When we moved to Beckley, WV, our neighbors on the corner were Buddy and Bertel Turner. An older couple, they took us under their wing. I remember Buddy having chickens and I was able to watch the chicks peck out of their eggshells under a heat lamp. I’ll never forget that. Bertel was often my babysitter when Mom and Dad went to Saturday night dances at the country club. I loved it when Bertel … [Read more...]

We had a bumper crop of leaves this fall, and for the most part, the foliage outdid itself in terms of beauty. Nancy and I made several trips to and from the Smith Mountain Lake area and were entertained thoroughly by the brilliant colors of the maples, beeches, dogwoods, and oaks. They brought back memories of our house on Court Street in Lewisburg, WV. There were two majestic maple trees in … [Read more...]

I’ve read a few of the children’s books recently and they are Pablum. Vanilla pudding. “Can’t we all get along?” “I feel your pain”. “Don’t hurt anybody’s feelings.” Bull. I remember when children’s books were exciting, and they didn’t always turn out peaches and cream. Hansel and Gretel got kicked out of their own house and ended up cooking a witch in her own oven. Little Black Sambo … [Read more...]

  Turn the remote on your TV and a brilliant, perfect picture immediately appears in dazzling color. Click a few more times on the remote and hundreds – hundreds – of programs and multiple stations are at your fingertips. It wasn’t always that way. TVs were invented in 1927 and were first made available to the public in 1939, but it wasn’t until after the war that serious programming … [Read more...]

For years, the only shoes I would put on my feet (other than wingtips for dressy occasions) were BASS Weejuns. They were the official shoes of Boomer-hood and I loved them. During WWII, leather was in short supply, much of it going to the war effort as boots, belts, and slings for soldiers. Shoes were rationed and recycled. The shoe repairman was the most popular guy in town. After the war, … [Read more...]

I spend about an hour a day in my car, more if I’m on a trip, and I always have the radio on. I pretty much ignore talk radio anymore – too depressing, so I listen to the oldies station or light rock. It’s background noise, mostly, something to occupy the time. But there was once a time when the radio not only made noise, but it also entertained us. Many Boomers recall the Golden Age of … [Read more...]

  One of my favorite things to do on this earth is fish from the end of a pier, preferably in salt water. First, it soothes the soul, and second, you never know what you might catch. My first experience with pier fishing came on Uncle’s Sidney’s pier on Bogue Sound in Morehead City, NC, across from Atlantic Beach. I fished and crabbed there for hours on end. I never caught anything big – … [Read more...]

How all the kids born from the 30’s through the 70’s have managed to survive. First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn’t get tested for diabetes. Babies were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with brightly colored, lead based paint. We had no … [Read more...]

One of the great presents I have ever received came at my 10th birthday. I had begged for a record player and perhaps even a record or two to put on the spindle. My wishes came true. I unwrapped a small portable record player and a 45 record from Dean Martin – Memories Are Made of This. Soon my collection would include Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford, Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley, The … [Read more...]