keep it going. It was for sale a long time. Then Grandma got the great idea to advertise the sale as "A whole town".  That seemed to peak interest and a buyer gave her a good offer and the deal was done. Grandma sold the entire property in 1968. It was then auctioned off because the people did not want the store stuff at all. Sad now that I think about it. The guy who bought it was going to raise critters for their fur. I am not sure if that ever happened or not. I don't remember seeing any evidence of that, but seeing the house go downhill was not easy either. I always loved that house. There was also an apartment complex with 2 apartments that went along with the sale.

There used to be a public school there too. My folks had gone together when they were very young, about 13 i think. At least that is the way my Dad remembers it. They were just friends for a while, the love came later. But, he said he always liked my Mom from the first time they had met. They had a "puppy love" he said. I know how much he still misses her. He is doing well at getting on with Life, it is just difficult to lose someone you have been with for 67 years.

Seneca had my Grandparents house, the apartments that they rented which were motel rooms earlier on before I was born. They were fun to see the inside of, but I do not remember much about them now. I do remember a picture or two of us standing beside it. It was some sort of stucco I believe...at least that is the way I remember it now. Then the store was next to that. They had gas pumps and a area to work on cars on the east side of it. My Grandpa did it all, so did Grandma. They could work on any type or model and it did not take all day either. I look back at what they did, and I am amazed. They also figured Taxes for the area people whenever that time of year came around. There was always a promotion of some sort going on. One that I remember is the one where you would buy so many groceries, then you could buy plates to complete a dish set when you had enough points or stickers. Sort of like S & H Greenstamps, remember them? Or Raliegh Cigerettes promotion. There was a stamp or so on each package of cigerrettes. My Dad collected them, as did his parents.
They were not aware of the dangers of the awful weed back then. Dad says the government even provided them free for all who were overseas. Who knew?

I will have to continue more about Seneca at another time. Now the couch calls me.
And it is time to answer. I have been having a problem with a muscle in my back since yesterday. It is very painful when i turn a certain way or bend down or up. The only thing I can figure out that I did was when I was holding Hunter yesterday, getting up and down off of the couch, and feeding him and the getting up and down off the floor a few times. Dang, it ain't easy aging! But it beats the alternative~!

Hugs

Katie