In 1952, my family moved into a three bedroom, one bathroom house on Janey Way.

Marty Relles

With three young children and another child on the way, my dad felt like we needed a “bigger” house. Our family fit right into this neighborhood, as it was filled with other young families. Not only did my brothers and I meet lots of new friends, but my parents also met a whole group of great neighbors.

The Thomsen’s who lived across the street, the Costamagna’s next to them and the Puccetti’s and Viani’s down the street all welcomed Mom and Dad to the neighborhood. Phyllis Thomsen, Leda Costamagna and Pat Puccetti all pitched in to help Mom who was pregnant with my brother John at that time.

However, soon after we moved onto Janey Way, another family moved in down the street who would become Mom and Dad’s closest friends: Bernie Hart, his wife Rose and their infant son, Tom.

Like my dad, Bernie worked as a patrolman for the Sacramento Police Department. He met Dad there and probably moved to Janey Way because of the things he heard about our neighborhood.

Soon after the Harts moved in, Mom became fast friends with Rose who everyone affectionately called Rosie. It would prove to be a lifelong friendship.

It’s hard to figure what made these two young women such good friends. Their backgrounds could not have been more different. Rosie hailed from the back woods of West Virginia and mom grew up on the seacoast in Santa Cruz, California. Rose had a wry wit and told racy jokes and tall stories. Mom took things seriously. I am sure she made a good “straight man” for Rosie.

Every morning, back then, Rose left her home early, got into her mint green Cadillac sedan and drove up to our house. When Mom saw her coming, she always put a fresh pot of coffee on the stove to brew, then let Rosie in the kitchen door. Then they sat down at our big round maple dining table to drink coffee, smoke cigarettes and talk for the entire morning.

I remember even today the great stories Rose told about her childhood in West Virginia. She could really spin a yarn. Mom too, had wonderful stories about growing up with five brothers in Santa Cruz. When they weren’t telling stories, they chatted about the goings-on in our neighborhood. It seems like they spent an entire lifetime sitting at that table talking.

Right around noon, Rosie gathered up her young son Tom and drove off the grocery store to buy something to cook for dinner. Mom often took my little brother John and went with her. I remember them driving off in Rose’s big caddy while my brother Terry and I played in our front yard. It seems so long ago now.

Rosie passed away several years back. In 2009, my mom followed her. I guess she missed Rosie and wanted to join her.

There is an interesting twist to this story. My brother John lives now in our family’s home on Janey Way. Rosie’s son Tom inherited her house and has recently remodeled it. Later this month, he and his wife Diana will move into the home where his mom lived for her entire adult life. Both John and Tom look forward to being Janey Way neighbors again.

I bet that Rosie and Mom are looking down from the heavens and smiling.

I drove down Janey Way last weekend.

Marty Relles

I saw neighbors putting up their Christmas lights. It brought back wonderful memories of past Janey Way Christmases. One memory in particular flickered in my mind.

It dates back to the end of the 1959. Christmas vacation had just begun and a group of us loitered in front of the Relles house. The neighborhood looked festive. Christmas lights adorned the front of each house. The priests had decorated the exterior of St. Mary’s Church and nightly, Christmas carols echoed from the speaker atop the church tower. We wondered what could we do this year to make the season special – and a great idea came to mind.

“Why don’t we go Christmas caroling in the neighborhood one night this year?”

All the guys loved the idea, so we planned out the event as we stood right there in front of our house.

First, we decided to only sing a few songs that we knew really well. That way, we wouldn’t embarrass ourselves. We picked four songs:  “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “Oh Come all Ye Faithful” and “Jingle Bells.”

Second, we went into the back yard and practiced singing them. We actually sounded almost as good as a choral group.

Finally, we scheduled a day and time: Dec. 23 at 7 p.m.

That night, we gathered in front of my home. Then, at 7 p.m. pm “on the dot” we walked across the street to the Thomsen house, knocked on the door and began to sing:

“Silent night, holy night…”

Soon the door opened and a befuddled Phyllis Thomsen opened the door and said, “My, my, what is this?”

We finished “Silent Night,” than sang “Joy to the World.” When we finished that, Phyllis clapped and said, “Great job boys.” Then she went inside and came back out with a candy cane for each of us.

Next we walked to the Costamagna house and sang “Oh, Come all Ye Faithful” and “Jingle Bells.”

After we finished there, Leda Costamagna gave each of us a cookie.

Then we went to the Puccetti house and sang two songs and so on an so forth, down the street to the Thomasetti home where we finished our singing for the night.

Our Christmas caroling was an unparalleled success. The neighbors talked about it for days afterward.

Sadly that was the last time we sang carols in the neighborhood.

These days during the holiday season, I spend a lot of time with my family. Last Sunday, for example, our daughters and their children came over to help decorate our Christmas tree. Little Gabrielle and young Angelo carefully hung ornaments from the tree, then ran up and down our hallway. Grand gave them Christmas candy to eat.

On Christmas Eve, we will go to Aunt Alice Petta-Goldie’s house for a wonderful feast of homemade pizza, Italian sausage and ravioli. Then we will sing Christmas carols and get a visit from Santa Claus.

On Christmas day, all will come to my house for Christmas dinner and the opening of presents.

But, I have not forgotten the days of Christmas past on Janey Way. The days of singing Christmas carols, serving Mass at St. Mary’s Church and making Christmas tree forts are all lingering Janey Way memories.