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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Stonewall, OK ... 55 Years Later

On our Saturday trip back home from Steven's graduation, we stopped in a small town where Mom, Dad, my brother and I had lived when I was 4 or 5 years old. Over the years that followed, Stonewall, OK was where Dad would take my brother and I to the movie.. or as we called it.. the "picture show". It was where we would go with Grandma to the "laundry" that always smelled of hot soapy water and bleach... where we were constantly warned of the hazards of getting our hand too close to the "wringers". As this was before the days of air conditioning, the general store where Grandma bought her fabric ... or "material"... needles, thread.... was always hot and dark, with a bit of musty smell and the whirring sound of the ceiling fans swooshing was audible above the sounds of customers. My grandmother's father and my grandfather's brother both lived in Stonewall and we would often stop by to visit whenever we were in town. Such treats... such memories...

55 years later... Every store on the main street is boarded up except perhaps two or three ... there was only one motorcycle sitting on the road across the street from where we parked. There was no one walking up and down the street. The "picture show" has been torn down.


I was surprised... a little sad... but strange as it may seem, I also felt at home. What lovely memories... but there's more...


One of the shops still open in Stonewall, OK is a wonderful little shop called Wildflowers & Rosie. More on this after our return visit on Thursday.


to be continued....






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