I feel I’m an old soul with memories taking up a large portion of my life these days. Yesterday a walk down Washington St. sure brought some prove to that!

I parked the car in what was once the Boston Store lot and found my way to the River Walk, headed south on the winding trail that hugs the river, slowing to admire the many sculptures placed along the way, taking time to read a few of the plaques. I turned back up to Washington St. by the Don Tillman Bridge coming out by the old Fire station and across the street where the old railroad station still stands.  But from there on it gets pretty dismal. All that remains firm in my memory is Al’s Hamburger and a litte further across the street, the Bellin Building.  Remember the elevator man…”What floor please?

I stopped, closed my eyes and tried to place Nau’s, Baum’s and Prange’s dept stores in this cheerless area.  Also  Holzer’s Drug Store with it’s noisy lunch counter where you could buy a plate of the best mac and cheese in town,  Woolworth’s, where Mom worked. It had the first escalator in Green Bay.  I loved to ride up and back down again waiting for Mom to finish her shift so we could ride the bus home together. Remembered Kaap’s restaurant, a fixture for so many years in Green Bay. Here Mom, with my sister and me in tow, would open that big heavy door, inhaling the heavenly scents of yeasty breads and intoxicating smells and sights of the famous chocolates in cased in glass, pushing our way through the crowd to obtain a place in line for a booth. This was a treat after seeing the wonderland in Prange’s windows at Christmas time.  The whirling bears and dolls having a tea party before our very eyes as we stood in the blustery weather.

Christmas used to be my favorite time of year.