It was pink and it was pretty. It was the first new car Mom and Dad ever had and the year was 1960. It was a beauty, long and sleek. Mom was at the wheel and Dad was the navigator of their brand new Mercury. They had only owned older vehicles in the past and they had served them well. It was time for them to own this beauty. It would be their home away from home as they spent their days painting other people's houses. There was plenty of room in the trunk for all their painting equipment, except for the ladders. I don't remember how they managed the ladders with this car. I know they had a rack on top of at least one of their older vehicles, the main car I remember from the past.
This new automobile would be the one that would bring me and our new baby boy home from the hospital in November of 1960. Since Paul and I did not yet own a car my parents brought me home from the hospital with at least three of our babies. Laura, Bill and Griff were all born at Mercy Hospital in San Diego. I remember that Mom and Dad are the ones who brought us home from the hospital since it became a tradition to stop at my father's cousin's house to show off the babies on the way home. Ethel and her husband lived on Fifth Avenue just south of Mercy hospital so it was a nice opportunity. I'm sure that in 1960 my parents would have also enjoyed showing off their new car too. Two years later in December, right after Christmas, our second baby boy would have this ride in the Mercury. This was baby number four and the last time we made this same trip home from Mercy Hospital.
Eventually Mom bought another new Mercury, but I don't remember if it was while Dad was still with us or a while later. This second Mercury is the one my children remember best. It was more of a gold color car. Mom and Dad put a lot of wear and tear on their vehicles as they did a lot of painting and that is hard on cars. The cars appeared well lived in within a short time.
Mom and Dad also bought their first new home in the early sixties. I remember spending Christmas of 1962 at their new house with Paul and our three children. I was great with child and would go to the hospital early the next day to give birth to our youngest child. Actually Paul's father took me to the hospital sometime after I had our children snug in their beds for the night. I had a nice Christmas with family and timed it so that Griff was born the morning of the 26th. How is that for good timing? This was the only time I had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night with any of the children.
I can remember going on the ferry from Coronado to San Diego in the middle of the night when the boats did not run as often. This was way before the bridge was built. When Paul's Dad and I were on the ferry I said to him that I hoped that I was in labor. He told me that I better be. He and I had a good relationship so I was not too concerned about this comment. I think it is sort of humorous. Thankfully I never had false labor with any of the babies.
My Dad did not get to enjoy their home very long before he got cancer. All he knew was that he was in pain and never got treated properly for cancer until it was too late. He died in November of 1964. He worked hard until the very end. I'm glad that my parents were able to enjoy their beautiful Mercury before Dad got sick. I'm thankful that they bought their first home while Dad was able to do so. We enjoyed several family gatherings in their new home with my sisters and their families as well as my family while Dad was with us.
Mom lived in this home in the area where we now live in the south part of San Diego until her final days in 1996. She was happy when we bought our house just a mile from her in 1973. Eventually our house would be where most family gatherings took place. As with her home ours is beginning to get old after so many years of sheltering our family. The homes and vehicles of our lives need upkeep and they show signs of age after a while. But the memories we have with them are wonderful.
Mom and Dad were able to take at least one good trip in their beautiful Mercury in 1961. Mom and Dad traveled that one time with my sister Donna and her husband and children to Washington to see family. That would be Donna's only chance to see our grandmother in Washington since we were children. They also got to see Mom's brother Ray and his family on their farm at that time.
Mom would have more chances to travel in her later years with her second husband Frank. They enjoyed many vacations together in their vehicles. They enjoyed visiting her brother's family in Washington and my sister Betty's family in Montana, as well as Frank's brother in Florida. Many stories could be written about their adventures together. Mom may have had other new vehicles over the years, but none can compare to that beautiful pink Mercury in 1960.
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