We lived in the new house on
Central Avenue for a little more than a year. Then we moved to an older and larger house on 3rd Avenue north across the
street from a large hospital. The
house had a coal furnace in the basement and it was my job to carry out the
ashes every day after school.
There was a big bay window on the west side of the house, with a window
seat over the hot water radiator.
One Christmas evening we went for a ride to see the Christmas
decorations and left a large three inch diameter candle burning in this window
which was visible from the street that ran along the west side of the
house. The house was on a corner
lot so there was a street on the south and west side of the house. While we were gone the heat from the
radiator caused the candle to tip over against the curtain and set it
aflame. Fortunately someone saw it
immediately and called the fire department before too much damage
occurred.
MOM'S CHILDHOOD CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
Christmases at our home were always
special too, with dad often acting the part of Santa, in the old red velvet
pants and coat and a cotton-batting beard. The house was always decorated with the red and green garlands
from one corner of the room to the other.
