Hiding Places

This photo of my daughter Meranda is from some time in 1979. We were living in the first of three houses on Newlin Avenue at the time. When we talk about it we always refer to it as the "White House". I found the photo in a box last night. Just by coincidence, Meranda, Jeri and I were talking about that stove last night and then I find this picture.

That little girl in the picture had a habit of hiding things. It was a game with her. When the 15th of the month came around I would put the rent money on the counter, or a table or someplace, so I would be ready when the landlord came by to collect the rent. Almost invariably Meranda would take the money - when no one was looking - and hide it. Her favorite hiding place was somewhere in the stove. One of those doors was a storage area for pots and pans, and she would painstakingly hide the money between the pans. Sometimes she would hide the money in one of the kitchen cabinets. She had several hiding places. It drove me nuts! One time I couldn't find the money before the landlord came by. I know he thought I was making it up.

She did the same thing with my keys. As young as she was she knew what she was doing because she was laughing about it the entire time. Eventually we got wise to her but every once in a while we would forget.
She kept us on our toes. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.