It’s funny how things or people from the past pop into your mind. Last week, an incident happened to me that triggered such a memory. I didn’t have a paring knife that would slice warm butter and I like to tinker around the kitchen. By gum, I thought, I am going to go buy myself a sharp knife. So I went to Home Goods and tracked down the meanest, scariest looking knife on the … [Read more...]
Some Assembly Required
This Boomer looks back on Christmases Past like Ebenezer Scrooge encountering one of his ghosts. Three words come to mind. Some Assembly Required. You see, I was a young parent in the early 1970s and had a daughter, Angelin, who asked Santa for a complete kitchen set. Stove, refrigerator, sink and cabinets. Santa didn’t have the good sense to tell her this was impossible since Santa’s … [Read more...]
My Fort Apache
One of the great toys of my youth was a Fort Apache Playset. My parents, or Santa Claus, I don’t remember which, gave me my first Fort Apache when I was 7 or 8. I spent hours and hours in my room positioning cavalry soldiers along the fort’s walls to defend against the attacking Indians. The set came in a tin box with sections of the fort wall along with cavalry men, horses, Indians, … [Read more...]
Remembering Great Christmas Specials
One thing I dearly miss from our Boomer years is a December full of great Christmas specials on TV. This was entertainment at its finest – top stars, top acts, great music, great comedy and classic cartoons. In the 1950’s and 60’s, variety shows dominated the airwaves. Singers with top hits appeared regularly and comedians like Bob Newhart and Jonathan Winters left us in stitches as Hollywood … [Read more...]
While Shepherds Watched
Seeking Pasture Near Bethlehem A 4-part Christmas story by Jim Brewer The sheep had gone easily into the fold that evening. Young Amos was pleased that he had not been called on to round up any stragglers. Rather, the flock of 98 was safely within the confines of the corral made of stones from the fields, and erected just north of the town of Bethlehem, known to the shepherds as … [Read more...]
Smoke ‘Em if You Got ‘Em
In the 1950’s, 60’s and well into the 70’s, Americans smoked cigarettes. A lot of cigarettes. It was almost assumed that a person of age would take up smoking. It was the thing to do, even though everyone knew – even without a warning from the Surgeon General – that smoking was bad for your health. “Don’t smoke. It will stunt your growth,” my dad always said. Yet, Boomers likely … [Read more...]
Chain, Chain, Chains!
Winter’s coming. There will likely be a snowfall or two sending all of Central Virginia to Kroger’s to buy every carton of milk in sight and then retreat into hibernation. The radio and TV people will say, “Stay home unless you have to get out because there is – oh no – snow on the roads.” I took my driver’s license on a day when there was 13-inches of ice and snow on the highway. I passed … [Read more...]
A November 11th to Remember
It was Nov. 11, 1956. I was 12 years old, soon to be 13, and it was the opening of hunting season in West Virginia. In 1956, there were more albino armadillos in West Virginia than deer, so hunting season to me meant quail and rabbits. I had my own shotgun, a single barrel .410 and I was going hunting. November 11, Veteran’s Day, meant that my Dad would take the day off. He and Melvin Crantz … [Read more...]
Coonskin Caps and Hula Hoops
The year 1955 was not a good one to be a raccoon. In fact, if you were such a masked critter, chances were pretty good you’d lose your tail and skin to a fad called “Coonskin Caps.” In the mid-1950’s, Walt Disney was a dominant program on TV. Families gathered around their Zenith, Philco or RCA black and white sets on a Saturday night, set up the trays for TV Dinners and watched whatever Disney … [Read more...]
Boomers and Recycling
Recycling is very fashionable these days among the younger generation, which speaks reverently about reducing carbon footprints, promoting alternative energy sources and buying most any product with the prefix “green”. While today’s generation takes great pride in recycling an aluminum can or two. Boomers didn’t recycle cans, they physically returned milk bottles, soda bottles and even beer … [Read more...]
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