Bill writes: I still remember the first Saturday dad took us boys up to the property to begin clearing it. I was sixteen years old. We had to hack a spot out of the brush to back the car off the road. And then followed many Saturdays following dad around the place, dragging the small trees he was cutting to the brush pile for burning. Then he would break out the crosscut and we would saw down a few big trees to make room for the house. I remember him staking out the exact place the house would sit. His dream house and property now belong to someone else but our memories of the place will forever remain.
Jon writes: the memories I have in the house will never go away!! I think I'll note a few things that have stuck with me over the years....in no particular order:
* Playing hide and go seek with all of the cousins. Usually being too loud and running too much. I'm sure that drove the adults crazy.
* Listening to the singing and piano playing. I haven't developed that talent but did enjoy listening to grandma sing....the family sing and dad playing the piano. Mostly gospel music with the ocassional rendition of Rocky Top!
* Grandpa's green beans and grandma's cooking!
* Raking Leaves!!
* Grandpa's good stories!
* Napping after awesome thanksgiving dinners!
Mark writes: I remember at various times me and Bill using the old "jump from the front steps and swing onto the balcony" routine to sneak back into the house at night. I remember the amplification system Bill had with one of the groups he was with that we would hook up in the living room and blast out music.
I remember my high school buddy, Ed Neumann (who left Bearden after his junior year, moved back to NY, and died shortly thereafter of leukemia), 'crashing' one of our extended family gatherings. I told him there would be so many people there that no one would notice, and sure enough, at some point Glenda Hime looked at me and said 'is he one of ours?'
I remember my Grandma Rosser visiting there (I can't remember if Grandpa was still living or not) when my kids were young and, when we arrived, me telling Paul (who may have been about 4) to be sure and 'go see your great grandma' and hearing him promptly reply as he took off thru the house--'I've seen her before!'
Laura writes: Some of my favorite memories are of 'clues' -- the game Jennifer invented that I later played with Paul, Joshua, and Joseph. Everyone would run around the house, decoding cryptic messages, trying to find and awaken the person who had been kidnapped by her evil twin. (The good fairy, Betsy, could also make an appearance in the event that the clues were too hard!)I also remember all of us cousins getting into trouble for jumping off the basement stairs and bouncing onto the bed! :)
Bethany writes: Easter Egg hunts in the yard. Visiting the garden. Helping can (and eat!) my favorite-green beans and grandma's pickles-YUM!. Hanging out in the "cool room" the basement. laying hide & seek, scrabble, and other games. Watching UT football and eating caramel corn. Spending the night with all the cousins. Being evacuated for a fire LOTS of piano music and singing. Decorating the Christmas tree (and having to use the balcony to reach it). Running up and down the stairs, through the halls, and driving all our parents crazy! Entertaining various visitors who all had unique stories to tell and knew Grandma and Grandpa somehow.
Bethany writes: Oh I forgot about the water fountain. And, the laundry chute was pretty cool, too, did anybody ever slide down it :-) There were lots of special features of this house. We will all miss them, but the memories are most important!
Debbie writes: one thing i remember is the time bethany and noah let their lizard go to be free on the property. we were moving and could not take him with us. i remember sitting at the bottom of the stairs when the children were very young to keep them from climbing and falling off the balcony.
My little furry friends playing in the fireplace. Oh, and there was also a slithery one, that probably coiled up next to me as I slept. :)
Noah writes: My little furry friends playing in the fireplace. Oh, and there was also a slithery one, that probably coiled up next to me as I slept. :)
2 comments:
Oh I forgot about the water fountain. And, the laundry chute was pretty cool, too, did anybody ever slide down it :-) There were lots of special features of this house. We will all miss them, but the memories are most important!
what fire and evacuation?
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