A Retro Weekend

When my husband's older sister, Darlene, learned that we would be visiting in Baltimore she began to hatch a plan with her youngest sister's (Trish) husband to surprise both Trish and Smitty and produce a Smith Family Retro Weekend.

When we arrived Friday afternoon at Trish's, Mary Ellen (Smitty's mom) from Houston and the second sister, Irene from Phoenix, were both there.  Trish had been surprised when they flew in, now it was Smitty's turn for surprise!  We dined that night in a restaurant that specializes in Chesapeake Bay crab and the Smith Family Retro weekend began.

L to R:  Irene, Smitty, Mary Ellen, Carolyn
Dennis, Darlene, Trish

On Saturday childhood stories and memorabilia from Philadelphia began to roll out.  A relaxed day became an early evening barbeque.  As friends (some of whom were neighbors from their childhood days) arrived, so did Philly pretzels, crab dip, and items purchased from an Amish farmer's market.  Dinner included four kinds of barbequed meats, plus Smitty's favorite cole slaw.  After dinner the "Mallow Cups" and "Turkish Taffy" appeared.  The entire pre, during, and post dinner conversation involved memories of growing up in Drexel Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia. Stories one person would begin, several others would enhance.

Uncle Mike's Farmhouse

Sunday morning took us to West Chester, PA, just south of Philly.  The Smith's Uncle Mike had owned a farm which provided many days of enjoyment to the Smith children.  We visited only to find that a former neighbor now owned the farm.  His interaction with the Smiths provided more joy as they continued down memory lane.

Irene, Jay, Ann, Bill, Mary Ellen,
Carolyn, Smitty, Trish, Darlene

Our last stop on this trip through time was at Jimmy John's Hot Dogs (www.jimmyjohns1940.com)  on Wilmington Pike.  Pulling in at the same time was one of Mary Ellen's sisters, Ann, her husband, and son.  Ten of us ate Jimmy John's together, nine relishing the memories!  The old pictures on the wall, including one of my mother-in-law taken in 1946, were matched by the stories told of eating there.  The entire family seemed satisfied.

As Smitty and I pulled away from the hot dog stand on our return to Pittsburgh I realized that I had been blessed with total immersion into the life my husband led as a child growing up in Philadelphia.  Who a person is involves every part of who he was as a child.  What a joy for me to participate in my husband's childhood half a century later!