Saturday, April 30, 2016 – P-day, Homes, Pam’s flowers

For P-day we headed out early across the Mississippi for Keokuk, Iowa which is the closest large town to Carthage. In a light rain that lasted all morning we did all of the necessary things that need to be done on P-day. We had photographs printed, got our hair cut and did our shopping for grocery and other items at a couple different stores.

While shopping Sis. Johnson couldn’t resist the temptation and bought fresh flowers for our home. Nice! Back in Carthage, as we drove down main street Sis. Johnson mentioned how much she loves the old homes on both sides of Main Street. They are beautiful and some must date back a century or so. Even though some need a new coat of paint they are charming and their style is very picturesque.

These old homes with a front porch on streets lined with shade trees and with sidewalks 8ft back front the curb remind me of my youth. In the first grade I read from books called, “Read with Dick and Jane” and “Fun with Dick and Jane”. These reading books had pictures of Dick & Jane’s front yard with huge majestic shade trees.  Beyond the front yard was a side walk and beyond the side was more lawn out to the curb. The home had a large front porch that went from one end of the house to the other and the roof had a steep pitch to it. As a child growing up in Arizona all of these images were completely foreign to me. I didn’t know anyone that lived in a home like that. Well, the authors of those “Dick and Jane” books must have grown up in Carthage, IL. because the homes & streets hear look exactly like the pictures in my first grade reading books.