Winnie Mackey

I was born on March 7th 1935 in Hartford Ct. I came to my grandmother's house in Woods Hole at age 3 for a few weeks every summer. My grandmother started coming here to benefit a son with epilepsy. Fresh sea air and salt water would be curative, the doctors said.

One very clear childhood memory was of walking to the village in the afternoon--a daily ritual. On one particular day my sister and I were given 5 cents to buy a treat. I chose a box of Chiclets at Lowey's drugstore. Walking home I remember slowly and methodically, one by one, putting every Chiclet in my mouth one at a time until the box was empty. The lady with us looked at my face and in no uncertain terms told me to spit them all out in the gutter. I was heartbroken, but obeyed, thinking "What a waste!"

As the years passed we spent 2 weeks in Woods Hole -my father's vacation. He did a lot of fishing with Ronny Veeder and Mr. Grinnell. When the men didn't go, I was pressed into action. I could clean a fish and string an eel at a pretty young age.

I have fond memories of buying fish at Sam Cahoon's from Matty while enjoying the wonderful smell of the new yellow slickers hanging on the wall. I admired the beautiful handwriting of Ida, the bookkeeper, as she wrote up the slip. Watching fish being unloaded from the boats is a special memory.

After college I worked as a neurosurgical technician at MGH for Dr. William Sweet until I got married.

We have lived here full time for 20 years, many summers after that. Things I especially enjoy in Woods Hole are Julie Child's art class, mentoring elementary school children at Teaticket, Paddle tennis, a book club, the cheery faces that greet me at the WHPL, and most especially the wonderful friends I have made in the area. (My husband, Mr. Bill, is also in the mix!)

I presently live at 15 Penzance Road where the guano factory once was located in a reconstructed garage/stable/apartment.