Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Thursday 13 #10

13 things that were around when I was growing up in the 60's.

1- The BUG man! The BUG man! ( that's what we Yelled excitedly when we saw him)
I can't even believe that our parents didn't suspect this MAY be dangerous?... As the little truck went down each side street spraying a burst of fog ( probably DDT?) from the back of the truck... ALL the children would RUN through the fog!! (I am typing this with my third hand with the 7 fingers)

2- The ICE man! No he wasn't a mummy. He was an old timer with a push cart. He had buckets of shaved ice and he poured liquid colored sugar syrup over each scoop of ice that he shoveled into a cone shaped paper. Yum, I'm sure that liquid had a bit of DDT in it too



3-(speaking of liquid sugar) - I can't remember what these were called but I LOVED them, they were tiny waxed bottles that contained Liquid sugary water. They came in a tiny four pack and you would bite the wax top off the bottles(spit it out!) and drink down the sugar goodness! If anyone can remember these and know their name.. Please tell me!

4- The smell of burning leaves
Last night I smelled this for the first time since my childhood! Between the mass doses of DDT and the toxic particles of gases from inhaling burning leaves, I should have lung cancer, But I think sugar coating my lungs has protected them

5-Dawn Dolls! ( okay this was probably the early 70's, as I was more like 11 or 12)
I loved these miniature versions of barbie dolls. They were about 6" tall and I know there was one called Longlocks, 'cause she was my favorite'. (I was destined to do hair)

6-45 rpm records- Just two songs, the Popular one on the A side and the 'never played on the radio' song on the flip side.
Sometimes, you got lucky and the flip side was super cool. It was super cool to store them in a box like this!


7-White Lipstick! My sister is 6 years older than me. She was a teenager in the 60's. I was so envious of her WHiTE lips. I wanted to wear her lipstick every day! She said I had to wait till I was older. when I was older- white lipstick wasn't in style :(
When it DID briefly come back I was too OLD to pull off the white lip thing!
I feel deprived. Maybe that's why I really pile on the chapstick at the beach.


8-Family and friends on sundays. thanks to the blue law, stores were closed. Sundays consisted of going to church, then the bakery for the italian bread and some crumb cake. Mom usually made sauce, pasta & meatballs on Sunday. We would either go visiting or have company. There was something so comforting to that lifestyle.


9- Respect- For your parents, For your friends, For your fellow man. Notice these days how People just don't seem to respect others? NO? HAve you DRIVEN anywhere lately? There is very little consideration on the roads these days. There is however, A LOT of middle fingers, beeping and wreckless behavior.



10-Kids playing ALL day outdoors. Yes, kids do go outside today. They skateboard and play basketball and ride bikes. BUT, they also are busy with 'organized' sports and many other commitments ( in my area anyway). Very scheduled, very expensive, very time consuming. When they aren't busy with that they are Doing the addicting indoor things- computer games, video games, AIM.
When we were little We played outdoors from sunrise to sunset. Parents did the LONG loud Yell to get you in for dinner... you remember that?? Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu / Luuuuuuuuuuuuuu Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Today, kids are called on their cell phones " yeah, Johnny.. come home your dinner is getting cold"
11-speaking of cell phones- What was around instead when I was growing up? Talking to your kids friends and their parents on the phone (the ONLY phone in the house) and At their front door.
Today, my kids friends call their cells. I don't get to speak to them like I used to with my elder sons friends. It was nice, Let me bring this historic happening back for you. me- Hello?
Hi Mrs. L. this is mikey is Robbie home? "Yes, Mikey hold on a second please." Very nice, right? And when Mikey was at my house and it was time to go home? His parents came to the door to pick him up!! amazing right? they didn't sit in their lexus and call his cell. I actually invited them in, had some small talk, was able to get to know them. Now? I ask my son- where's Mikey? Oh, he left already, his dad called him and picked him up. Honestly, isn't there something wrong with this new scenario??

12-Long lasting appliances! My blogging friends know this is a pet peeve of mine. Disposable toaster ovens, irons, shower heads... You name it! Nothing lasts like it used to. I've been in my home 24 years and have gone through (start singing...) 4 dishwashers, three ironing boards, two washer/dryers and a F#@$% partridge in a pear tree!

Stumped on #13 ( and too tired to think)- I searched the web and found this great video summing up the 60's better than I can- take me back to the sixties

for more Thursday thirteens go here

19 comments:

Tammy Brierly said...

