“I walked right down this street to work every day — see, you can just about see Burch Pharmacy from here.” Mom pointed down the street and, sure enough, I caught a glimpse a few blocks north. It was still there — though not for long.

Burch Pharmacy has always been “famous” in our family, but Mary Tyler Moore made it famous to the world. When her “dad” (on the sitcom) came to visit he always walked down to Burch Pharmacy to get the morning paper. It's about a mile and a half walk from that famous Mary Tyler Moore house on Kenwood Parkway. Nice morning jaunt for Mr. Richards!

Before the freeway tangle town mess in that area, Hennepin Avenue was a nice two lane street with wide grassy boulevards. And that’s where Mom and Dad had their first meeting. Dad was on his way home from school (Dunwoody) and Mom was just leaving work for the day. He asked if he could walk her home, and the rest is history.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a better picture showing them in front of a larger part of the building. It would have meant taking my life in my hands! However, we parked along the Colfax Avenue side and got a small sign shot.

Mom barged inside to find the fountain where she apparently made a mean BLT 65 years ago. Gone. They’d moved the fountain from the front to the back of the store years ago. And then they eliminated it altogether. Personally, I think they’d still be in business if that fountain was still in the front--nostalgia sells. And where CAN you go to get a good malt and BLT these days?

Maybe a better question would be, where can you get a decent tomato? Over the years Dad has given a good amount of energy to that — talked about this year’s effort (which he's already planted in, yet another, cleverly designed experimental way) several times that afternoon.

Back to Burch’s. Both Mom and Dad delighted in telling the cashiers their story of working and meeting there. Apparently they’re not the only ones stopping by with their memories; and in today’s world that was good to hear.

After finally dragging Mom out of Burch’s, we loaded up and continued the drive down Hennepin, pointing out things they recognized and reminiscing. “Right here is where we came to get our groceries! We’d get a whole crate of peaches for a dollar (and then use the crate as an end table!). And they were delicious!"

"You could get a good tomato at the grocery store in those days!”

The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:12-15