~Neighborhood Stores~

Ive been getting some wonderful emails

lately that are funny and inspirational. I

love them all.. One, that I got this morning,

was about the old country store. It made

me think about the little neighborhood

grocery stores that were in the little town,

Stambaugh, that is no longer there, the

stores and now the town is known as

Iron River, in Upper Michigan.. I was

raised there and it was a great place to

grow up..Everyone knew everyone and

I think even to this day its still the same

way, even though the name of the town

was changed.

There were 2 stores within walking distance

of my house, one was Cavadias's and the

other was Sadino's.. Both were great stores

and the owners were wonderful friendly

people.. Cavadias's closed while I was still

in school and Sadino's after I graduated.

Each store has special memories for me. I

will tell you only one today...the other for

another day :-)

Cavadias's was 1 block from my house, all

I had to do when I would be sent there by my

mom was to cut thru 2 neighbors yards, go

between 2 garages, cross 9th street and I

was there. The main memory I have of that

store was when I was about 12 and I decided

I wanted to try to smoke a cigarette. So I had

to buy a pack, which back then, was only 25

cents...but I had to think of a reason to give

Mrs. Cavadias as to WHY I was buying a

cigarettes, she knew my parents didn't smoke..


I walked into the store and up to the counter

and all serious told her , "My uncle Telfer is

visiting and I volunteered to come here and

buy cigarettes for him".. She handed me a pack

of Lucky Strikes, I told her that's what he

smoked.. I took the pack and headed home.

I hid the cigarettes under our back porch so

my parents wouldn't find them, I would be in

deep trouble if they did! Plus having to tell

them I lied to Mrs. Cavadias would put me

in even deeper trouble..!

I came home from school a day later

and as I walked into the kitchen I saw some

thing was being covered by a Kleenex on

top the radio.. I peeked to see what was

being hidden..As I lifted the Kleenex I was

horrified to see the pack of cigarettes I

had so carefully hidden under the porch!
I didn't know what to do. My mom wasn't

home, yet I knew she was due any time,

so I ran out to the garage to ask my dad

about it.. They didn't KNOW that I had

hidden them..so I thought... :-)

I looked at my dad and he smiled at me

and said, "I saw you crawl under the porch

and you were the only one under there, so

I KNOW you hid them".. I hung my head

and said "Yes, dad it was me, I just wanted

to try one, but I never got a chance!" I never

asked him how he saw me, no one was out

side! I didn't ask him till I was a grown adult

years later... he said...

"I was here in the garage and looking out the

window and I saw you open the door to under

the porch. I knew you were up to something

cuz you NEVER go under there because of

the spiders and bugs! So I knew you had to

be up to something, I went under there after

you went in the house and found them."

After I went out to the garage the pack of

cigarettes disappeared from on top the radio

before my mom got home. She never ever

knew what I had done, I, of course NEVER

told her, and my wonderful dad didn't either.

So, there is one of my memories of our local

stores, even though its now gone, I still have

a great memory.. I never smoked or tried to

until after I graduated and left home.. The

moral to this story is, never smoke, that's why

I am legless and now in a wheelchair..I wish

I had known that years ago...

Happy weekend from this GORGEOUS
WEEBLE, I shall return... Keep well and

God Bless...

Always, Lois ****

"God Bless You" is my prayer today,

I'm honored to call you 'friend'.

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...