Humans of Millbury: Gigi

Growing up as a kid around this town, it was the best. In the summer time they had activities in the park, Windle Field. And I grew up on the other side of Windle Field.  It was just a few cents.  You’d pay for the week and you’d make potholders with looms and you’d do all kinds of crafts from 9-12.  Then you’d go home and have your lunch and spend the rest of the day at the park.  We used to play on the wooden swings and the metal slide.  In the middle of summer we’d go down that slide.  Hotter than heck!   We’d burn our legs off! But we did it.  And there was no soft landing.  It was rocks! It makes you the person you are today.  We didn’t have to worry about anything.  We would leave the house in the morning, we knew to come home when the street lights came on and that was that. 

I’m very thankful that I was able to grow up here and have the life I had. 

Where I lived was Dora Boucher’s Store. And the neighbors on the other side of us were friends of the family.  One of them used to grow a garden so we always had fresh tomatoes and cucumbers throughout the summer.  We would help him tend his garden.  We would help Dora close up her store every night because to us, she was old! 

I miss Wayne’s Five and Dime and I miss Casey’s Newsstand and even Paul’s Bakery.  When you’d go to Paul’s Bakery in the morning before work, it was full of people and everybody knew you.  And you knew everybody.  It was a nice start to your day.

Donovan’s was open at night so at 8, 9 o’clock at night if you wanted to sit and have a coffee and just relax you could go to Donovan’s Ice Cream, which is now Subway. 

As you get older you miss the things you aren’t gonna get back.  I miss the small town feel.

I have a large, extended family that is still here.  A lot of my cousins are still here.  Growing up as kids, Sundays were always family days, cause there was never anything open or anything to do. And in the summer time we’d all go to Breezy Point, which is now Breezy Acres.  We’d go there, my uncle and one of my aunts would go and get us our tables.  And there were the five of us, one of my aunts and uncles and their five kids, and my other aunt and uncle and their five kids.  We’d all go and every Sunday it was nice out we’d be at the lake.

I like to read and I go hang out at the beach. I do a lot of reading.  And I like to crochet.  I’m all about  relaxing and enjoying what I have of life.  Sunday is the one day a week I have dinner with my sister in Grafton.  And her husband.  Sometimes I’ll go out to Sturbrige to have dinner with my family out there.  Sunday is still a family day.  My niece had a pool out there in Holland so we all hang out there on hot days.  

I’m looking forward to Arizona in October.  I’m going on vacation with one of my sisters and her husband, and one of my brothers and his wife.  The five of us are going out there.  So we’re going to Sedona. And we’re gonna travel over to see The Grand Canyon. We’re doing a jeep tour.  And we’re gonna do a train ride out there. 

I’ve never done for me. But now, its me. You know, my daughter is doing fine, and I don’t have to worry about Mom anymore. I’m sad but, you know. It just shows that you know don’t know what life is gonna throw at you and you just have to live it to its fullest and that’s what I try to do.  I don’t always have good days.  Some days my body hurts really bad but I struggle through.  You know, I do what I can for myself and I’m always there to help whoever needs any help.  My family calls me and I’m there to help.