Wednesday 20 June 2018

Do you remember . . .

 photo thekids.jpg

Do you remember when we had Winter clothes and Summer clothes?   I do.   All of my winter clothes were made of wool and were itchy.  There were thick sweaters and stockings.   The stockings actually went on with a garter and were flesh coloured and covered with nubbies that I hated, because each one felt as big as a marble.   Thankfully leotards came in eventually . . . they were all one piece and came in a variety of colours . . . but after a lot of washes, they went nubby too . . . I had flannelette pajamas for winter and cotton baby dolls for summer.  In the winter time we had to wear cotton undershirts, which we didn't have to wear in the summer.   In summer we had knee socks.

  photo 664628ffc451ec2dd7f8d1ff341f3748_zpsb1a5b32c.jpg

The Winter clothes went away at Easter.  Packed into cardboard boxes and littered with moth balls, they would get tucked into the loft and the summer clothes would be brought down.  It was always very exciting . . . almost like Christmas.   Lists would be made of what needed to be replaced, if anything.   Things outgrown would be handed down to my younger sister.  I can remember my legs feeling cold for the first little while because they were half bare, but then I got used to it . . .

 photo 9b8f52afaabec532b38a786ed35d63b2_zps5f156283.jpg

I think I had a pretty special childhood actually.  We didn't have expensive toys and such.   Pick up Sticks was about as high tech as we got, along with Saturday morning cartoons, Tiddly Winks and Paper Dolls.   We had to make our own fun.   I remember hot summer days that were long and lazy . . .  and all of the kids in the neighborhood getting together to play games as a group.

  photo 8c9144d926660f970350a4c75360890b_zps3f144915.jpg

There would be Red Light/Green Light, Red Rover Red Rover, Frozen Tag, British Bull Dog, Dodge Ball . . . Hide and Seek . . . to name just a few.  We all got along fairly well.

  photo 8e9ca4311fca172c2a141a99a5e6fcbb_zps877c7da9.jpg

We had a bread man and a meat man and a fish man and a milk man and a vegetable man . . . the milk man came several times a week, but the others only came once or twice.   The grocery store was for things you couldn't get from these door to door delivery men.   We knew them by name, and trusted them . . .  they stopped to pass the time of day and once in a while had a treat for the kiddos.   I can remember our milk man giving us popsicles from time to time and they were like a gift from heaven.


  photo aa1f3bd6b0a9825fcd85e1e3f2749468_zpsc3e0a934.jpg

We didn't drink soda pop.  That was a really rare treat.   We drank cool-aid . . . which was a dry powdered mix that came in a small packet that my mother mixed up with sugar and water in a large jug.   We just had plastic cups at home, but some of the other kids in the neighborhood had really cool coloured aluminum ones.   Cool aid tasted better in those for some reason . . . and it seemed to be colder.  It probably wasn't, but that was the power of suggestion . . . because the metal felt cool . . . the drink felt colder.

We believed in God, Fairies and Jolly Green Giants . . . and that wishes could come true . . .

 photo 66f7401fb5d908399b743a68f4703773_zps05c65c6f.jpg


All the grownups in the neighborhood knew who you were and who your parents were.  They weren't afraid to tell you off if you did something wrong,  and they weren't afraid to tell your parents either . . .
When they did, you got in trouble twice . . .

You knew you could go to any adult if you needed help.  You didn't just have two parents, you had a whole neighborhood of them . . .

 photo 9a8c245b132da046fb9c02807bf9c95f_zps2962e37d.jpg

Everyone went to Sunday School on Sundays.  Our parents might not go to church, but that didn't matter . . . we didn't really question it.  We had a bus that picked us up and it would drop us off at either the Protestant church or the Catholic church.  We got little pins for perfect attendance for the year and certificates . . . it was the same at school,  and our school days always started off with the Lords prayer.   Doesn't happen anymore . . . and I can't help wondering what was so wrong about that really . . . 

