Clover - July 9, 2019
Clover
Yesterday the weather was nice and hot just the way I like it, so I sat outside in our backyard drinking a Fresca. Mike isn't fussy about sitting out in the hot sun. I'm a bit weird that way, I guess. I love the heat!
Anyway, the smell of the clover brought back memories of my childhood and triggered vivid recollections of summer visits to grandma and grandpa Maloney on the farm in Bath Ontario. I told this to my sister Patty yesterday and she told me I should write about these experiences. She had tried to get me to do this before so this time I thought I would listen to her before I forget everything.
I feel so very blessed to have had the opportunity to spend so much time with grandma Margaret and grandpa John and uncle Frank and uncle Harold. Sometimes, aunt, Mary would come to visit when we were there too. Aunt Mary worked as a teacher in Ottawa so she often visited grandma and grandpa to help them in the summer and sometimes we were there when she came.
Anyways, when we were at the farm, Johnny and I often visited grandma's relatives the McDonalds who lived on the farm across the road and to the right a few hundred feet. Aunt Nellie who I believe was grandma’s sister was crippled from severe arthritis and every time we visited, she was in her bed, sometimes asleep, sometimes sitting up with pillows behind her to help keep her comfortable. Her bedroom was on the main floor next to the kitchen. Grandma told me that the family had converted the dining area into a bedroom for aunt Nellie so she would not be alone. I’m not sure if aunt Nellie got up very often because every time, we visited she was in bed. I think her son and daughter-in-law took care of her. Maybe it was her daughter and son-in-law. I wish I had paid more attention. I never saw aunt Nellie walk. I think she was confined to her bed for years. Grandma said that aunt Nellie suffered a lot. Poor aunt Nellie
We also visited the Bisses who were grandma and grandpa’s neighbors who lived on the farm a short distance down the road to the left and on the same side as the Maloney Farm. Johnny and I enjoyed the visits. On one of our visits, Peter Biss taught me how to ride a bicycle in the circular front driveway. He was just a little bit older than John and me and we played with him quite often. He was nice.
Honestly, these were some of the best times of my life. For many years, Johnny and I spent several weeks there during some of the hottest days of the summer. This was in the 1950s and believe me when I say that summers were hotter in those days than they are now. I guess that's why yesterday, with a high temperature of at least 33 degrees F along with the heavenly fragrance from the clover, so many memories from the farm flooded into my head: hot summer days and nights bring me back to the 1950s. Believe me when I say that there were some hot humid summers during those years. I remember driving down to the swimming hole with uncle Frank on a hot summer evening to cool off; the swimming hole which we shared with the cows. I kid you not! Johnny and me sitting in the back of the pickup truck to get there? This was quite acceptable in the 1950s
The trip to the farm began with Daddy putting us on the bus in Ottawa. Uncle Frank was the one who usually met us at the other end which was at the bus terminal in Kingston ON and from there he drove us to the farm in Bath. He always had stories and jokes to tell us on the way. He had and still has the wonderful Maloney sense of humor ( like daddy's )
On our first trip to the farm, shortly after uncle Frank picked us up at the bus terminal and as we were driving to the farm, I remember seeing a boat on Lake Ontario and uncle Frank said it was a boat tour of the Thousand Islands. "Can you take us?" I asked. Johnny nudged me with his elbow because mommy and daddy told us not to ask for anything. I guess eight-year-olds figure they can ask for anything they want. Johnny who was nine kept me in check though.
I remember lots of fun times; with uncle Frank especially. Visits to Nappanee to shop and buy treats, movies at the drive-in, berry picking etc. Uncle Harold too, but mostly uncle Frank, probably because he is the youngest Maloney brother. He always tried to make things fun for us when he had the time which would usually be in the evenings after working all day or on Sundays. Besides working tirelessly on the farm uncle Frank worked during the day at the Plant
Johnny and I helped with the chores if we were able to. And we actually liked the little jobs we were asked to do. And Uncle Frank knew that Johnny and I got a little lonesome for mommy and daddy so he tried to make things as fun for us as he could.. Anyways Johnny and I often played outside or watched game shows on the TV which came from Channel 7, Watertown across Lake Ontario. We thought this was a miracle being able to watch “The Price is Right”, “Queen for a Day” the odd Soap Opera etc.....
When grandma wasn't feeling well, she would rest in a small room that was just off of this little television room, but she said we could watch these TV shows as long as we kept the sound down.
Often grandma had the "blues" as the family called it. When grandma was sick, she still made the meals and did the dishes but it was a struggle. I helped grandma when I could. I think it lessened her burden a little
I loved helping her feed the pigs and to gather up eggs in the henhouse. Grandma, even when she had the "blues" would try to do these things. Aunt Mary was at the farm a lot which was a blessing so if she was there, grandma would be able to rest and take it easy. I didn't really understand until I got older just how much grandma suffered from her depression, and how much it meant for her to have her family and grandkids around. I miss you grandma!
By the way, grandma made the best raisin buns in the world, and she would always let me have one from the first batch when it was straight out of the oven. So yummy!
Every evening before going to bed we all prayed the rosary together kneeling down if you were able to. Up at five every morning and working hard all day no matter what the weather never would the Maloneys even consider not giving glory and praise to God each evening. The prayer of choice was always the rosary. Their Faith never wavered
And of course, every Sunday we all went to Mass in Bath a small village on Lake Ontario (there was a pew with the Maloney name on it, and I thought that was funny). After Mass, we stopped at the corner store before going back to the house for breakfast. I remember uncle Frank would buy Johnny and me each one of those yummy round lollipops with chocolate in the middle. I really looked forward to that Sunday morning treat!
Johnny and I even used to help with the hay and I will tell you all about that in detail at a later time. But seriously we thought it was fun.
There is the other farm we visited on occasion which was the original homestead at Mount Saint Patrick It usually took the form of a road trip from Bath when we visited the Farm on the Mountain
Anyways that will be for another day
Oh by the way daddy also made the best raisin buns in the world and that's because he used grandma's recipe!
Happy Canada Day everyone.
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