Thursday, January 20, 2022

Kind of Throw Back Thursday!

 Funny, all the talk about bread got me to thinking back yesterday.  The silly things that trigger memories!!  So today I will share a few thoughts from days gone by.  I bet some people can relate!

Every Saturday night my Mom made hamburger sandwiches (yes, on bread) and homemade French fries and baked beans.  We had that every Saturday I can remember that I was at home.  
She made her hamburgers different from most.  She made the patties and then covered them in flour before frying.  They were so good!!!!  I did that for years myself and somehow got out of the habit.  

We had 'supper' every night.  On Sunday we had 'dinner'!  It was at noon every Sunday and was a big meal.  Chicken or roast or ham and all the fixings.  I truly can't remember a Sunday that was just the 3 of us.  There were always others there to eat.  My Aunt & Uncle lived 2 doors down, so they were there often.  My cousins lived next door and they almost ALWAYS just "dropped by" at the right time!  Of course, my siblings came at times - it was always a big deal.  
In the summer - we would carry everything way out back and eat outside.  The guys would play horseshoes after, and the ladies and kids would play croquet.  I remember those days so fondly and sure do miss them.
I also remember mush of our dinner was things from garden, canned or frozen - and I remember how many times when extra people showed up - Mom would scramble to get something extra on the table and then exclaim how she really wasn't hungry - so there would be enough.  Bless her heart.

ME!!!!  In our old kitchen!
It got remodeled to a more modern kitchen when I was around 10 - but I always loved the old kitchen.  Our big old yellow and gray Formica table and yellow chairs, open cabinets, huge Chambers stove (I still want one of those!) and bright, bright yellow gloss walls!
I think back on helping Mom bake and cook in there.  My fondest memory was sneaking homemade noodles that had been laid out to dry.  I loved them!  LOL.  Or snitching a hot cookie off the table, just as they came out of the oven. 

Until I was 9 or 10, I took a bath in a galvanized tub.  In the summer it set by the back kitchen door and in the winter, it was placed next to the heat stove in the dining room.  Got that 'full' bath once a week and washed head to toe every day at the sink.  We had a sink and toilet in the bathroom and the tub was like a swimming pool to me!!!!!  I was so excited.  My Mom threatened me to not say at word at school about getting the tub!!!!  LOL!  Everyone else had all those 'modern' conveniences - so she didn't want me bragging.

We had a wringer washer until my teen years.  It sure was a lot of work - but it got clothes so clean.  I think we used that same galvanized tub for rinse water for the washer. (It sure had many uses).  We line dried everything - again till I was a late teen.  Then the dryer was only used in the winter for a long time. I remember as a child coming home from school during the winter and knowing it was laundry day.  All the windows were steamed up!!!!  Mom hung laundry from lines she put up every week in the dining room where the heat stove was.  The house was so humid - I used to hate those days!

Helping Daddy out in the garden was fun.  He and I would always go and get a tomato or even a carrot - wipe them off and sit under the shade tree and eat. He always had a saltshaker out there!!!  Helping to pick apples and grapes and then there were the raspberries!  Can we say chiggers???  
When Daddy plowed the garden, I would always walk behind him in my bare feet - loving the feel of the soft soil.  I still love that feel today and always walk through my garden barefoot after plowing!  Some things just never change!!

My first 6 years of school I walked to school.  Even when there was a huge snow - I still had to go to school.  Some kids rode buses, and they would arrive very late on the bad days - but they arrived.  I think I can only remember missing MAYBE one or two days of school because of weather during those 6 years.    Now we get an inch and we have to close schools!  
We wore dresses back then and in the winter on very cold days - we got to wear long pants UNDER our dresses.  That was the only time long pants were allowed until I was in my high school years.
My school was very old and had big rooms and lots of windows.  We celebrated its 50th anniversary when I was in 6th grade.  ALL of my siblings (all older than me) went there too.  It got torn down after I graduated.
My grade school.  I still have dreams about going in there and getting lost!  So many stairwells that went to different areas.  Many different entrances.  It was heated with old boilers via radiators!  Oh, how many crayons got melted on those radiators while waiting in lines!!!!!!!  LOL
*I got my first kiss behind this building!  It was just a peck - but I still remember it and him!!!

