The bakery is still located where it was way back in the 1940's, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where I and all my siblings were born and raised . On Blue Hill Avenue.
Actually, the bakery isn't there, but the land is, over 3 acres. A new development is being planned and built there, more housing for the people living in the area .
That bakery, Kasanof's, had some of the best bread, and desserts one could ever hope to eat !
They are still in existence, just in different locations. Wonder if their desserts are anywhere near the succulent goodness they once were ! When you bought a piece of cheesecake, or mocha cake, or fruit squares, etc., you were in for a taste treat like no other !! Couldn't beat the price, either ! The portions were huge !! And for 15 cents each !! More than enough for two people to have their fill !
My big sister, Anne, would hand me the 15 cents ( no tax ) and send me to Kasanof's for one of their immense chunks of delicious cheesecake. When I brought it back, she'd cut off a big piece for me, and we'd eat it right there in her bedroom...yummmmmmm !!! So good ! Any time she asked me to go for some, I didn't hesitate, b/c I knew she'd reward me with a big, old piece of it !! Mmmm, those were the days !
All their goodies were so tasty ! The fruit squares, as they were called, were of such variety ! I remember that my sister, Phyllis's favorite was the fig square. I had a lot of 'favorites'...the lemon, the apple, the blueberry...maybe others, can't recall. They were so delicious, and, as mentioned before, huge portions !! Fifteen cents was a lot of money in those days, but you got your money's worth, that's for sure !!
Mamma would send us to buy the day-old bread, for a dime, I think. Good bread, cheap price. Loved their rye bread, either the 'Jewish' rye, or the pumpernickel rye...good stuff !!
So, as I said, finding the bakery was so wonderful...lots of childhood memories tied up in that bakery, and the field behind it, one we kids called 'The Tannery'.
Better yet, was seeing a street map of that old neighborhood, all those wonderful, old streets still there, in the order in which I remember them . Each of those streets hold fond memories for me !
When we moved from Willis Terrace down near Dudley St. way back in the 1930's, some time after my brother, Paul, was born, we moved to Dewey St., quite a distance away. That had to be by horse and wagon, b/c my Dad never drove, as far as I know, and we were still in the transition from horse-drawn wagons to cars, the tail-end of that era.
I was probably about 5 years old when that move from 4 Willis Terrace, to 24 Dewey St. was made, so maybe early in 1935, I'm guessing.
Dewey St. was hilly. The top of it was at Blue Hill Ave., then it sloped down, and we lived at the last house on one side, number 24, on the bottom floor. the young guys, Tony and at least one brother, and, I guess, their parents, lived on the second, or middle, floor. they were always nice to all of us. The boys delivered ice, in a truck, not a wagon pulled by a horse. They're the ones, who, as I mentioned in one of my earlier 'Memories' posts, took me to the hospital, Boston City Hospital, wrapped up in a blanket, when I was 6 years old. Now I forget what for, maybe pneumonia ? Hope that info is in another memory post, b/c I'm drawing a blank just now. : )
On the top, or third floor, lived Sonny Spring and his family. He was bigger than me (wasn't everybody), and maybe a year older. Or not...maybe the same age. He was my 'boyfriend' . In my mind, anyway ! Neat boy...used to give me rides on the scooter he made, from a wooden crate, and a thick, short board, on which he nailed some old-fashioned roller skates. He used to let me sit in the box, and he'd give me rides in our neighborhood. That was fun !
During winter time, when there was ice in the gutter, from when there had been rain, and it would freeze, I'd slide on that little bit of ice. Thought that was fun. Simple pleasures ! Oh, the school I attended was John Winthrop Elementary. It was on the street running along the bottom of Dewey St. Not sure of that street's name. There's one on the map, beginning with the letter D, maybe that was it.
Then, around late 1939, or early 1940, from Dewey St. we moved to 13 Maywood St. on the Warren St. end of Maywood (look at the map and you can see those areas). Again, Daddy packed up the horse and wagon. I've mentioned this before, also. Stayed there not too long, Attended Julia Ward Howe Elementary while at that address ! That was close to Nana Lambert's house, so Paul and I would sometimes go to see her. Remember I mentioned that she and her husband had a dog, Peggy, who had a litter of puppies one day while we were there, and we got to see them being born ?
I remember we lived on Blue Hill Ave. in 1940, and the first half of 1941. While there, attended Phillips Brooks Elementary . Stayed there until getting promoted from the 6th grade. That was maybe in 1942. When we moved there, I met Fay Sodekson, who became my best friend. She and her family were Jewish, but don't think they were orthodox . Never heard Fay speak of going to Temple, or of going to Hebrew classes like some of the boys in the neighborhood did. Maybe the girls didn't get to go. Anyway, Fay and I went to Phillips Brooks together, then later, to Patrick T. Campbell Jr. High, and, later yet, to Roxbury Memorial High school. She and I were very close, so close, we stole together ...once ! Real hard-boiled criminals, we were !! : )
On this note, think I'm gonna stop for now. will write more later.
Loving all this reminiscing, since my 'happy discovery' yesterday, and want to write the rest, but tired now, so will pick up where I'm leaving off, later on.
I love this, and love sharing my happiness with you.
Until later.
D
Love, love, love these memories! Keep writing, Mom!!
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