The house at 66 Tindle first belonged to my great-great-grandparents, Alfred & Hattie.  It was built to house two families with a first floor & second floor flat.  By the time I was born, my great-grandparents, Gert & Joe lived on the first floor and my great-aunt & uncle lived upstairs.  There were many trips to 66 Tindle just outside Buffalo, NY but nothing ever compared to Thanksgiving weekend. 

For more than 20 years we made the voyage north– I know the way by heart.  There are many memories tied to each mile of the journey — the old house, the Dipsy Doodle, the rolling hills, my sister’s pink house, & that spot out in the country where Mom got pulled over for speeding.  After the four hour ride, we would all breathe a sigh of relief as we exited the thru-way and turned the corner onto Tindle. 

Tradition ensued…

While the boys watched football and fought over the chocolate pies, the girls occupied the kitchen.  I always think of my cousin Michelle every time I see a paring knife as she, my sister, and I were always on potato peeling duty.  Just when we thought we were done, the matriarchs would order us to “do a few more.”  We peeled until our fingers burned.  We complained.  There was no mercy. 

My great-grandpa Joe passed away in the early 1990’s, and visiting with my Nana became something that I always enjoyed.  Her skin was pale and wrinkled, but her mind and heart were holding steady somewhere around age 34.  Her eyes were failing her and she had hand-me-down hearing aids, but it never stopped her from getting in on the conversation or the cooking.  In the morning, before the boys would carry her upstairs for dinner, she would make some deviled eggs.  Sometimes the paprika made it onto the eggs.  Honestly, her appetizer looked more like a train wreck — damn herniated retinas.  Luckily, my dad will eat anything. 

The older she got, the more we could convince her to loosen up — Tell some secrets!  Have a glass of wine.  One year, as we finished cooking, we all stopped to watch Nana pour herself a refill of red wine.  Since her eyesight was terrible, she missed her glass.  And she didn’t see us watching her as she tried to cover up the stain. 

After dinner & dessert, our family loved to play Trivial Pursuit.  Since I was the most patient, I was always on Nana’s team.  Each time it was our turn, someone would shout the question into her good ear. 

“What animal is the fastest swimming marine mammal?” 

“I think it’s Jimmy Carter.”

“No, Nana… WHAT   ANIMAL IS  THE  FASTEST SWIMMING…” 

Get the point?  That’s probably why we started playing penny dominoes instead. 

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 Tomorrow I’ll be cooking alone.  I’d give anything to peel some potatoes with the girls, to hear the hum of Nana’s organ, or to drink a cup of coffee in Papa Joe’s chair.  I long to hear the stories again, but now it’s my turn to tell them.  The people and the memories live on in all of us as we create new traditions for the future generations. 

While another family calls 66 Tindle their home, a piece of my heart will always live within its walls.

November 25th, 2009 The FW Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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