I remember in the summer, on a few hot evenings, the fire department (which was directly behind school) would come and string up some big metal ball and they would have 'games' of pushing ball from one end to the other with the hoses.  Those were so much fun - because the real reason for these nights, was to cool everyone off (no such thing as AC then).  The whole neighborhood would show up - kids and adults!
Lots of fun fish fries and carnivals happened at the school as well.

OK, I have traveled down memory lane - probably boring everyone.  There are just some things that never leave our memories (and I am glad).  I had so much fun during those days.
I was truly blessed with the family I had and the neighborhood I grew up in.  I even belong to a group of all those 'kids' from the hood today.  We keep in touch.
Sorry if I bored you in the throw back!

Do you have special memories that will always be with you?
I love stories!!!!!!  Please share.

43 comments:

  1. We lived in Bakersfield CA '62-71. We had a ringer washer outside by the clothesline until lil' sis was born in 68 (child #6). Then Dad bought Mom a W//D set for in the house. Like you, everything was line dried. i of course, thought the ringer was cool back then!

    The other use for the clothesline? Hanging butchered chickens. My brother would take the head off and hang them by their feet. He told me there is a prize in every chicken and he would "let" me win it. An egg. Well, when I grew up I realized he had me gutting the chickens for him. Oh boy did I love doing that though ;-) He was a stinker.

    My friends and I would play in the haystacks. We would lift bales and build forts. Dad wasn't happy about that ;-) We had big water tanks in the corrals for the cows and there were always goldfish. We would try to catch them. This took hours of a day.

    Ah yes, memories. :-)

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    1. I loved the wringer washer too - wouldn't mind one today (except all the work). They just cleaned so good!
      Eeewww on gutting the chickens!! LOL. Glad the chickens were gone at my house when I was growing up.

      Stinker he was!!!!
      I bet that was fun with the haystacks. I probably would have tried swimming in the water tanks!
      Good times and so simple. It didn't take much!!

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  2. I really appreciate your sharing the wonderful memories of your childhood! I might add that you look the SAME!! We also need to hear your ideas about aging so beautifully!
    All your thoughts about bread got me thinking of my Grandma. For decades and then when I came along in 1952 she added a slice of white bread to her hamburger when making meatballs for her delicious spaghetti sauce.
    I also remember having to wear dresses in grade school and coming home with bruised and skinned knees from falling down on the (cement!) playground. My mom tried unsuccessfully to advocate to Miss Lloyd, the principal, that girls be allowed to wear pants.
    Thank you again for making my day! Your memories are delightful and never bore me!

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    1. Oh my goodness - aren't you just the sweetest thing! Thanks!
      Yes indeed, so many skinned up knees - I actually still have scars (dark places) on my knees today! I was and still am a clutz!
      The meat balls sound wonderful. Love that you have memories from grandparents. That I don't really have much of.
      Well thank you. I just try to amuse!

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  3. Thank you for sharing your memories of growing up! I remember playing 3-Deep on an old asphalt topped playground, bordered by an acre of dirt. I was wearing a dress (of course) and fell, scraping my knee. So a friend and I went to the bathroom and cleaned it up. I came back and they said it was my turn again! And I fell on the same knee again! A day or so later I felt really sleepy at dinnertime and went to bed. An uncle who was visiting us talked to my parents and then he checked my right leg and found I had blood poisoning. So my Dad called the Dr. and we met him at his office for a SHOT. Ouch. My worst experience on the playground.

