Wednesday wanderings . . .

 

 I was thinking yesterday afternoon about the old Stedman's Department store they had in Middleton, Nova Scotia when I was growing up, and just how special it was. It was at the centre of Commercial Street, and the centre of many a dream when I was a girl.  Technically you weren't supposed to leave the school grounds at lunch time but everyone did, and I spent many a lunch hour walking up its aisles looking at jewelry or clothing and just dreaming about what I would like to buy had I the money.  They had everything that an old five and dime store would have, everything from soup to nuts and everything in between. 

 

It was a wonderful emporium of hopes and wishes.  There was a certain smell to it, and a certain feel . . .  with floor boards that creaked and groaned along with the tap, tapping of your shoes as you walked up and down the aisles.  The aisles were set out in long rows from front of the shop to back, with only the outside aisles nestled against the walls having displays that went up and that you could not look over.  The centre aisle was where the cash register was, set in the middle.  There was no canned music to accompany you, not that I remember anyways.  The women who worked there had worked there for years. Most were spinsters.  I remember one in particular who went to our church.  I wish I could remember her name.  She was tiny and quick like a bird, wearing her dark hair in a bun at the back of her head, kept neat with a hairnet.  She had a somewhat parsimonious look about her, but I am sure she was actually quite nice . . . 

 It was not a huge store, nor did it have a lunch counter to my recollection. If it had I am sure I would remember it, foodie that I am.  You could buy your panti-hose there, and your hair adornments, make up, perfume, costume jewelry,  slips and panties, gifts, toys, cards, wrapping paper, etc.  . . .

 

Penny candy  . . .  with licorice pipes and whips, candy bars, jaw breakers, soft creams and the like. At Christmas it would be the place to go when you were making up your wish list for Santa Claus and they had a dedicated toy section that got larger and brighter at that special time of year and of course there would be sparkly colourful decorations all over the store tempting you to buy the same to decorate your home with. 

  

Middleton was not a large town, but it had plenty of shopping.  There was the music store, Ditmars, which sat across the street from the Stedmans.  It had a variety of musical instruments and sheet music.  I used to buy the reeds for my clarinet there and peruse the record album covers and latest 45's.  We also had a jewelry store.  I drooled in that window lots of times. I remember saving up my pennies for a pair of earrings  after I was finally allowed to get my ears pierced.  They were  hook drops and had little gold filigree dangle balls.  I thought they were the height of sophistication.  There was also a shoe store to drool over, a hardware store, a fabric shop, a furniture store, a drug store, and several banks and a grocery store (IGA), which are still there, although everything else is long since gone, and the IGA is now another type of Grocery store whose name escapes me.

Now there is a dollar store, a drug store, Home Hardware and a Giant Tiger

type of store, a hair dresser, a cafe and a pizza place that is

not as good as my cousin Hal's Pizza Factory

that sits on Main Street.

and of course, the

Credit Union

...

  

There was a small restaurant on the main street, called The Shaker Restaurant.    It was so called because there were rows of salt and pepper shakers from the owner's collection lining the walls behind the lunch counter.  Yes you could sit there as there were stools. The waitress looked just like this one and had the same hair style. (Not kidding.) The kids used to congregate there after school and on the weekend, buying cokes and french fries.  The girls giggling and talking about the boys they liked, etc. There was a fancier restaurant a bit further down the way called Eisnor's, which was very popular with the older set and the type of place where your dad would take the family for a treat dinner out every now and then.  They were famous for their Seafood Platters and the Christmas decorations that decorated the huge house next door which was owned by the same family who owned the restaurant.  They decorated that house for years and years every Christmas and people would come from miles around to look at it.  I remember bringing my own children to look at it after I had grown up, married and had a family of my own. 

Eisnor's is long since gone but the Shaker lives on

as the town Chinese Restaurant, 

House of Cheng.  

Long gone is the charm of yesteryear.  Back in the day the town's Commercial street would be a hum of activity on a Friday night when all of the people from outside the town and up the mountain would come down to do their shopping.  There was a movie theatre, The Capitol (now a pub) that would be filled on Friday and Saturday nights and for Saturday afternoon matinees.  It was a Leave it to Beaver type of a town and I have many, many fond memories of it.  It has a new charm and flavour now which will be a part and parcel of the generation now coming up, but for us oldies it will never be quite the same. 

My little Princess is growing up so fast. My daughter posted this photo of Maryn the other day.  Not sure what the pose is in aid of, perhaps a dance pose?  I don't know. I think she is a very pretty little girl, but I know I am biased.  And of course she is the smartest and most talented also.  😉

 

I was saddened to read of the death this morning of Glen Campbell.  His music was certainly a part of the music of the soundtrack of my life.  I enjoyed his music very much when I was a girl and we always watched his television show and I enjoyed his music as an adult, especially his Christian music. He was a very talented singer and song writer.  I think my favourite song of his was Witchita Lineman, but I did love them all. He has left a beautiful music legacy that will live on forever.

I best sign off now for the day.  I was a whole hour later getting up this morning.  Its the changing light.  I am behind on everything now though, so here is your thought for the day  . . . 

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° ˛°There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth, and every common sight to me did seam

Apparelled in celestial light,

The glory and the freshness of a dream.

It is now now as it hath been of yore;

Turn wheresoe'er I may,

by night or day,

The things which I have seen I now can see no more.

~William Wordsworth, 

Ode on Intimations of Immortality.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 

Spiritual Enlightenment

 In the English Kitchen today  . . .  Creamy Herb Dressed Lettuce Steaks. Very delicious and very pretty.  This is the type of salad that the Mrs up at the Manor would have enjoyed, well . . .  maybe not.  Iceberg lettuce would not have been fancy enough for her. In any case we sure enjoy it!  But we are common, simple folk.

Have a beautiful Wednesday.  I can't believe that the week is already halfway gone.  Time is flying!  Don't forget along the way of today!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿ 

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And I do too!