Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A trip down Memory Lane.......

Once in awhile, I am going to post about something very special that happened after I began to blog. First up, is a wonderful story....at least to me.

When I was a new blogger, I happened to "meet" (on her blog) a gal named Barbara (Pineland Patches) who lives in south Jersey. We got to "talking" and I told her I was from NJ, although now retired to southern Delaware. Imagine my surprise when we discovered we had both lived in the SAME tiny town in northern NJ when we were youngsters. The time period during which we both lived there overlapped by a few years. We figure since the town was small....one grocery store, one pharmacy, one movie theater, one park.....we probably crossed paths and never even knew it. She has been back to the town over the years. My family moved from there in 1961. She was kind enough to email me some photos from the town as it looked then......and below is one of those photos. This was one of the very special events of my first year of blogging! Oh...for any who might be wondering, the town is Hawthorne, NJ. (If anyone else in Blogland is from there, let me know!!!)

Here is the theater. On the marquee is advertised "Bridge on the River Kwai", which I saw there and I figure Barbara probably did, too. Maybe we were buying popcorn at the same time!!! LOLThere are more photos she sent to me, but for some reason, blogger is giving internal errors and not letting me post them. I'm glad at least one of them posted. I had attended the same school (Lincoln School) in Hawthorne from kindergarten until the middle of 8th grade...and then my parents had us move away from there. I was a bit devastated not to be part of the 8th grade graduation since I'd been at that school for so many years....so it was nice of Barbara to send me a photo of that school...and I'm sorry I can't get the photo to post here. What an emotional treat for me to "find" Barbara due to blogging....a real "small world" moment for me!

31 comments:

Julie said...

Lovely story. It is a small world.

Gene Black said...

Ah, the joys of the internet. I have met people here that I should have known and perhaps we passed like ships in the night. I have also reconnected with people who I adored, but just lost track of.

It is indeed a small world in many ways.

luv2quilt2 said...

I'm constantly amazed at the connections we have to others. What a delight to find someone from your childhood home.

Carol Anne Strange said...

What a wonderful story, Pat, and amazing synchronicity. Life is full of wonderful surprises!
PS - As always, I left you a reply on my blog to your latest comment. Keep being the amazing you! xx

Anonymous said...

It's a small world for sure....having been military and moving many places to only run into some many moons later....enjoyed your story.

Anonymous said...

Awww...sniff, sniff. I feel the same way, Pat. It's delightful to "meet" someone who shares so many memories of our home town, Hawthorne, NJ. I also saw "Bridge on the River Kwai" in that theatre. Do you remember the candy machine there with my favorites, Mason Dots and Good 'n Plenty? Do you recall the toy giveaways on the stage of that theatre? Life was so much simpler "back in the day". Thanks for sharing this with everyone.

Crispy said...

How fun to find someone from the "past". Cyberland is wonderous at times.

Crispy

Rhonda said...

Pat, what a great discovery of a new friend from back home. Blogging really does open up a whole new world and brings unexpected rewards.

Joanne Lendaro said...

Isn't it a small world? Cool building.

Nancy said...

Let's all sing...
It's a small world after all...
It's a small world after all...
It's a small world after all...

It's a small, small, world...

How fun!! Can you imagine living in the olden times when you just didn't meet anyone other than in your own town?

Needled Mom said...

What a great story. Isn't blogging amazing?

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Yes, we do keep learning through blogland how small our world is! Sweet.

Jocelyn said...

It certainly is a very small world. And how wonderful that the both of you were able to connect!

quiltingnana said...

what a wonderful story

quiltingnana said...

what a wonderful story

Rae Ann said...

What a great story! You never know who you will come across as you travel down life's highway.

Sandi Linn Andersen said...

Awesome story, Pat! I love blogging and can't imagine not doing it now! I grew up in a town where you only knew your neighbors and I loved it but this blogging community is great, too. How cool that Barbara also saw Bridge on the River Kwai at the theater! Keep up the great blogging!!

JustCindy said...

How fun to find someone from your home town and have them share wonderful photos of the town.

sewfunquilts said...

How wonderful to remember, and share it with us. I just re-connected with someone from a while back too. Isn't this cyber age wonderful?? Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Barb said...

It really is a small world.

I found on facebook a few friends that had the same friend as myself....I knew each at different times in my lives and come to find that my friend had the same friend...don't you just love it?

Unknown said...

How marvelous how you found each other. A friend from my high school days just recently 'found' me and it's been nice to get to know her again, and what has been happening in each other's lives.
BarbM

julieQ said...

What a great story! I really love that you were able to meet "neighbor" in this big blogging world.

Myra said...

A small world it is... 8-)
Lovely story Pat!

ooglebloops said...

Love hearing these stories!!! I also remember seeing the Bridge Over the River Kwai, just over the border in NY - at Radio City !!! And, Good 'N Plenty was a movie house fav!!!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Sara said...

It is a small world after all...

Have a Happy Thanksgiving...

The Other Barb said...

I remember Barb telling me that she had met a blogger from the same small town in NJ where she grew up. that is a neat story Pat.
Happy Thanksgiving to your family.

Paula in OH said...

I am always amazed at how small this world is! I have crossed paths with people in my travels all over our great country.

Rachel said...

Wow - I love stories like that. Isn't it fun to 'meet' someone you might have met before? Or who shares some of the same experiences as you?

I love the old photos, too, and seeing things as they were then vs. now.

One of the English teachers at my school has a son born on the exact same day as my daughter AND we taught at the same school - she just moved away from that town the summer before we moved there. What a coincidence!

What a neat post.

Val said...

It is amazing the people you meet in blogworld. I feel as though I have really close friends and I may never ever meet them in person. Happy Thanksgiving.

fabricartist21 said...

Yes it is a small world. Etsy is having a $5.00 gift sale on November 30th go to my blog for details. Thanks

limpingalong said...

When planning party games I often hand out questionairs asking for information about people. Found a married couple who were not only born in the same town but at the same hospital on the same day!
They were already in love and planning to get married before they figured it all out!