March 23, 2011

A Dream Come True

It came to mind today. 

A memory.  From long, long ago.  A dream back then, and it dawned on me, it has come true. 
God is so good. 
Even in small things like this.

I must have been 7 or 8.  Somewhere in that range.  There was a fruit market over on the highway, not far from our house.  The people who owned it were very good friends with my mom and dad.  They would come over and play Rook.  Rook is a  card game, and it is still a tradition at our house.  Now the grand kids are playing.  It's one of those things that when you play, it's war.  Your attitude must be in it to win it.  Anyway, that's another post....back to Vesta and Irene.  Or, as everyone knew them, "Tooter" and Irene.  Don't ask.  That's just what they called him. 

Tooter and Irene had this fruit market, and years ago it was a totally  fun place to go.  Of course fruits and veggies, but during that time you could also buy fireworks............ALL. YEAR. LONG.  Anytime you wanted them, just go pay a nickel for a pack of firecrackers and they were yours!!   I told you it was a long time ago....can you believe a nickel, a measly 5 cents?  There were bottle rockets, and of course Roman candles.  Why they were called Roman candles, I don't know.  My dad would hold them up in the air with his hand and shoot them off.  SPARKLERS!!!!!  I would love to 'write' my name with them in the dark.  There wasn't a lot going on in our little town in those days, still hasn't changed that much. 

There were also other souvenirs.  Cheap things that were laying on table tops that had been divided up into squares.  White tables.  I remember it vividly.  The tables.  Not the souvenirs.  The souvenirs were just things that were made of plastic, or maybe a few rocks or blown glass.  All sorts of things that anyone passing through during those years would be able to pick up on the cheap. Candies that you can't find anymore.  There were lots of tourist that went past on that old highway then.  But times change, the interstate came through and the souvenir businesses went by the wayside along those old highways. 

What about the dream?  I'm getting there.  One of the things that was great about Wallace's Fruit Market was it served Ice Cold Watermelon.  It said so on the sign.  I loved those signs.  I can see the whole watermelon with it's green stripes and the sliced, red watermelon on the sign. The words 'ice cold' were painted in light blue and had what looked like ice or snow painted across the top.  It looked so, well, chilled.   The sliced watermelon had this wonderful drop of moisture painted on it.  It looked real.  I wondered 'how did they do that'?  Even then, I was noticing lettering and signs and art.  Yes, it looked so real and I guess that is why so many people stopped there.  That sign made them want that red, ripe, juicy, ice cold slice of watermelon!! By the slice, for a quarter!!  I told you it was long, long ago. 

Now, here comes the dream part.  I told ya we'd get there!  The locals and tourists would buy a slice of watermelon and go out and sit on the picnic tables that surrounded this fruit stand.  Under the shade in the heat of summer, they sat at these beautiful WHITE picnic tables that had PINK trim painted around the edges of the tables and attached seats.  Oh. my. goodness.  I thought they were the most beautiful picnic tables I had ever seen.  I just knew when I grew up, I was going to have a picnic table like that at my home.  White with pink trim.  It was just so dreamy. 

Well, today after painting a rocker, two Adirondack chairs, a table, basket and multiple flower pots white and pink,  I thought "this is it!"  My dream as a little girl has come true.  Even though my picnic table is a glass and ironworks type, it has a beautiful white lace tablecloth on it.  Pink doily and white and pink candle holders sit on the top.  The painted rocker with pink trim and the pink table remind me of that long ago time, when things were simpler, and life's pleasures weren't so expensive.  Just a can of paint, maybe two, and a slice of ice cold watermelon. 

Leaving you in His care,
Carla 

1 comment:

  1. Hello sweet MIL. What a pretty dream. Isn't it funny what we remember as children. I love the way you painted this table and chair! So fresh, springy and well, downright dreamy! Have a beautiful and blessed day.
    Hugs
    Olivia

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