We all have memories from childhood and some nostalgic pleasures we still enjoy. What are some things you hang onto from when you were young? TV shows you still enjoy, maybe an old past time or favorite food your mom used to make, even going to the park and swinging. Please share your memories and any links to YouTube clips that will help the rest of us remember and reminisce.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Nostalgia
We all have memories from childhood and some nostalgic pleasures we still enjoy. What are some things you hang onto from when you were young? TV shows you still enjoy, maybe an old past time or favorite food your mom used to make, even going to the park and swinging. Please share your memories and any links to YouTube clips that will help the rest of us remember and reminisce.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PySToivx6s0&feature=related
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just some of my favorite shows growing up :-) They are in no particular order (and this certainly isn't all). I think I realize I watched too much tv.
I can't indulge in many of these anymore because I don't think too many of them even exist anymore!
But when I was a kid some of my favorites were:
Candy - anyone remember - candy cigarettes, candy bracelets, wax lips, Lick-A-Made (I think that's what it was called, it was a sugar/powder), Funny Face Drinks (especially Freckle-Faced Strawberry), NIK-L Nips (sugar drinks in wax bottles!), button candy (on a long string of paper) and Bazooka bubble gum?
TV Shows - Howdy Doody, Mickey Mouse Club, I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith, Make Room For Daddy, My Little Margie, The Donna Reed Show, Father Knows Best, The Lone Ranger, Zorro, The Honeymooners, Kukla,Fran,and Ollie - anyone remember any of those?
And, miraculously, my husband has managed to find DVD's of some of my favorite childhood movies, so I can still treat myself to these -
Dondi
Hand In Hand
The Miracle of Marcellino
House On Haunted Hill
I'm OLD!!
Candy - anyone remember - candy cigarettes, candy bracelets, wax lips, Lick-A-Made (I think that's what it was called, it was a sugar/powder), Funny Face Drinks (especially Freckle-Faced Strawberry), NIK-L Nips (sugar drinks in wax bottles!), button candy (on a long string of paper) and Bazooka bubble gum?
They still sell it all at the Jersey shore. I LOVED the wax lips! We get candy cigarettes (so politically incorrect for kids) at the Fudge Kitchen on the boardwalk. They are a "must have" at the beach. Remember how sticky the candy necklaces would be?
Oh, Saint, I forgot about the necklaces too!
Where on the Jersey shore? I've been to Cape May a few times but I don't remember seeing anything like that. Oh that would be fun!
NMD, "Wonder Years" was a great show. I won't comment on "Saved by the Bell." :-)
As a young kid, I think "The Brady Bunch" was probably my all time favorite show. They re-ran it all the time and I have probably seen every episode at least 4 or 5 times. Hmm. Maybe this is where my interest in large families started?
As a teenager, I became hooked on the nightime soaps - "Knots Landing" and "Falcon Crest" being my all time favorites. I can't believe I had a crush on Lorenzo Lamas. (My taste has improved.)
Candy: the ones I remember that I don't see anymore are Now & Laters and Ice Cubes. Sigh. Miss those!
Don't hate on Saved by the Bell. Zach Morris...that cell phone.
Anya, those are fighting words!
Oh don't forget the diamond ring candies.
When I was little visiting my grandparents in Santa Clara, Ca my grandfather would take us to Roaring Camp Railroad every summer. See you tube clip:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O6pkvFbJUc
It was something special we looked forward to every summer. It was emotional when the son was 2 weeks old we took the two kids to ride the train with my mother like the next generation to enjoy it.
I miss the Snurfs :)
Gosh, I have so many.
Cartoons: Groovie Ghoulies, H.R. Puffnstuff (and all other Sid and Marty Krofft shows), The Banana Splits (I actually own DVD collections of these shows).
TV shows: Little House on the Praire, Days of Our Lives (Bo and Hope in the beginning), loved Knots Landing, Dallas, The Carol Burnett Show.
All disney movies animated and non animated.
