Bellaire Market

I went looking for the Photo of the Day so I could talk about the Bellaire Market.  I wonder what people do who have thousands of photos on their hard drive,  I know you can copy them so you don't lose them, but how do you SORT them.  I spent an hour looking through just one file for the photo of the day.  I didn't find it, but I had such a good time looking at the pictures. So many photos I'd forgotten about, so many people now gone, so many events I cant remember.  It's a shame that we have photos that we can look at but that are difficult to share with anybody else!

After I finished looking through that file, tried to find a copy of a letter I knew I sent that included the photo.  I finally found it and when I went to save it, discovered it was in the file where I keep all the Funny the World photos.  Owell...I did have a good time looking at all those photos.

I've been thinking about the Bellaire Market. We lived on a hill and at the top of the hill was the market.  It was a small market owned by Angelo and Angelina.  There were fruits and vegetables outside the door, and when you entered, to the left was the counter where you paid for your groceries.  There were penny chocolates for sale there and I have to confess that I did steal a few of them over the years.  To the right was the butcher block, where Angelo would  cut the meat that you wanted.

Ahead were three aisles of groceries and the aisle on the right had a small room off of it where Angelina could cook.  I was often invited to come into the kitchen and have a snack.

There was a big basement and at some time the cat that lived in the grocery store had kittens and Karen and I each got to play with the kittens and choose which one was "ours."  Sadly, mine got caught in a machine and was killed. I don't know what happened the the rest of them.

The thing that was strange about this grocery store is that my father could give me money and send me to the store and Angelo would give me cigarettes or alcohol.  Certainly couldn't give cigarettes or alcohol to a grammar school kid today!

My very first experience with death happened at the Bellaire Market.  We were driving home from church one day and saw a black wreath on the door of the market. Angelina had died.

I don't remember much about the store after Angelina died.  I know when Angelo finally retired, his son took over.  It's no longer a market, but I don't know what it is now.

I have to admit that I have very warm feelings about the Bellaire Market and all the things that I remember about it (though I do feel somewhat guilty about all the chocolates I stole!)

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

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