the old neighborhood, Dursette lane

A few weeks ago, when in Golden Meadow I decided to 

ride down the lane of my childhood.

That's right a lane, not a street.

Dursette lane.

So much as changed and yet, so much is still the same.

You know when you are a little girl everything seems so much bigger

and a lane seemed so much longer.

This house right here?

The home of the Doucet's.

My best neighborhood friend was Roxanne,

the baby of this Doucet home.

We had lots in common as we were both the babies of 

large families. I lived first house of Dursette, right behind 

Randolph's Resturaunt.

Roxie lived last house down the lane.

It always seemed like such a long walk to her house

so as an adult, driving down the lane that day,

I realize once again it really is such a short street.

People lived there for a lifetime.

No moving like what has filled my adult life.

We all lived there and never moved.

Still today, the homes are still all owned by the

original owners or their children now.

What I loved about Roxanne's house?

There were many things.

One, the large playroom with so many toys

and spaces to set up stores in.

There were those months that we and our parents saved

every empty box of food products so we could put in our store.

I also loved the built in beds Mr. Linton built for his two girls,

Roxanne and liz. There were built with big drawers under the beds.

Loved those beds.

I remember the day Kim died in a car accident.

Kim was Roxanne's big brother. Their home was so full of 

sadness in those days. It was one of the first young people

I knew who died. I was so afraid to go there after hearing

of his death but C and I spent the days with them and I like

to think it helped them in some way.

 Roxanne now lives in her childhood home.

Much has changed and much has stayed the same.

The bricks remain the same vibrant red while all the white

siding is new. Her parents live right next door in 

a small home of their own.

 Across the street from the Doucet's was more neighborhood friends,

the Cheramies'. Another house full of kiddies.

Mr. Frip and Ms. Norma had 4 children. 

Dursette was full of kiddies of different ages and we 

all played together. Gaye and I were the same age

and our friendship wavered from close one week and 

hardly playing the next week.

My favorite memories of the Cheramie house was the

playroom that Mr. Frip had made for his little girls in the back yard.

Oh how I wanted that little playhouse that came equipped with a play stove,

an eating snack bar and a small play bed.

I longed to play in there selfishly by myself.

I don't think I was ever able to pull it off but I dreamed of that little house.

Ms. Norma was a beautician and across the street from their home

was her shop. I can remember going in there with Gaye 

and the smell of perms and little old ladies filled my nose.

The door was always opened there for the kiddies.

We also were allowed to play in there on the days that it

was closed for business. I loved that shop!

 Closer to my own home was another Doucet home.

Mr. Nolan and Mrs. Clarabelle and their only child, Missy.

Again another home still owned by the original owner.

Missy was an only child and on the rare occasion we were allowed

to play in the house, it was in their den.

I remember Neil Diamond records being played on the stereo 

that was housed in that room.

Missy, being an only child, had a fantastic room.

I can remember her parents wanting to vacation and take her to every

state in the United States of America.

I think it was hats from each state that was hung across the top of

her bedroom walls.

 Then there was the "telephone office"

AWHHHH across from Missy's house was the best playground ever!

We all loved this place. As the length of the street seems shortened

from my childhood memories, the size of this place is the same experience.

Here we skated, jumped off the porch. There was a big signal tower

on the property held in place by big cement squares.

Many talks went on back there, many climbs of  the tower

even though forbidden by our parents. There were 

many "hide and go seek" games,

many discussions and some even had their 'first kisses"back there.

Always full of big tractors and large round wooden reels that

held big black wire. Oh the fun we had on them.

 Then there was this home, the best home,

that until recently, was my sister C's home.

It was the family home of Freddie and Minta Collins.

There, their seven children were raised.

I am surprised by how short the front yard looks to me.

As a child, it seemed like our home was huge, our property

so large. Now it seems like it is so close to the street. 

Maybe it is closer as the lane has probably been widened a few

times in the last years since I grew up there.

It was the very best place to live, so much love,

so much arguing, so much normalcy happened there.

I have been blessed with the best memories of childhood,

all coming back each time I ride down memory lane

called Dursette.