Mr. and Mrs. Wagner were a retired couple who lived next door to my family during my childhood. They became like "extra grandparents" to us. We'd visit them, banging on the back door and looking for homemade cookies, and enjoy much more: the company of two retired people who patiently let us peek in the pigeonholes of their fascinating desk, who watched and fed birds and identified them for us, who showed us their old wringer-washing machine, who let us watch them play pinochle with their friends, and who made toys for us and kept them at their home for us to play with. For me and my sister, it was a little doll, with a homemade cradle made from a berry basket and lined with a little mattress, pillow, blanket, and baby doll clothes--all handmade with love. I forget what my brother had over there. I still have that doll today; it's the only toy from my childhood that I still have.
They treated us like family, right down to letting my mom know when we were getting into something we shouldn't! 
But we couldn't ask for better neighbors; they were very good to us. Mrs. Wagner used to bake us birthday cakes--bundt cakes with a delicious glaze and candy decorations. And on Christmas morning, we couldn't open presents until they, along with our grandmother, arrived to enjoy the spectacle.
I have a few tangible things that help me remember these very special people. Besides that doll, I have a game that they used to play with us. It's an old German game that is basically the same as "Trouble" but without the famous "Pop-o-Matic." Basically, it has a reversible board (one side for 3 or 6 players, one side for 2 or 4). You rolled dice instead of popping that plastic bubble. But the rules were the same, which is a good thing, because we can't read German.
Besides the game, I have a three-tier candy plate. And I have the recipe for Mrs. Wagner's fabulous cookies. If I could only keep one of these, it would be the recipe!
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2 Responses to “Delicious Memories”
You should really check into the game "Aggravation". That gameboard looks very similar to my circa 1960s Aggravation game board. It was like Trouble but with strategy.
Anonymous, we have Aggravation but it's a new game, with marbles and these crummy holes to hold them. The marbles keep rolling off the game board. VERY aggravating! But there is more strategy to that one than trouble, so sometimes we put up with it. You're right--it's a fun game.