Going to Town- what's left of it

I live in a town between Atlanta and Athens Georgia. It used to be a small town, but over the years it has grown tremendously with people.  Unfortunately, businesses have not received the same growth and many are closing.

I've been going into Winder all my life.  Before I moved here with my parents, my grandparents lived in the county, a few miles outside of "town."  Town is what my grandparents called Winder, and they went to town once a week- on Saturdays.  Occasionally, my grandfather would go on Fridays to sell his sausage, but mostly they went on Saturday morning.  When I'd visit them, I'd go with one of them- usually my grandmother.  My grandmother had her standing 10:30 hair appointment.  Before she had her hair washed, rolled and set, she would go to the bank- The People's Bank.

This was the only bank in Winder for 18 years after the depression, and the only bank to use according to my grandfather.

 After the bank and the hair style, my grandmother would do her shopping.  Sometimes, she would go to Peskins to purchase a new outfit.  Peskins opened in Winder in 1929.  As a child, it was a wonderful, three story palace.  You can read about Peskins Co http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkaway/2245179057/

Most Saturdays my grandmother would go into Roses to purchase some candy, but Roses closed before I moved to Winder.  Sometimes she'd stop by Evan's Jewel Box to browse or purchase.

I loved going to the Jewel Box and visiting with Larry- the owner.  My dad bought my mother a diamond ring here, and later, after my mother passed away,  Larry made that ring into a pendant for me to wear on a necklace. Evan's Jewel Box opened in 1956, and is now one of the few remaining businesses in Winder.

My grandmother's last stop would be to purchase groceries.  She always bought her groceries at Massey's foods.  I remember after Massey's closed, she had difficulty learning to shop in a new store. 

Now, going to town on Saturdays was not just about getting errands completed.  It was a time to socialize, to visit with friends, a chance to wear a new outfit.  When I was young, Saturday mornings in Winder was the place to be.  If you slept in, you might have trouble finding a parking spot. And if the Dawgs were playing at home, you'd be in a heap of traffic. Most people would complete their errands by lunch, and then they'd eat lunch- at Hardegree's, or the Soda Shop, or possibly Allen's.  Of course none of these businesses are still opened.

That is why I wanted to write some of my memories of this once small town.  So many locally owed businesses in Winder have closed.  Just last week, Larry's Easy Pay, closed their appliance store.  Larry's Easy Pay was just that- a place to purchase things with credit and it was easy to pay back.  And, you could purchase just about anything at Larry's- appliances, work boots, guns, baseball equipment, etc.

 A few months ago, my dad had some people over to shoot skeet.  I had to go to Larry's to get another box of skeet for them.  I walked in and told GW what I needed.  He got me a box, put it in my car and said- "Your dad can pay me the next time he's in town."  Where else can you get business like that?   A few years ago, my dryer died.  I called Larry's and their repairman, Tim, came to my house again to repair another appliance.  However, it was beyond repair.  I was teaching school and called Larry's.  I told GW I needed a dryer- a good one, but I needed a deal.  He told me what he had, and what he recommended.  I said okay.  When I got home, I had a new dryer in my laundry room, and my old one was gone.   I know I'll never have service like that- a dryer picked out and delivered without a signature, without even seeing someone in person.  Larry's, you'll be missed. 

I hope Winder's City Council will offer some incentives for businesses to open in Winder, otherwise, I feel it may become a ghost town.

Musical Mondays

I started this blog mainly to make myself write more, but hopefully I will share a few inspiring stories while I write. Today I want to share some things my family does together.

         Several years ago, Keith and I decided to have our son take guitar lessons. We wanted him to learn something besides sports; something he could use his entire life. We found a wonderful guitar teacher, but quickly realized guitar was not for Clayton- he was a drummer. Luckily, the same place also offered drum lessons, and the drumming began. Since I'm not the type to just sit around, I decided to take guitar while he was learning drums. It was a great time for us, and something we both enjoyed.
       
       Two years ago, Keith decided he wanted to learn piano. He doesn't have any other hobbies and has always enjoyed music and my teacher's wife teaches keyboard. So it began. We would have our music lesson and drive back to get Carolyn from her competitive gymnastics class. About six months later, Carolyn decided she wanted to stop gymnastics and start piano. Now the entire family takes music on Mondays. Carolyn and I begin at 5, followed by Keith and Clayton at 5:30. After lessons, we go to dinner as a family. In the summer, we go to the lake to ski.
     
        We are not great musicians, but we are learning together. We've learned a few songs to play at church and we practice together, encourage each other, and are doing something together. Learning something new is not easy- not when you've never done anything like it before, and I'm sure we could find something else to spend our money on besides our lessons. But the quality time we are having with our children is priceless. Clayton will soon be 13 and I'm not sure how much longer our "Music Mondays" will last, but hopefully they will always be something he remembers. That his parents decided to join him in music, to learn something along with him that we could always share.
      
      So let me encourage you to find something to do as a family on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule. Make sure all family members participate, and not just watch. Learn something together- painting, dance lessons, music, a new sport. anything. And have fun- our children grow way too fast.