Grandad's BoostOil, 9 x 12 inches
My Dad and David at the Criswell
I have a blog on the Steppin' Out New Mexico website. I was looking there to see when I last updated (too long ago) and ran across this post by Ben Moffett. He writes about the "old days" in Socorro and the area. I have thought to paint the old ice house, but something else always comes up. It brought back some fond memories.My Dad and David at the Criswell
My father ran a filling station on the main corner in Magdalena, New Mexico, when I was about thirteen or fourteen. Gene worked at a station catty-corner, but at that time that wasn't too important. :) After school, my Dad would go to the Paris Tavern, leaving me in charge of the station. I learned to fix tires, change oil, clean windshields and other duties there. My friend, Charlotte, would come down to keep me company. I was not paid, but since I didn't receive an allowance, my Dad would give me money when I requested it ... most times anyway. He used to buy rags for cleaning and checking oil, etc., in a box from the Checkered something company. The boxes had a checkerboard on the side. He did not have a permit to sell food, but he always bought little packages of jerky, potato chips, peanuts and Snickers from the Tom's Peanuts salesman for us to have for snacks. Charlotte and I would play checkers with Coke tops from the Coke machine, drink Cokes and eat the snacks, usually chile chips or peanuts. What a life? The only downside to being a service station attendant was cleaning the restrooms. I don't know if it proves true in all situations, but by my calculations women are much messier and dirtier than men. Hmmm.
OK, back to the business of art.......
7 comments:
What a great post! Checkers with the coke tops.
I could make a fast 'fin' from my father for cleaning up his woodworking shop bathroom. It was all men, but it was the 'laboratory', too, for all the wood finish experiments. There were always some interesting colors in the sink...
Leslie, Eeeeeuuuu. :)
Jo
Well I was wondering where the picture of that painting went. I was looking for it the other day and couldn't find it now I have:)
Just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. Missed you yesterday, I'm the bad son.
Anyway couldn't imagine playing checkers with coke tops but sounds interesting.
David, Thank you. I did get a call from Lisa and Christy. It was a good day with golf, a margarita, nap and great dinner.
We used the coke bottle caps with one of us using them top up and the other top down. I never have been good at checkers or any game where you have to plan many moves ahead, like Chess. I like word games and puzzles. :)
Hugs,
M
David, Oh, on the painting I don't have it in the archives, hmmmm. It was the first painting I sold in Bastrop, too. I will look and see if I have a photo with enough pixels to print it. It will be in Bastrop, though and not on these computers.
Hugs,
M
My grandparents ran a gas station also. They were in Vernon, TX, for my young years and in Mesquite, TX when I was a little older. I remember sitting on the curb drinking cokes or grape Nehi's with my grandpa and being silly. Of course we dropped peanuts in our Coke! Another memory is my grandmother sewing my school clothes on her sewing machine set up at the station while filling gas, cleaning windows, etc. There were lots of good memories while hanging out at the gas station!
Bag Blog, Ah, grape Nehi, I had forgotten. The gas stations were sort of a meeting place, huh? In Texas that turned into the Dairy Queen. :)
Jo
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