We had Christmas Pageants at church and at school . . . and nobody was offended.  And, if they were . . . they were too polite to say so.

 photo 262dba3a9e8dbb617c2ecb558f4b97e3_zps9165a6cc.jpg

Our futures were secure . . . and counted out by number.
We made our own fun . . .


 photo e42d7149f39691f7fa7d15ebf33ad938_zps77b8192b.jpg

Fun came in a box . . .

 photo 733c3866ab20e25f3ae94e2079b178db_zps22cfc57d.jpg

Or a book . . .

  photo ac76c3a71cc727c14f5f64102b6429c9_zps1b047979.jpg

We had jewelry you could eat . . .

 photo 1f44a14d7e8fdb1c88b6c098e7e6bd08_zpsb8b909d5.jpg

And a dime could get you something good to eat and a prize that was something worth having . . .

 photo 07899e4d1abd46d25d4bd2aabb106dcf_zps6820552c.jpg

We had role models who took their jobs seriously . . . and who were worth looking up to.

 photo 7023602a025b9613f913040578c0a92a_zps9ad02a5c.jpg

Everyone had value and importance . . .

 photo 5c509b639592d8616e38599c3ef1507d_zps26bed958.jpg

Our mother's had all the latest gadgets . . .

  photo 231b8595d44aceaec6702df6896a5c6c_zps1c112004.jpg

We all knew what glue tasted like . . .

 photo 6c0a420322df90d901baa2a59b711093_zps475320e2.jpg

And just one of these on your homework brought immeasurable joy . . . especially if it was gold.

  photo bcff4970d074e1105c35142f73d8b1d5_zpsdddaf704.jpg

Madge knew all of your secrets . . . and you could trust her with them . . .

 photo eae9b140b12e4e1320cea77f17e9afb5_zpsf4ac8fe6.jpg

Pinkie swear . . .


We are having the best year with our strawberries.  A bumper crop!  Yesterday when we had the missionaries here for supper, I was able to actually feed them strawberries for dessert. Nothing fancy, mind  . . .  just sliced with a bit of sugar along with some pound cake and whipped cream. We all enjoyed them very much.  Did you pick strawberries for a summer job when you were growing up?  We did.  A truck would come and pick everyone up in the morning and you would labor in the field all day for about $5, which seems pretty paltry now. Hard, hard work though . . .  back breaking, and it would be so so so hot.  You got paid by the pallet, which was a lotta lotta picking. 



Mind you, my first job away from home was as an accounts clerk in a gas company in Kentville Nova Scotia. I got $89 a week for a five day a week, 9 to 5 job.  After I paid my room and board of $25 a week, that left me with a tidy little sum for clothes and what not. I was boarding with a little old woman called Mrs. Boates.  She had a huge old Victorian house on the top of a hill. She also had ants in her kitchen because when I would be eating my dinner, they would be crawling on the side of my plate which kind of grossed me out but I was too shy to say anything about it.  All of my sandwiches that I took to work for my lunch were made on homemade bread and she made the BEST corn chowder I have ever tastes. When I left to get married, she gave me a little metal recipe box that I still have. 

I was so shy back then.  All I did was go to work, come back to the boarding house and stay in my room except for meals. I was in bed by 7 every night.  How many 18 year olds do you know that are in bed by 7 every night nowadays, lol. I was literally afraid of my shadow. 

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day . . . 

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *.˛.° ˛°A flower does not think of
competing with the flower 
next to it. It just blooms.
~Unknown  •。★★ 。* 。 



 

In the kitchen today  . . .  Thai Chicken Salad Roll Ups.  Delicious! 

Have a fabulous Wednesday!  Don't forget!! 


═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════

And I do too! 
 

2 comments:

  1. I want those stars in the box:) I remember all of the above except I knew the Bates Motel lol:) Not Boates;)
    Tippi Hedren and The Birds..Alfred Hitchcock..Outer Limits:) All our fun shows..Romper Room.. Johnny Jellybean..
    Sweet memories Marie..
    But..I still have WINTER clothes and Summer clothes;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do have many of the same memories growing up and yes, I did go out picking strawberries as well as green beans too. It was fun back then and the pocket change was appreciated. That and babysitting were my first jobs. We have some great memories of those days and the nice thing is I'm still making new ones too! Happy Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!