Middle Aged Memories

Okay, so here's a kinda sad memory that makes me laugh now... I remember going up the block after Christmas and dragging a neighbor's thrown out tree back to our back yard so that I could decorate it. We were Jewish so there was never going to be a tree in our house, a bush or anything of the like :-(

I make sure to decorate my home now so the kids never feel left out! Just look for the flashing blue and white lights when passing by ;-)

Yessss! Remember Sing Along with Mitch Miller as a series, though, not just an Xmas special. It was a favorite of my father's. As I recall, Miller also did not like rock and roll, and passed up contracting Elvis and the Beatles when he was head of talent at one of the big record companies (don't recall which...)

Ok, I remember I always thought he was creepy looking - 🎅✌️❤️ Linda

Oh! That reminds me of the ad slogan: "Cigars, cigarettes, Tiparillos."

How did my brain get there? Well...

It all started with that Van Dyke beard comment. I was thinking that the name sound Dutch, and then I remembered the "Dutch Masters" cigars and had to check if the guys on the label had the Van Dyke beards (but they didn't although one fashion-forward dude was rockin' the "soul patch!")

Then, I mused that their long hair was reminiscent of the 1970's long-haired boys hair styles. But then the ad slogan, "cigars, cigarettes, tiparillos?" started going thru' my brain and that was not the 70's but the 1960's. So, I had to go and find this:

Tiparillos Commercial

and now that I have heard the commercial again after 40+ years, I'm sure it will stick with me for the rest of my days; plus when I hear those old slogans and jingles, I want to stop communicating in a modern tongue and ONLY communicate with archaic ad-talk. I get all kinda new, kinda now, in with the in-crowd, and become the kind of kid that eats Armour hot dogs again and would rather fight than switch; but after all these years, it is still not conclusive if a gentleman should offer a lady a Tiparillo?

My how a little beard can set me off.

Speaking of beards, remember that song by Cream, SWLABR? She Was Like A Bearded Rainbow. What the hippy, dippy was that supposed to mean? (My mates gave it a filthy interpretation as usual, hahaha!)

Sorry, I did not mean to stray from the holidays, but these are all the places my brain can go, almost at once. It took about 20 seconds to think all of that, and then 20 minutes to make this post. Brains are so fun.

well, I think we are all very grateful that your brain takes you where it does, Elimar

I had Shrinky Dinks as a kid, loved all things crafty. The "plastic" would shrink in the oven, very cool. They still make them and if you go on Pintrest you can find directions on how to create your own from the plastic containers they use salad bars.

BookLady - ha ha. But I didn't have Edibles so maybe I got cancer from not wearing a bike helmet? Or riding in the back of a pick up truck? It must be my own fault, right?? (not) Thanks for my laugh of the day.

I have been able to recollect (and re-collect also) some of the books I had as a child. Here's one I had...and it's a real tearjerker.

I was watching Portlandia last night and saw a GRAVEL ART picture that we had in the 70's...

As you know, Gravel Art, was from the epoch directly preceding Sand Art. My mom was not an artist but she did do a few paint-by-numbers in her time. By the 70's, she had moved on to the vanguard crafting-art of the time, exchanging her oils for gravel and glue. I think I was allowed to help (much like Michelangelo had his acolytes) but it was precision work that did not lend itself to my dumb and clumsy hands. What she finally turned out was a lovely gravel cornucopia with gravel fruits and vegetables backed with a fine woven burlap. Oh, how I remember the delicacy of those gravel watermelon seeds, precisely five grains of gravel for each one...

Anyway, Portlandia had the actual one that we had (where the grapes were not gravel, but half-ovals of shiny plastic,) but I couldn't find an internet pic of that one. Here's similar one (see below.) Ours hung in the dining room for a few years until the glue got brittle on those grapes and they started to fall like autumn leaves.

And who can forget these Mid-Century Modern Classics?

Wow - my sister and I shared a room ( didn't we all?) and had two gravel art masterpieces on our walls. - dancing Snoopy and the Pink Panther with a REAL cigarette hanging from his mouth. We were COOL.

Elimar, thanks for the art history lesson. I learn so much here! ✌️❤️ Linda

I love the picture in my head of you and your many-stapled homemade pompoms, Elimar! I pretended to be a cheerleader - okay, lied about it, sometimes. Also used to twirl batons in my front yard. Hit myself in face and head many times. Poor, poor, me.

Not really funny, but a memory all the same - was reminded on another thread of riding bikes behind the mosquito fogging trucks in base housing. Such fun! When did they figure that out, huh?

✌️❤️ Lind

personally I find the minefield method raises more capable people, for the most part.

I think a lot of the original crew that enjoyed this thread have gone elsewhere now, but I am surprised that not so many new ones have looked in to enjoy all these memories. Anyone who thinks they have have forgotten things from their childhood needs only to browse thru' a few pages for their memories to be restored. How 'bout this one:

(I saw some blue and red foil on the street the other day and my mind recalled the little packages of Sen-Sen.)

Who can ever forget the weird and slightly burn-y licorice flavor. Was it a candy? Was it medicinal? Was it an ancient Chinese secret? Whatever it was, this alleged breath freshener was enjoyed(?) for 200 years, but is no longer in production.