Anne's Memories

Anne's Memories

Re: Mrs. Beamish: Mrs. Beamish was the next door neighbor of the Bosque's on 15th Avenue. Her bathroom window looked onto Grandma's kitchen window. Every so often she would lean out her window and call (holler) "Hey, Bosque!"

When grandma answered her calls, "Yes, Beamish?, she would day "Where's Anne Marie?"When I appeared she'd say "Catch!" and throw a rolled up item onto the little porch steps.

When I'd open the gift (jewelery or money), I'd say "Oh, no, I can't accept this!""TAKE WHAT YOU GET AND THANK GAWD YOU GOT IT!" Her bathroom window would shut.

I always took her advice, and it has been a valuable code and a good family motto through the years!

Re: Why did Anne Marie choose to go to the officer's club rather then Dad's U.S.O.

My friend Barbara and I went to the U.S.O. one day. Two soldiers asked us both out for a date to see a show or special entertainment downtown.

Right in the middle of the evening, Barbara and I looked at each other and we both remembered we had "forgotten" about a very important appointment that we had at that very hour. We said to the "boys" , "Sorry, but we have to leave!", and we fled into the night.

We both knew that evening was useless because we has such a great difficulty understanding Hillbilly English. From then on it was the Officer's club for us!

more 1448 pastel lane

Just a few notes on Grandma & Grandpa's palatial Novato estate.
Please add your recollections on any of these.

the well
the duck
the cow
the chickens
the wishing well
the acacia tree
Fred the dog
the naked lady in the bathroom (Neil remembers)
Oscar, Meyer, and Wiener
etc.

"frank" bosque

Grandpa "Frank" (Cayetano Antonio Bosque) Grandpa's father, always told the 8 kids that he had no siblings so Anne and Joe's kids had no cousins. After research by Joe and Paul, with help from Geep and Tony, it was found that Cayetano Sr., Frank's father, fathered at least 23 children the last, that we know of, was when he was 57. He is my idol/hero.
If anyone comments on this then I will give more of the story and why Frank left his family.
Tony

Paul during the War

During the war, since Grandpa was involve in the USO and Grandma did not know how to drive, the state allowed
Paul to get a drivers license at 15 (maybe 14 1/2).

During "black-outs" Paul was a messenger. He'd put on has arm band and helmet and jump on his bike to go to the "message center". He could not tell anyone even his mother! where he was going or how long he would be gone. I learned from him that it was "near" Laguna Honda but he still would not divulge the actual location.


Paul remember the Port Chicago explosion which led to the "mutiny" of black sailors and thier courts-martial. At the time they heard the explosion, they thought it was just firing practice of one of the cannons that were along the SF coast but it sounded a little different. It wasn't until much later that the truth came out.

Anne and Dolores can you confirm these?
Tony

City kids can swim too!

One of the reason the Bosque kids knew how to swim and a few became very good at it (Bill and Paul come to mind) was that during the polio scare (I guess in the thirties). It was believed that polio was transmitted by contact with the virus in water particularly in public swimming pools. Granma asked a lifeguard if this was true and told "No" therefore the Bosque kids took swimming lessons.

During the 1989 earthquake, one of the most damaged buildings was at 6th and Townsend which is near but not bay fill. Paul explained to me that an underground creek runs ther. He knew this because that same creek ran under the YMI building. Water for the swimming pool was drawn from it.

More to come
Tony

1448 Pastel Lane, Novato, CA

Paul's family stayed for three months at 1448 Pastel Lane, (Paula started kindergarten in Novato), Grandma Annie would go to the chicken coop (garage?), grab a chicken and break its neck, drop it in boiling water to loosen the feathers, put her asbestos hands into the BOILING water, pull the chicken out and pluck it. She'd then say to Mom, who was getting ill by this point, "Hey Pet, all of you stay for dinner, the chicken will be ready soon." Then she would proceed to cook it until it was way past done. Mom did not like Annie's cooking. Also, being Irish, vegetables were something special and rare and salt was to be use very liberally. Is this why all the Bosque men had heart problems?

Then there was the time that Grandma Annie was burning leaves in a 55 gallon drum. They were slow to ignite so grandma dump gasoline on the fire. Of course it blew up in her face and singed her hair and removed her eyelashes.

Tony

Uncle Joe's bad leg

When Grandma was pregnant with her first, Joe. She had her hand on her father's leg when he died. She blamed Joe's club-foot on herself. This is what Paul told me.

Bits and Pieces

Here are a few nuggets of information. Perhaps they'll spark more memories. Comment on this page or create a new post.

• Aunt Mae, Grandpa's sister
• Barbara and Pearl, friends of G-ma and G-pa
• G-pa's henia
• Grandpa & Grandma Bosque (Joe & Anne) and the parade for them upon returning from D.C. and meeting with FDR.
• Joe and USO
• Joe and Earoll Flynn and yacht
• The term "pet"
• Joe's C sticker and Dad and U. Joe
• Anne and the chickens
• Anne and the fire
• Bill and Bob and hand-gliders
• Paul getting license at 15
• Chick Kelly, Joe, and the boys smoking
• Uncle Joe kicking football
• Paul's sweater and Jack ruining it
• Mrs. Beamish
• Chinese cook (must ask Dolores the name)
• Anne not going to YMI dances but to Top of the Mark
• Don called up Suez crisis
• Fred the dog
• Anne's last words "Barbara had a girl" 4/5/67. That is why we thought Ted would be a girl!
• Anne's asbestos hands
• Yosemite an "ay-a-wanna ay-a-wanna o

Welcome Bosque Family

I am excited to get this started and hear all of the great stories that have made all of us who we are. After all: "You can't know where you're going until you know where you've been."

I look forward to all of the stories and to be able to keep up with our ever-expanding family.

Aunt Dolores' Party

We all had a great time at the party. There are so many stories to tell. Let's use this blog to keep in touch