Hidden Treasures of the Bungled Bungalow
You hear about wonderful hidden treasures, found in the attics, under the floorboards, in the basements and behind the walls of old homes on shows like the PBS, Antiques Road Show, but these were our only hidden treasures. I was pleased to find them even though they only hold sentimental value. I discovered them under the teal, linoleum flooring upstairs in what had been, long ago, the children’s bedrooms. The newspapers had been laid down in January of 1946 as an air barrier, and to help level out the floor since the floorboards in the second storey were not finished or tongue and groove. The 1960’s edition of “Modern Man” featuring a racy, Julie Newmar, I do believe, was a hidden treasure of one of the boys who resided in that bedroom. Being a fan of cult films like “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar”, I was very excited to find it.
I haven’t decided what I will do with them. The magazine was in very good condition, but most of the newspapers were too brittle and dirty to save. I photographed what I could over a two-day period with my iPhone, and salvaged a pile that was in good condition stacking roughly two inches high. That was just a fraction of what I hauled out to the construction dumpster.
The really fun part and true treasure of this endeavor was sharing the pages with my then, 94 year old grandmother. Every night I traipsed to my grandmother’s house, dirty, sweaty and tired, with an arm full of newspapers. Her face lit up as I walked through the door. She loves her newspaper! “Did anyone get the newspaper?” is usually one of the first sentences out of her mouth each morning.
She sat at the dining room table each evening and scrutinized every page. She remembered many of the headline stories, and even though it wasn’t her local newspaper, she found a wedding announcement of a family member. The most exciting discovery came after reading a comic strip that told the story of a stork who had escaped from the zoo. As we turned the page, Granny read the date aloud with excitement. It had been the day before she and my grandfather had adopted my uncle. I said, “The Stork escaped the zoo to deliver Uncle Pee Wee!” She smiled with pure joy and we read on.
Treasures come in all forms and sizes, but the ones that bring the most joy are usually immeasurable.