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    1. Oh no!!!! That is awful. What a rotten experience for you. I bet you didn't play that again! Owy on the shot!
      Mentioning doctor - ours was just a block down the street - BUT he also made house calls. Not many would do that today.
      G had one that did - but that was his practice - house calls.

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  4. I am the first grandchild on both sides of the family so I am blessed to have not only wonderful memories of grandparents, but great grandparents and even one great great grandmother who passed away at 94 when I was 11.
    Life seemed so much slower paced back then. I'm trying to create that pace for myself but it can be difficult.

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    1. You were blessed indeed! I only remember one grandparent and didn't see her much.
      It was slower paced back then.

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  5. I loved it! So many of your memories are like mine! Our kitchen and table and chairs were the red set and we had the big stove. Our weekly meal that never changed was fried eggs and toast and cocoa on Sunday nights. I still flour hamburger patties like Mom sometimes and then cook them in a little butter. YUM! I like them on toast.

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    1. Those memories are the best. Oh I can't believe you had the floured burgers as well. I have talked to no one that remembers anyone doing that! Cool.

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  6. Aww... Loved this. We had a yellow with silver chrome trim, the typical tables. I still love those!

    I enjoyed this so much...Love the black and white picture, simply adorable. I remember having some pajamas very similar.

    Oh so true, no pants unless a certain degree outside and it had to be a pant-suit, not just a pair of pants and top.

    Oh no, that is so very sad that they tore that beautiful school down, oh my goodness.

    In first grade I remember scraping my knee the same day I was supposed to be dancing at a small recital that evening, the place where I danced reminded me of the club on 'I Love Lucy'. My teacher knew I was supposed to be dancing that night and was mortified. She was definitely one of my sweetest teachers ever.

    That's pretty neat, the big tub 'swimming pool' once a week, that sounds so cozy and happy! You were a very blessed little girl...This is SO SWEET. It should be in a Reminisce magazine!

    Thank you for sharing! <3

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    1. I think most had those tables and chairs. It sure was the thing. I would love one today.
      The school was very old and they said it would cost more to fix. I wish someone had thought to turn it into a home/business thing or something. The sad part is, there are schools from that era still open around here.

      Oh no, I bet that was awful. I bet you did great at the recital in spite of the boo-boo.
      My life was pretty sweet - I was blessed.

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  7. Oh that was not boring at all! I loved reading your memories. I too remember the big brick school building and the memories there. Eating lunch at our desks, recess, decorating the classrooms for holidays and the parties. Any time you want to walk down memory lane, I would be very happy to read about it!

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    1. We had a lunchroom, but sometimes we got to eat at our desks and thought it was cool. I forgot about decorating for holidays. I remember those Valentines bags or boxes we made for our little penny Valentines!
      Thanks, I figure many of us remember a lot of the same things. I just liked those times.

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  8. I love this trip down memory lane! I had an aunt who always floured her burgers before cooking.

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    1. YAY - another flour person. Amazing, I have not had others remember that. Love it.
      Thanks

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  9. What wonderful memories. I love the picture of you, such a cute little girl. When we had extras show up,for a meal, mom always said, "family hold back". That meant don't eat as much and she would make up for it after they left. But mom fed so many neighbor kids. I realize now it was because they didn't have the food we did. She never embarrassed them, she just set a plate down and dished them up.

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    1. Thank you!
      Your Mom sound like a very kind lady. That was sweet of her to feed the other kids. Times were tough back in the day, but people were so generous. People today could take lessons.

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  10. Wonderful memories that warm the heart.

    We always had supper and the only time our evening meal was called dinner was when we had company.

    Harvey's family always had a Sunday big meal at noon after Mass and when we lived near his parents we were always there.

    God bless.

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    1. Thanks. Supper/dinner - funny how we all had our names for it.
      How wonderful that you got to partake in all the Sunday meals. Wish we still had those days.

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  11. All of that from bread! Such sweet memories Cheryl.

