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Do you remember these large wooden spools? I do and they bring back fond, fond memories of friends, an elderly neighbor and jewelry making.
I grew up in a house that seemed to be the hub for all of the telephone wires in our neighborhood, back when telephones had wires. I remember watching the repairman from Ohio Bell attach the metal spikes to his steel toed work boots and jam his boots into the pools as he made his way up to the top where all the wires met.
Cam, Rachel and I would watch all the time crossing our fingers, hoping there would be left over phone wire for us and our fine jewelry making. And sure enough each time he would stop just long enough to supply us with all his scraps and have a cold drink. (Remember when we offered the mailman or a repairman a cold drink on a sunny afternoon? I do.)
Fist full of colorful wires my friends, Cam and Rachel and I got right to work on our creations. We would make rings, necklaces, and bracelets. The rings were grand in size and looped colors on top of colors before making their way back into the band creating a large flower, they were beautiful in a child's eye. And, we had a customer just waiting for our gorgeous designs! Mr. Dever.
Mr. Dever was our elderly neighbor. His wife said " He just loves to sit outside and watch the girls play." So each hot day there in the shade sat silent Mr. Dever. He rarely (if ever) spoke. He watched the cars go by, he watched us play and he waited. He waited for us to adorn him with our colorful telephone wire jewelry.
What we didn't know then is how much he and his wife enjoyed us accessorizing his daily outfit. My mom stills shares her fond memories of Mrs. Dever laughing about how the girls made jewelry for Mr. Dever.
I makes my heart smile to think back on these days, the sun, Cam, Rachel, Mr. Dever and telephone wire....
Deb - you brought back such wonderful childhood memories for me! Thank you! I do remember the spools and I remember making iced tea for the construction workers who built the high school across the street from my house. I didn't make jewelry but I did make painted rocks and wheeled a wagon throughout the neighborhood and sold them to folks who opened their door and knew a bargain when they saw it. Thanks for the memories today, Deb!
ReplyDeleteAwe, love your memories too! Painted rocks- who wouldn't want one or ten of those rocks? I love that you made iced tea for an entire construction team, WOW!
Deletethe spools did make great tables, didn't they!
What a very sweet memory. I never made the jewelry. I am older than you but when we were living on a med student budget, we used the spools for tables.
ReplyDeleteBernadette,
DeleteI remember the tables too! As a matter of a fact I think we sat at the tables to make the jewelry. So fun to think back on what seemed so everyday and find it was actually a special day!
I just love this memory so much. It's reminded me of a neighbor of my grandparents that my brothers and I loved so much when we were growing up. You've sparked some new ideas to add to my Writers Notebook.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cousin!
That's what writing and reading is all about! It's the ripple effect! You have sparked many ideas in my notebook too, Cousin!
DeleteEvery neighborhood needs a Mr. Dever. What a blessing.
ReplyDeleteWe used to turn the spools on their sides, climb on top of the center and see how far we could walk them, log-rolling style. It made for hours of balance, challenge and fun.
I love every bit, Deb, but I never had telephone wire. I thought you were going to talk about those spools. We were able to get one, paint it & use it for a table to play at. I did visit lots of elderly people in my small town when I grew up (we moved when I was in 7th grade) & enjoyed that very much. I guess it just doesn't happen so much anymore, but the freedom was certainly packed with memories, like yours.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteI love your connections and funny how this all seemed so everyday then, but as I try to imagine it now ,it seems too unlikely to picture- sad actually isn't it?
These spools did make the BEST tables! I wanted to stop and grab one for my classroom but the thought of splinters stopped me. I have become too protective, sad.
Like Linda, I remember sitting around those spool tables. I don't think we ever had telephone wire jewelry though. And what a great neighbor you had!
ReplyDeleteThe tables were great ,but the wire, it was so colorful and fun to design. I actually googled telephone wire jewelry and found many hits. They soon faded to wire jewelry v.s telephone wire jewelry, but the looks the same, a bit more advanced but you'll get the idea.
DeleteI've never heard of telephone wire jewelry but love the idea and think I missed out on something growing up! Thanks for sharing a great memory.
ReplyDeletePS - I love the line, Please join us - congrats again on joining TWT!
Thanks Mandy, I am excited but feeling nervous…. You should google Telephone Wire jewelry, you would be a natural and Bridget might LOVE IT! So colorful and full of possibilities! (I guess it's "wire jewelry" today…)
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