Blog 5: Moving to Del Mar

Most people would gasp for breath if you told them you were moving to Del Mar these days. You might get the look of jealousy. Nevertheless, in the 1950's we moved into a home that could not in anyway be coined luxurious. So before I start to share some stories about our time living there, which was about 11 years, I would like to start with the home itself. It had a bit of its own history. I don't have a floor plan, but I think I can sketch one up. Pictures of the house will be added at some point.

My parents bought the property located at 158 Tenth Street, in the year 1955. The east west street sloped toward the ocean. At the bottom, the street abruptly ended at the base of an old wooden bridge. I still remember the texture of the aged and weathered wood. The bridge crossed over the railroad tracks to a narrow bluff that eventually led to a path down the cliff to the beach. At night we could hear the sound of the train contrasted by the waves on the shore.

The house was indeed a bargain by all accounts. My parents bought the lot and the one next to it for about $18,000 dollars. We never built on the neighboring lot which separated us from the next house down.  Directly across from us was an eerie dwelling. As kids we thought the house was haunted. It appeared to be built around the same time as our house, architecturally speaking. There, though, the landscape was overgrown and the house itself dingy and not well maintained. Traveling in the opposite direction on our street to the east, was a steep climb to the top. On the south side of the street at the top, was another home seemingly from the same era as ours. We used to call it the house where the bird ladies lived. Across the street, on the north side, was St. James Academy where I went to school from the 2nd-8th grade. The older houses in the neighborhood were sandwiched between more modern, mid-century homes. 

 

Our house itself, had some peculiar attributes. Frank Merriam, the Governor of California from 1934-1939, used the house as a summer home. The Scripps family also owned the property at one time. We  purchased the home from a man that had immigrated from Denmark.  All of the exterior rooms facing the west and the north had angled floors. We understood that those rooms were likely porches before they were enclosed. Walking at a slant was something we adapted to. At the east end of the kitchen, was a yellow formica table with metal legs and 4 vinyl chairs. It was the style then, now considered vintage. We had the door open much of the time in the kitchen to catch the breeze and endless sunsets. Outside the kitchen backdoor was the garage which I don't recall a car ever being in, and a smaller house behind it on the property that had been rented at some point. The empty house ended up being used mostly as a huge playhouse that sat on the alley.   I remember having a couple of slumber parties there with my friends.  

 

The lots were completely overgrown.  Eventually the lot next to us became the location for the infamous Shamrock tomato garden, and mom's clothesline.    The small fort my dad added to the lot for me was funky and I loved it, until black widows took up residence there and it had to be torn down. 

One of my projects after retirement was to convert all the slides from the past.  Packed moons ago, was a box with close to 1,000 slides stored in it.  I went through the slides one by one, holding them to the light.  At times I cried, at times I laughed, as I decided which remnants of history would be discarded.  I eventually found an old handheld slide viewer, but I had already completed my task.  After the emotional roller coaster, I ended up with a good selection and took them to Costco to convert the slides to a DVD format. When I got to the photo counter, they asked if I had numbered the slides and I hadn't.  So I found a space amidst the noise of the food court to label the slides in order and I was done. 

Prior to having the DVD made in 2017,  I had never seen many of the images to include those of mom below. Mom is seen here shortly after we bought the home. I can surmise the time frame, by the condition of the house. She is standing next to a broken window in a room  which would eventually be my bedroom on the east side. The diamond pattern wallpaper was in the dining room, and I can't recall if we ever took it down.  The kitchen, where mom is seen leaning into the faucet, was in bad shape. No dishwasher or designer cabinets. No granite countertops. A fresh coat of paint made the space seem as good as knew.  Life was pretty simple and family mattered. Mom made it to California and we all were grateful for that.  I would soon be walking to school, but not in the snow.


Mother Knows Best

 

 

Next stop...Lucy and Desi. No, not the names of our pets...the real deal.