    I grew up somewhat like you did, except on the farm. We had running water...if we ran and got it. Baths were Saturday night in a galvanized tub - I have a photo of my brother, sister, and I all in the tub at the same time (I was about 4, they were younger). We did get real running water when I was about 17 when Dad had a dugout put in.

    Monday was wash day and mom usually baked bread too. Clothes were hung out on the line, some even in winter - the sheets would dry frozen! We had a wringer washer too, and she finally got a dryer around the time I left home. I did a lot of ironing after school, but the reward was the heel of a fresh loaf of bread so I was happy.

    Sunday dinner was in the evening, and included my mother's parents, and whoever else happened to show up. Often cousins, aunt and uncle, and neighbours. She always stretched the meal to feed everyone.

    Thanks for taking us down memory lane!

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    1. I know - all that from bread!!! LOL
      I love your description of running water - if you ran and got it! LOL
      Must have been the thing for Monday being laundry day. I hated ironing with a passion! I remember some good old frozen laundry as well!
      Those family meals - it just doesn't happen like that anymore. Sad. I think if people just showed up today - they would be called rude. We called it family!

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  12. We came to Canada when I was about 3 so we only saw grandparents every few years or so when they would come to visit - often by ship to Montreal and then on to Toronto by train.

    Our kitchen set was a grey formica table with red chairs and we had a set of melamine(?) dishes in a hard plastic of really bright colours that we would fight over.

    Each floor in our building had a laundry room and originally they had wringer washers but we also had dryers!

    Supper was referred to as "tea" in our house but yes, we had Sunday dinner - usually around 1 or 2pm

    We walked back and forth to school 4 times per day as we came home for lunch. The base kids were bussed to school but we were bussed onto the base for swimming lessons and we sneaked in to go the Saturday matinee movie (I can still remember the Commissionaire yelling at us all to settle down!

    I remember my mom making "hamburger patties" and serving them open-faced over white bread.

    We had the same rule for wearing pants to school and even then we had to take them off when we got there - dresses only!

    We went downtown usually twice a year - once in the late Summer when shopping for new school clothes and again just before Christmas. We got to ride the subway and ride on escalators and in elevators manned by someone in uniform and wearing white gloves who called out each floor as we arrived.

    Funny what you remember isn't it? :-)

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    1. I'd be curious where you moved from. Must have been far away.
      I surmise from Europe mentioning 'tea'.
      I got to come home some days for lunch as well. I lived exactly one block from school.
      That is funny about sneaking into the movies. I still like open faced burgers!
      Yep, couldn't wear those pants all day - only when going outside. What a hassle that was.
      I forgot about downtown visits - that was such fun! We took the bus. Fancy stores and all the pretty windows at Christmas. It sure seemed to be a time of class!
      Yes, it is funny how little can set the mind a wondering.

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  13. What great memories. I walked to school for 7 years. We lived near the school. Grades 1 to 4 were in the little room as we called it, and grades 5 to 7 in the big room. We had a big wood stove in the room for heat. The school had a lunch room. I usually went home for lunch. I rode my bike to school when I got in the big room. The school didn't get indoor bathrooms till I was in 2nd grade. We had 20 to 30 kids in each room.
    When we went to Junior High we rode the bus for an hour and there was a lot more kids. We had to learn where all our rooms were and remember the combination for our locker.
    I was in high school before we could wear pants to school. I took my lunch to school most of the time, unless they had hot rolls or sloppy Joe's. Oh the good ole days.
    Love your blog

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    1. I bet it was cold with just a wood stove. That is a lot of kids for an outhouse!!!! My goodness.
      It sure was intimidating having to go from room to room and wondering all the hallways. I remember being so scared. Such a big change.
      Same here, I think it was Junior or Senior year before pants were allowed and then no jeans.
      They WERE the good old days for sure.
      Thank you!!!!!

