Today’s journey on my spin bike takes me to New Castle, PA.
New Castle, Pa. was the hub of my family growing up. So many family memories , back when families were just that in the true sense of the word. From my grandparents big house on Mahoning Ave, to my uncle Bobby’s house on Harbor Rd and those mean @$$ horses…lol, to my Uncle Billy’s gas & service station on Washington, to the epic football games that took place in the back yard at the Sessions, to the numerous journeys at King Village at my Uncle Gerome’s.
Our family was/is large, and it would seem that everyone could fit into my grandparents house on Mahoning Ave. My cousins can attest to how large the house was, because I can honestly say that MOST of us never dared to venture up to the 3rd floor…lol
I think today, my children haven’t had (and sorry to say and think that they probably never will) the experience that we did as kids, in terms of knowing their cousins/family. We knew ALL of our cousins, and if one of the families moved, “we” would be there visiting at some point. My two girls know a few of their cousins, but they are in awe when I tell them how many cousins I have, and can name each and every one of them…lol I used to be afraid of my cousin Aldie, because I thought he was a giant..lol he’s probably 6’1” or 6’2”, but as a kid he was a giant to me…lol I remember going to watch him play basketball when East Liverpool would come to Warren to play.
I remember my brother Kent, and cousin Keith were the most competitive individuals with each other that I have ever known…lol That 3rd floor at my grandparents house that I spoke of earlier, I remember going up there ONE time with the two of them, and they were always faster than I was as a kid, and they took off running down the stairs and left me behind…YEP I still remember that fella’s…LOL One never forgets a traumatic experience like that J.
I remember going over to the slaughter house and watching them march those animals in there…not know that one of them would probably be on the dinner table later than evening…lol
I remember my grandmother’s brother, uncle Paul eating chittlins, and trying to convince me to eat them by telling my “boy, just slap some hot sauce on that (can’t remember the word), but remember my grandmother Emily taking her spoon and poppin him in the shoulder and giving him that look that EACH and EVERYONE of my cousins knew, and would still know to this day if she was still with us…LOL
I remember my aunt Gail’s huge afro and bell bottom pants J
I remember Miss Hawkins that lived next door to my grandparents, and how nice of a lady she was.
I remember my brother trying to throw a piece of wood with a nail in it..until he realized the nail was stuck in his finger…OUCH!!!
I remember the football games in the snow with our “uniforms” at the Sessions house (Kent, Keith, Gary, Steve, Chris, Mike, Me, Eddie and who am I forgetting?????...lol
I remember having to go to the hospital to get stitches in my face(still have the scare to this day) when I was standing (yep before seatbelts and all of those laws) in the back of my Uncle Bobby’s car and he hit the brakes to avoid a train when the guards didn’t come down and slammed my face into the bottom of the seat.
I remember my grandfather placing a hand full of pennies in my hand as they were stitching my up and saying “boy you got all this money in your hand now, THAT should make you smile”.
I remember rides in the back of my Uncle Gerome’s pick up truck, cousins piled up in the back with NO seats or seatbelts…Try that today…LOL
I remember being terrified of my cousin Selina, because I always thought she was going to beat me up….LOL Such a tomboy back in the say, turned out to be the girliest of girls…LOL ;-).
I remember LOTS of us getting to go to the Coney Island downtown that was such a treat back in those days.
Man, so may memories. I would love for my family to share some of theirs with me also. YES I know there isn’t room on the entire internet for all of the memories that we had as kids, but still.
As I ride/spin, today I prayed for New Castle, Pa, just like I do for Warren, Ohio, as my 2nd city is experiencing much of the same as my 1st. Join me if you would, because if there was no New Castle, there would be no Me!