I miss the TRUE Halloween carnivals we had in the 70's. I went nuts on ebay in the late 90's and early 2000's and bought the same dolls I had as a kid and other toys. I spent a fortune on it and it was worth every penny. I surprised my brother one Christmas with toys from his childhood.
I also miss Halloween with my Mom. She always made it fun and we would have a monster fest on tv and stay up late watching the old dracula movies.
I forgot to add Elvira's Thriller movies. It was so cheesy but great to watch.
Music: Way to many. But I did want to marry the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers, how sad is that. I remember my sister and I would run to 7-11 when we were younger and buy the newest Tiger Beat for the posters. She wanted to marry Leif Garrett. ha
I had a great childhood and miss so many things.
Count Chocula still rocks!!
You know what I loved as a kid? The 3:30 movie. Channel 7 had a 3:30 movie on every weekday. My favorite was horror week - Gargoyles with Cornel Wilde and Jennifer Salt, an adaption of Food of the Gods that gave my sister a life-long fear of rats, and a really, really scary movie about a bunch of people who survive a plane crash but slowly come to realize that...dun dun dun!...they are actually all dead! Such delicious, cheesy goodness. (Also, a fairly decent mystery with an all star 70s cast - Dyan Cannon, James Mason, James Coburn - called The Last of Sheila.) I saw most of these movies many, many times over.
Monica42, I love all the Sid & Marty Krofft stuff. They are still great kid shows, my little one loves PufnStuf, The Bugaloos and Lidsville.
Candy, yes. Candy was it for us. We would scour the neighborhood for pop bottles and get 2c each. That by itself was 2 pieces. But Kits were 2 for 5c. We would let them lay in the sun and get soft. Even then, I only got the choc ones. The cheapest candy bar was the Clark that stayed 5c when the rest went 10c.
Taking my 50c allowance and being able to buy two 45s. We were so little, but we loved to have the records and dance like the big girls. All my little girlfriends and I loved the Osmonds (Go Away Little Girl, Puppy Love) and the Monkees tv show.
Mostly I'm nostalgic for the creek. Which was really the water run off for our community. It was in the woods and we played there a lot. It was cool/shady and there weren't hardly any trees on our street.
Guin, That was one of my thoughts. We had a movie channel like that. In the afternoon, they showed old movies which I prob never would have known about if I hadn't seen them back then. On weekend nights, they had the old B horror movies with the local scary host. We'd all talk about the movies we seen and how scared we were and “did you see that part”.
Watching Carol Burnett with my family. My dad never missed MASH and we'd laugh so hard.
Oh so many....
Shows: Give Me A Break, Webster, Silver Spoons, Who's the Boss, Full House (shh), Saved By The Bell (sorry Anya)
candy: Ice cubes (they're still sold around here), blow pops, those wax bottle drinks, zero bars
I LOVE soda in a glass bottle with peanuts in the bottom (especially coke)
I still enjoy a good game of hide and seek or flash light tag with our little girl...... :)
Eileen,
Try any Fudge Kitchen near Ocean City or Atlantic City. If you go to Cape May, I bet Wildwood has candy shops on their boardwalk that carry cigarettes, too. We've seen them in ice cream parlours at the shore too, but I never go to the same one twice. It's ridiclous, I know, but I still "smoke" mine first, and feel really cool doing it! ;)
Monica,
Glad to see another person pay reverence to Zach Morris (lol!).
You just can't beat "I'm sooo exited...I'm sooo excited. I'm so....scared"
Mr. Belding, Screech, Kelly, Lisa, Jesse, Slater and Zach. What could be a more perfect group (LMAO)
Okay. Here's what I remember, anyway...
TV...
70s Variety Shows (Sonny & Cher)
70s sitcoms (All In The Family -- Archie and Edith Bunker)
Starsky & Hutch (in re-runs)
Dallas
We had one local channel as a kid that played all the old cartoons in the morning and old black & white movies or 70s sitcoms in the afternoons.
1980s...
