Friday, April 17, 2009

Postcard Friendship Friday #11

Downtown Lewiston, Michigan
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It's time for another Postcard Friendship Friday, hosted by Marie at Voila! Vintage Postcards!

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Today's postcard is dated July 22 - probably 1959 - and was sent from Lewiston, Michigan to Oxford, Michigan. Lewiston was a logging town in the late 1800's, and by 1959 was a place for summer vacations at cabins and cottages that surrounded the nearby lakes. Lewiston is located between east East and West Twin Lakes and is about 182 miles NNW of Oxford. Today the year round population is 900, and the summer population swells to 14,000.
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Oxford was first settled in the early 1800's but, being a vast area of swamp land, was largely ignored until the first of 5 gravel mines were opened in 1912. It is still a small village of about 3,500 residents. It's the Sister City of Oxford , England and the address on the postcard, 35 Park Street, still exists.
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The postcard was mailed to Mrs. Preston Yost, and reads:


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Tue.

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Hi
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Lots of laughs - Bee stings etc. We have honey bees in the John. I really got stung you can imagine where. No fish. Kenny is going out for a while too hot for us,
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Love
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Ruth and Kenny
The Back Story:
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The brochure read luxurious cabin on East Twin Lake with private bathroom. Ruthie will call ahead next time and ask questions. Perhaps the unbelievable $10.00 a day rates should have been a clue.
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Turned out the constant buzzing was not in her head as Ken had suggested.
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After a trip to Emergency for the bee stings and a few Manhattans to ease the pain, Ruthie had a prime opportunity to say "I told you so!"
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During the long summer days, Ruthie made friends and had a gay time dipping her toes in the water.
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While Ken and his new found pals went into town on "fishing" expeditions.
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The vacation was much more enjoyable after Ken sprayed the outhouse inside and out with DDT. Ruthie made light meals of salads and sandwiches. She whipped up some marshmallow kabobs and cherry Jello for deserts. Ken's favorite was the elbow noodle salad with Spam cubes that Ruthie made for lunch on alternate days. At night they played records on the wind-up Victrola and sat at the picnic table by the light of the citronella candle, watching the stars.
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Swimming was fun if you didn't mind the leeches. Fishing was fun if you didn't mind not catching any. Sleeping was good if you didn't mind the cloud of mosquito's that buzzed about. Ken and Ruthie didn't mind at all. They were much too in love to notice.

22 comments:

papel1 said...

The follow up story is a hoot! And the postcard is priceless with those parked vintage cars.
Judy

Pearl said...

As always, a wonderful treat to visit your PFF posts... It all sounds delightful to me, except for the Spam Cubes 'n Leeches... that's enough to turn my tummy! Hope your upcoming weekend is terrific...
~blessings~
Pearl

April ~ Autism Awareness Month ~

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

A great story! Even the original is amusing, but the embellishments make it. :) And Oxford couldn't be more different from the one in England!

Paul van Yperen said...

You made a hilarious adventure out of a quite boring holiday card. I liked the other cards much better. Especially the last. What exactly did the guys on their fishing exhibition?
Thanks for sharing.

Sparky said...

That was entertaining and funny! How you come up with these interesting side stories so quickly is amazing. I make one post and have to go take a nap to rest my brain cells. [lol]

Now I guess you have to work on the next zodiac for tomorrow. Wonder who's next ... can't wait!

Happy PFF pal! :o)

Hippie Family... said...

I loved it!! LOVED ITT!!! Thanks for making my day ..

Daryl said...

Delightful .. tho I for one want to know where the bee stung Ruthie

dmarks said...

Excellent detailed post. I thought I knew all Michigan towns, but I'd never heard of Lewiston or Oxford. I know of Twin Lakes in Michigan, but I think it is a different Twin Lakes, no where near Lewiston either.

Martha@A Sense of Humor is Essential said...

Love the pics, thanks for the smiles!

Aimee said...

Love all the cars in the card...And the background story was quite entertaining! How do you come up with those?? :)

♥ Braja said...

Dearest Cynthia...finally we meet :) I just started to read through all the prayers and good wishes sent to us after the accident, and your good name was amongst them. I am touched, and from the bottom of my heart I thank you for your kindness and healing help....
with great affection,
Braja xxa

Blicky Kitty said...

Didn't Ken spray the lake too? I think the DDT would've done a bang-up job on those leeches!

Margo said...

What a fun card to begin with, and then your story makes it even better! The food alone makes me very glad I wasn't among these people... that and the bee stings in places I can only imagine :) Happy PFF!

petra michelle; Whose role is it anyway? said...

Always enjoy the Backstories! Your imagination runneth over, Muse! :))

Ana said...

I love the story! Esp that "Ruthie had a prime opportunity to say "I told you so!"
there is some sort of a pleasure in being able to say this to people :))))

HAPPY PFF!

Marie Reed said...

Awwww! The end was so romantic and sweet! I'm sure that she was stung on her big toe:)

Nihal said...

Ohh what a sugar story Cindi:) I think backstories are really fun, giving insights and pinked with your xtra powerful imagination. This way will make you an author, I believe. I wait:)

Have a sunshiny, greeny weekend~

steviewren said...

Aw, poor Ruthie. I'd imagine that bee sting wasn't too much fun. Thank goodness for DDT. (hope no one got polio from the fumigation of the outhouse...private bathroom I mean).

Postcardy said...

I hope they had a refrigerator to chill the jello.

Betsy Brock said...

Your best story yet! :)

Sreisaat said...

I agree with Betsy!
It must have been an adventure of a lifetime for them. Always enjoyed your stories, MuseSwings, and I can't wait for your story in next week's PFF:)


Postcards Crossing

Suzanne said...

Love the postcards...I've been to Lewiston:-) Your story to go with them was so cool...can't wait until next PFF.