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  14. Wonderful memories here, Cheryl. I used to walk a mile to catch the bus and then had an hour ride on the bus to get to school. We lived in the mountains and the first schools I went to were down in the valley.

    I love the picture of you in the kitchen. xo Diana

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    1. WOW 0 that sure took a chunk of each day. I would have hated that. Can't imagine how boring it would have been when you could have been home sleeping or playing!!!
      Thank you

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  15. What a cute picture of you, Cheryl! Love reading about your childhood memories. You had a good and loving family. I do remember helping my mom butcher and dress chickens for the freezer. Not sure I could do that now, although if necessity should arise, needs must.

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    1. Thanks. I did have a good childhood.
      Yuck - I guess it was done a lot back then. I imagine you could do anything you put your mind to!

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  16. Yes, darling little girl! What a wonderful post and a wonderful childhood you had. I love where people have commented they had a certain meal each week on Fridays or Sundays...and that family was always around. So much security for a child growing up.
    I’m gonna definitely be trying the hamburger patties in flour and butter!
    Nearly 60 years ago, we walked to school in Sacramento, CA. But, we moved to Oklahoma when I was 9 and we started having to ride a school bus. What a wonderful school we went to, though...til high school.
    I do remember our dad cooking pancakes for us on Saturday mornings with Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass blasting on the stereo ;). My dad loved Mexico.
    My mom’s hometown in Kansas sounds like your neighborhood...grandma and grandpa in the big house on the end, Aunt Aileen next door and uncles nearby.
    We could only wear pants under a dress, too, in grade school. My how things have changed....not for the better🙄
    Anyhoo, thx for the wonderful walk down memory lane.
    Mary

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    1. Yes, I think I felt very secure. I read between the lines that maybe high school wasn't all that great! Those years were tough for a lot of people. I didn't really fit in with the cliques or popular people in high school. Just kind of did my own thing.
      I remember Herb Alpert - what a flash back. Now I can hear that music in my head!
      No things have not changed for the better. It seems kids go to school about half naked now. Torn jeans! Oh they drive me crazy!!!!
      Thanks!

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  17. I love your stories Cheryl. The Kiss was cute! I wonder about the flour on the hamburgers. I bet it seals in the juices really good.
    My biggest memory is the chocolate gravy with biscuits on Saturday. Childhood should always have happy memories. Yours was special.

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    1. Thanks. The flour seals them and gives them a nice crust - it also helps if one would want to make a gravy! They really are good.
      I remember chocolate gravy. Wow, every Saturday! I only remember it once in a great while.
      Thanks.

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  18. Enjoy your thoughts and ideas. As I get older I too have lots of wonderful childhood memories that come to mind. Lazy, sweet days and times in the life of a child of the 50s and 60s. I would not trade them for anything. Thank you.

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    1. Thanks. Those were the days. I like your description of lazy, sweet days. No cares and just being in the moment. what a wonderful time.

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  19. Sometimes, something I smell will trigger memories. Yours were fun to read. School/pants was just the opposite. In grade school we could wear anything except mom made me wear dresses. But pants were allowed. Then in highschool, had to wear dresses till junior or senior year. I was allowed to wear pant suits.

    When we washed with the wringer, we set the washed clothes in big pans around. Washed them, drained the water, and refilled with rinse water and then put the loads back in a load at a time and rinsed, run through the wringers, and hung them out.

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    1. Yes, smells can sure do it. Freshly mown grass makes me think of grade school. Sitting in class with the windows open in the spring and that smell would come in!
      Popcorn in another trigger.
      It sure was a lot of work using those washers - but clothes just got so clean. I think we had two big metal tubs.

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  20. I enjoyed your story from the good ole days!

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  21. So many of the same memories. My mom hung all our laundry out except in winter. I did when the boys were little (cloth diapers) and still do as much as I can.
    We spent Sunday mornings after church with aunts, uncles, cousins at Grandma's house and had brunch together.
    Great memories.

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