Going to Town

If we stayed on the farm with Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim for more than a day or 2, there was a good chance that one day would be dedicated to going to town, to the market. Time to take the eggs to the market and do a little shopping.

It was an adventure to say the least. Uncle Jim made the ride in exciting, can’t say he was the best driver in the world, but hey, we got there, and we got back, and that is what counts.

While in town, Uncle Jim would find the bench on the town square and sit down for a nice relaxing smoke on his old corn cob pipe. Millie and I would go to the store to sell the eggs, and to pick up essentials before heading back to the farm.

It was interesting to see how the eggs were handled. Until I got to go to the market with them, I had no idea that the eggs had to be checked, to make sure they were “good”, aka no embryo’s forming, and edible. Then they would settle up on a price, and Millie would walk away with the “egg money” tucked away in her purse, now it was time to shop. Can’t say I remember much of what she would have bought, they had almost everything they needed on the farm, but she picked up a few things, and then it was back to the farm. Back into our “work” clothes, and back into the garden, weeding and picking some good fresh veggies. Jim would take care of the animals, and then any other chore that needed to be done, then take his place on the well platform to have another smoke on the ole pipe.

Life back then, and in particular, on the farm, was a lot different than living in town. You had to plan your trips to town, take care of as much as you needed to so you didn’t have to make any unnecessary trips that would take you away from work needing to be done on the farm. A pretty nice lifestyle if you ask me….

While this is not the small town that Jim and Millie shopped and did business in, it is very typical of the small farming towns in the area.

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2 thoughts on “Going to Town

  1. Kim February 17, 2023 / 5:30 am

    I can picture where the store was.. Love the way you could park in front of the store in a town with a square.

    Like

    • Bob Fromm February 17, 2023 / 8:25 am

      Another perk of the “Good ole Days”. I think going to town was as much a social event as well. I remember that Jim and Millie got dressed up to go to town. The old stores, their old worn, wooden floors, the screen doors slamming behind you when you went in. There was even a smell to the old store. Today, it would probably turn people off, but the memories of all of it, driving right up, parking right at the front door, the cheerfulness of the people coming and going, it is not difficult why we hold on to all of these memories. They are like a warm soft blanket on a cold day. Comforting, and safe. Thanks for commenting Kim.

      Like

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