What I Remember About
Nanny and Weenie’s house and Olean visits
I remember
Feeling really excited about spending the weekend with Nanny and Weenie (Francis and C. Paula Flynn) in Olean NY. We would go as pairs and I think I remember that Nanny and Weenie would drive from Olean to Silver Creek (we lived on Denison Road at the time) to pick us up and take us for the weekend. I’m pretty positive they would also bring us back. Funny I don’t really remember that Mom and Dad took us either direction for these visits.
Walking around the “city block” and feeling really independent that we could walk all the way around the block by ourselves. The street they lived on (Putnam maybe) was residential though there may have been a store on the opposite corner. If we went right from their house around the corner, that was residential too. The street parallel to Putnam faced a city park and I remember a Christian Science reading room on that far corner. It felt like we were right in the city and basically we were. For some reason I really distinctly remember walking around this block with Chris.
Saturday morning was a shopping trip. We were each allowed to pick something out for ourselves at a Kmart like store. I remember the first time I selected something other than a toy – I got stockings and I think a garter to hold them up. I felt very very grownup. Bless Weenie for allowing this. Usually Nanny did not come along on this trip if I recall.
It was some of our alone time with Weenie.
They rented this house and it was next to a funeral home on the corner. If it wasn’t a funeral home (because I don’t ever really remember their being lots of cars or people around this place, it must have been something close to that. Small yard, two small porches on the same side of the house, doors not facing the street. Up the steps and you could almost smell it already—it was probably a sort of stale but clean smell left over from cleaning and smoking. Inside the front door you step into the living room. Weenie’s desk was right in front of you with the main living room area to your right. Nanny and Weenie’s chairs faced the front door on the opposite wall. The corner book case unit presently in my own kitchen filled the corner of the room opposite the entrance. Couch along the wall facing the street under the windows and TV in the next corner. A end table kind of piece of furniture with a leather inlay was centered on the window facing the neighbors and the porch stairs. I think the green leather chair was just to the right of visitors as they stood in the entryway. Persian style rug on the floor—think and I remember blue and red.
Weenie’s chair had a pull up footrest—he called that something that I can’t quite recall just now. But under the chair was a big treat for us—coins that supposedly had dropped from his pockets and were ours for the taking! Nanny’s rocker always seemed to have a knitting or sewing project resting nearby. She has her own embroidered footrest. Kathy has it now with Nanny’s rocker. Between the chairs was a matching end table with leather inlay and a drawer. One of the white marble based lamps was there. Those were heavy and I remember them still in their trailer when Kathy and I cleaned it out. I think Kathy might have the lamps.
From the living room into the dining area, the stairs coming down in between. I don’t remember all that much about the dining room except there was a table Nanny and I used for projects—like the knitting needle holder from black and white cordouroy. We had it laid out inside out so we could sew these pockets with the idea of turning it right side out when done. But the pockets were long and narrow like knitting needles and Chris was the only one who noticed that doing it inside out wasn’t going to allow us to turn it back right side out. Nanny and I were kind of chuckling at him until we realized he was right!! I think I still have that around.
The kitchen was off the dininr room and I remember it felt small and kind of narrow. There was a door out to the back porch and one down to the cellar. I only went down to the cellar a few times. The washing machine was down there and it was pretty neat and tidy. I believe there was a small kitchenette set next to the refrigerator on the all opposite the cellar door. The window/sink faced out to the back porch with the stove behind on the other wall. I just remember it being small.
The only bathroom was at the top of the stairs to the right. Nanny and Weenie’s room opposite on the left with the hallway extending to the end where Mom’s old room was. It felt peaceful and secluded in that room. I remember that the city traffic noises would keep me a little bit awake. I think there might have been a phone in there, but that doesn’t feel like it makes sense. Did we both sleep in there?? I don’t remember it that way and I don’t remember another bedroom, but there may have been.
Nanny and Weenie had twin beds with Weenie’s nearest the door. We would climb into bed with him in the morning. I remember feeling kind of smothered by the covers but very happy to be with Weenie. Generally they were late risers (as grandparents go at the time) and Weenie usually slept longer than Nanny.
On Sunday we’d go to church (of course). St, Mary’s was, to us, a HUGE ornate traditional style church. I remember being quite fascinated by the ceiling paintings—like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel if I remember correctly.
Sometimes we’d visit “Fat Aunt Marg” and “Uncle 4-5” (John and Margaret Flynn). Aunt Marg was, of course, tiny. Uncle 4-5 had this poker chip holder we loved to play with. We were told this is how 4-5 came to be—my counting emphasis on 1-2-3-4-5. I don’t remember that specifically but I clearly remember Uncle 4-5, Weenie’s brother.
Sometimes we’d do something kind of touristy—I remember “Rock City” being a climb in the car but nothing special comes to mind after that. I never thought this was their favorite kind of thing to do.
Weenie was ALWAYS listening to or watching some kind of sporting event. That baseball on radio drone (probably someone like Phil Rizzuto who just died) is most memorable from the car rides. I’d lie in Nanny’s lap and she would stroke my hair over my ear and it was so soothing. Must be we were in the back seat together.
I recall being fascinated by a roadside wild flower and really wanting to pick some. I asked Weenie and of course he allowed it. They weren’t as beautiful or fascinating picked as they were growing wild.
Another treat we always had on these visits was the chance to make our own ice cream sundaes. I recall doing this on the dining room table. I remember the peanuts being there with chocolate sauce—real treats for us. We’d usually get one visit per summer must be and it was a time of being spoiled, at least to the limit Nanny would tolerate.
I remember (must have been a dream) a feeling of standing at the top of their stairs and jumping down but floating down instead of crashing. That particular dream or feeling was only ever associated with their stairs for some reason.