I had the 45 of Kung Foo Fighting. LOL LOVED the memories Lucy! hug

Deirdre said...

This really pulled up a lot of old memories, things I'd forgotten about.

We were just talking yesterday about those little wax bottles. I don't remember what they were called either. It seems like there were a lot of sugary liquids in wax that we all loved. All I can think now is yuck!

Anonymous said...

I do not remember the ICE TRUCKS?! But, I do remember everything else with fondness!

Janet said...

and we're still alive, imagine that :-)

Anonymous said...

We were just talking about #10 the other day... Summer time is almost here, and I loathe the kids and their sitting 'round the house instincts. We chase them outside to play and they say all the other kids are inside watching TV or playing video games. :blech:

paisley said...

we had the bug man too. and isnt it strange nothing ever became of that?? we have women here in protest-ville california trying to get 1 million people to march over the golden gate to protest the spraying of a pesticide that would kill some dastardly moth that is killing the trees and i am forced to think.. we road our bikes in the fog of the bug man,, and followed him all over the neighbor hood and nothing happened to us???? how on earth could the spraying of infected trees be garnering so much negativity???

anthonynorth said...

I remember the decade very well. I've gone all nostalgic now ;-)

Anonymous said...

#13 - how about "empties"? Remember taking the soda bottles back to the grocery and getting alittle bit of money for them? I loved "empties." Free loot.

JP/deb said...

GREAT post Lucy ... took me down memory lane! Wow, things really have changed.

Hope your week is going well. xx, JP/deb

daisies said...

oh my gosh ... i loved the wax thingies filled with coloured sugar water !! i had forgotten all about those and relaxed slow sundays and orange crush pop in a bottle and how satisfying it was to hear the clink on the bottle machine, sigh ...

Forgetfulone said...

OMG! We are about the same age - I'm in my early forties. The only one I don't remember is white lipstick. My sister is about your age, and she wasn't old enough to wear it yet.

Records! I have a whole case of 'em in my closet. And I have a case of Barbies, and lots of Dawn dolls. I can't believe anyone still remembers those. I loved them.

And the bug man! I don't remember what those little wax/syrup things were called because I didn't like them too much. I'd rather have my syrup on a "snow cone" (shaved ice).

This post was very nostalgic. I could go on and on. But I won't take up all your space.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I can't even comment on everything... it took me down memory lane. K, I grew up in the 70s (late 70s... LOL!), but still, a lot of what you mentioned was still the case back then. I do remember the days of being called in the house to eat or because it was getting too dark out. And respect? Don't even mention it. It appears to be non-existent, but you always have to hope.

Forgetfulone said...

I had to comment again. Two reasons.

1. The bug man! Yep. We had a truck come around tonight while I was at the ball field.

2. I have an award for you on my blog.

Giggles said...

Lucy you hit a homer again my friend!! Wow I agree one hundred percent. I giggled out loud with the visual of your seven fingers, I bet you're good a pin curls too!

Number 12 same same....my pet peeve, also Sunday openings have bugged me from the beginning. Now stores are open until midnight, there is no respect for family life either. Who needs to shop 24/7. No wonder there is a 50 percent divorce rate....Life was simple then, now too many complexities, yet I love technology and know it's destroying families as well!

Hugs Sherrie

The Gal Herself said...

#8 and #10 -- those two are long gone, aren't they? I bet there are people who wouldn't believe that we were unable to shop on Sundays, or that you could drop your radio off to somewhere to be repaired. Thanks for bringing back the good old days ...

myrtle beached whale said...

Sonofabitch!!!!!! I had no idea white lipstick was out. I did not get the memo. I grew up in northern Idaho. We didn't need a bugman or an iceman. Winter took care of both of those occupations.

Anonymous said...

This brought back so many memories for me, although several things you mentioned are unknown to me because we grew up in different countries.In the late sixties I was 17 and I moved from a cosy country village to London - quite a culture shock, but what a great place to live just then.

As a child, I remember diappearing for whole days at a time during school holidays. Mum never worried. We all did it. How different it is today.

Redheels said...

Nice post. Strange that you mentioned "the wax bottles". I just saw some of those this weekend. I hadn't noticed them in a very long time.

Barb said...

OMG Lucy! Hahahahaaha!!!! You, too????

Speaking of hand gestures..

Someone called my mom once cuz I flipped them a hand signal as I was walking down a road, probably wearing white lipstick. It was the peace sign. ;)