06.19
Over the weekend my wife and I packed up the kids and headed to Southern California for a family reunion. That, of course right there is worth a blog posting because running through airports with kids and all their associated attachments is always fun.
But what was cool about this reunion was that is was held at the Helena Modjeska Historic House and Gardens. Now what you may be wondering is, “Um, where?”
What you are missing is that after Helena Modjeska passed away, my Great Grandfather purchased the house and grounds and it became a place where 5 generations of family would gather until 1986 when it was sold to Orange County and made into the historic landmark park thingy it is today.
Today the house is part museum and walking through it after 21 years was a bit surreal. They made the kitchen area look all turn-of-the-century-like by putting a hand pump where the faucet was and a real ice-box where the fridge was. They also had the bedrooms roped off and done up like little, well, museum displays.
You know, it’s one thing to see stuff like you used to use in a museum, it’s entirly different to see the stuff you used to use. I played in those rooms. As my uncle put it, “My wife and I spent more time in that bed than the Madame probably did.”
But what was really cool was that there was this load bearing 4×4 in the main house that for 5 generations was used to mark off the height of growing kids. From 1928 thru 1986 this thing was covered with little marks… and little stories.
I found my Dad’s handwriting next to a line for me, “MARC MATTEO – 05 MAR 80 – WITH TENNIS SHOES”. March 5th, 1980, the day of my grandfather’s funeral, that’s why I was there. In 1980 I was shorter than “Mother” (Great Grandma?) was in 1928 and Auntie Carolyn was in 1941.
The County saw fit to encase it in plexiglass when they took over the house which they didn’t have to do. For our reunion they took glass off, something else they didn’t have to do.
Now my kids have joined their cousins, aunts & uncles, grandparents, great grandparents, and yes – great great grandparents on the post.
For their part, the kids were as bored as I remember being when dragged to “Modjeska”. Nothing up there but old folks and old stuff (like, I know, lets start a museum!) and it was usually hot and there were bugs… so really nothing changed in that regard 
.
My daughter found enjoyment playing in the dirt, the very same dirt that her grandmother would have played in, not that I can really see my mother playing in dirt at any age, but still….
Finally, though, it was time to go.
