Memories
Saturday, July 20, 2019
July 20, 1969 - This week there have been many articles in the paper and on the internet about July 20 being the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. I realize that was important in the history of the world but July 20, 1969 is also an important date in my personal history. That Sunday night was when my two sons, Michael aged 2 1/2 and Brian aged 11 months, and I stepped off a plane in Windsor, Ontario. My husband was waiting for us. He got out of the navy in June and had driven to Windsor to start looking for a job and a place for us to live. My sister got married in July. Michael and I were in her wedding so we had stayed back for that.
Our little family lived in the basement of my sister-in-law's house for about 2 weeks while we looked for something we could afford to rent. One thing I remember about that time period was how it would rain during the nights and then be sunny during the days.
My husband found a factory job. Finding a place to live was more difficult. People didn't want to rent to families with children. We eventually found a wartime house that was for sale but we couldn't move in until sometime in September. (Lots of the details are gone from my memory.) The boys and I flew back to Nova Scotia to stay with my parents until the sale was finalized.
I don't remember the exact date in September when we came back. Our belongings had been moved from storage into our house by the time we arrived. Himself has always said that he hated that house but it wasn't so bad. We lived there was two years and then found a newer home and moved again.
There have been so many changes in the past 50 years. I sometimes think about what it would be like if that same move was happening today. With Skype and modern methods for staying in touch it would be so much easier to stay connected with my parents back in Nova Scotia. My husband promised my father that the children and I would be able to go home every year and we did. By Spring I would be getting homesick and at first didn't even realize that was what was wrong.
We had been living in Ontario for three years when Mom and Dad made their first visit. They came after our daughter was born. They drove that year and then would drive up every other year. One time they were with us for Christmas.
I must tell the boys about their July 20 landing as I am quite sure they don't remember.
Our little family lived in the basement of my sister-in-law's house for about 2 weeks while we looked for something we could afford to rent. One thing I remember about that time period was how it would rain during the nights and then be sunny during the days.
My husband found a factory job. Finding a place to live was more difficult. People didn't want to rent to families with children. We eventually found a wartime house that was for sale but we couldn't move in until sometime in September. (Lots of the details are gone from my memory.) The boys and I flew back to Nova Scotia to stay with my parents until the sale was finalized.
I don't remember the exact date in September when we came back. Our belongings had been moved from storage into our house by the time we arrived. Himself has always said that he hated that house but it wasn't so bad. We lived there was two years and then found a newer home and moved again.
There have been so many changes in the past 50 years. I sometimes think about what it would be like if that same move was happening today. With Skype and modern methods for staying in touch it would be so much easier to stay connected with my parents back in Nova Scotia. My husband promised my father that the children and I would be able to go home every year and we did. By Spring I would be getting homesick and at first didn't even realize that was what was wrong.
We had been living in Ontario for three years when Mom and Dad made their first visit. They came after our daughter was born. They drove that year and then would drive up every other year. One time they were with us for Christmas.
I must tell the boys about their July 20 landing as I am quite sure they don't remember.
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