OUR HOUSEGUEST ERWIN

Grandmother had some strange neighbors. Beatniks they were called in those days. We could always be found over there when visiting Grandmother.

One day we arrived and a big moving truck was pulled up out front. They had lived next to Grandmother for more than 40 years. Our mother grew up with them too. They were almost done packing that big truck. Julia and John the youngest of the brood sat down with us and told us they were moving to Carmel, Ca. right next to the beach. If we could get Mother and Dad to drive us down, we would be able to go swimming.

Time passed on by we grew up. The Hippies movement hit San Francisco. Our Father though in the Navy went to Vietnam to deliver supplies. His idea and our idea of peace was different things. That is another story.

One day out of the clear blue sky, our Mother gets a letter and paperwork naming her executor of Erwin ashes. The ashes had been at the cemetery for many years. Sarah wanted to put Erwin on their land in Carmel. Mother picked him up. Placed Erwin on a shelf in the garage.

Mother would not make the trip until Father was home. During Vietnam he wasn't home much. This is when Mother would tease people who came to visit.

"Did you see the little blue light go by"? Mother would say, to anyone visiting.
"No" the answer would be every time.
Then mother would say with a smile "well if you do see a little blue light. That is Erwin. He lives in the garage on a shelf. In a box. Do you want to see him"?

Not many would say yes. A few did. After a while we started to notice no one was coming over to visit anymore. When mother inquired, they would ask if Erwin was still there?

Mom was active in the PTA, her best friend was a newspaper reported. The PTA bulletin and a notice in the small cities newspaper that Erwin was no longer living in the Nance household. That was what it took to let people know . 

We laughed for months.