Nostalgia Tripping

My sister Pat was in town a couple of weeks ago and spent the night with us. She had come to Austin to a reunion of sorts - she and two roommates from college got together for some food, fellowship and reminiscing. That in itself is a rather amazing story - that she had kept up with her roommates all this time; more than 60 years. I vaguely remember that I had a roommate in college. We didn't see each other that much, so we got along pretty good and stayed roommates until I got married. Okay, I'm lying exaggerating about not remembering him, but I confess that I have not kept up with him.

But the point of this story is my sister spending the night here. It seems only fair, because when I was much younger - a mere child - I spent the night at her house many times. My earliest recollection of those occasions is when she lived in the little community of Eliasville, near Breckenridge (at one time in Texas and Pacific Coal and Oil company housing nearby). This little community - which still claims a few residents - was home to her husband Arthur and his family, and I visited often. Later they lived in Fort Worth and the house I remember the most was close to the TCU campus, and just a short distance from our Aunt, Ina.

I have little recollection of why I would stay with her in Fort Worth - my parents were not into going places without me - but the memory is clear.  Sometimes, it would be just the two of us and the kids; Arthur's work often kept him on the road. And it seems that I would often stay there during holidays, especially New Years. I remember staying up and watching the ball drop in Times Square on a little black and white TV (long before we had TV at our house. She also had the 1st 45 RPM record player I ever saw).

And I was there at least once during Christmas. We watched some Christmas specials on TV and I remember clearly watching Harry Belafonte singing "Scarlet Ribbons."

I peeked in to say goodnight
When I heard my child in prayer
Send dear God, some scarlet ribbons,
Scarlet ribbons for my hair.

All the stores were closed and shuttered
All the streets were dark and bare
In our town no scarlet ribbons
Not one ribbon for her hair.

Through the night my heart was aching
Just before the dawn was breaking
I peeked in and on her bed
In gay profusion laying there
I saw ribbons, scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for her hair.

If I live to be a hundred
I will never know from where
Came those lovely scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for her hair...

And I thought about that when my sister spent the night at my house.