MTV
The Love Boat
The Hardy Boys (Sean Cassidy)
Saturday Night Live
Moonlighting (Bruce Willis)
Oprah (she went national in 1986, I think)
Candy....
I mostly remember Chicklets, like in the picture on this thread. Then Pixie Sticks and Sweettarts. Raisenettes.
For all who are looking....
You can also get a lot of the older candies at Cracker Barrel Restaurants in their gift shops. And I know there was a place shown on the Food Channel that specializes in stocking the older candies.
Sorry....those weren't Chicklettes in the picture. :)
Do little girls play jump rope anymore? I remember driving by school yards and seeing all the girls with their skipping ropes or bouncing balls doing rhymes. We also used to do those hand games like Miss Mary Mac. I never see kids doing that but I don't have school aged kids.
Remember "Real American Hero?"
What was the soap opera from late 70s, early 80s where there was this song at the beginning about "America Love Song" or something and they showed people's faces in the ship steering wheel? I don't mean Love Boat. Maybe the faces thing is wrong but the song I remember.
I love Leave it to Beaver and my kids watch it on Sunday mornings. Love me some Tony Dow. And we call one neighbor kid Eddie Haskell.
If I can go back to spring cleaning for a minute, if anyone is feeling overwhelmed or just let the house get out of control and doesn't know where to start, have any of you heard of flylady.net? She gives you one thing to do each day (for a month) and it starts with shining your kitchen sink. It's kind of cool to see her suggestions. I've never followed anything past her first step, but if anyone else has or does, I would love to hear about it.
I'm going to reveal my age but watching westerns Sunday night w/my Dad Bonanza, Gunsmoke. Asking my parents to stay at Grandma's another half hour so we could watch Lassie on black and white t.v. because my family couldn't afford color. Watching the Rose Bowl Parade in color w/my Dad's friend who owned a furniture/appliance store. I lived in a small town and remember simple things like riding bikes all over, playing red/light/green light, hop scotch, being outside in the summer from dawn to dusk only being called in when lunch and supper were ready. The small family-owned grocery store where literally everyone knew your name. Having a milk box outside and the delivery of the 1/2 gallon glass milk bottles, Nickles Bakery trucks stopping at your house to sell bread, donuts etc., Charlies Chips also stopping at your house to sell you their stuff. Now before you think I'm really old... this was in the early 1960's and the town grocery store didn't sell much of these items...walking to the movies and seeing Dumbo, The Greatest Show on Earth and many other Disney classics. Shutting down the main street of town for a weekend for a carnival, riding the ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl, cotton candy, candied apples. Having Jackie Kennedy come to our small town to ride in a parade. Life was simple, then VietNam, assasinations of 2 Kennedys, Martin Luther King, riots, 70's recession, recession now, technology (I use to actually count on my fingers), came bursting in. I'm glad I can remember those simple times.
MommyZinger, I think you're right, I haven't seen kids playing jump rope in a long, long time, and I used to work at a school and I did lunch duty all the time, and no jump ropes at all. Remember double dutch jump rope?
And CincyMom, what a great idea to do one chore a day! I'll have to look that up.
Anyone remember that old soap opera Dark Shadows with Barnabus Collins (I think that was his name, Jonathan Frid [spelling?] played the part)?
Oh, thanks, Saint, I don't know if we'll make it to Jersey this year, but if we do, I'm shopping for nostalgia!
I loved the show " American Dreams". I was so sorry that it was taken off the air a couple years back.It was about growing up in the 60s. My childhood years were in the 60s also and I loved every minute of them. I was very young but I did meet John F. Kennedy when he was campaigning for President. Actually shook his hand. I remember quite well November 22, 1963. I can remember the exact moment my teacher told our class, my parent's reaction and how the people in our small town were devastated.
I have so many good memories. I will have to add them later.
CincyMom,
Were you thinking of "Love American Style"?
Just as background, this post came about after SamanthaNC and I were IMing about Full House, and she graciously shared a link with me of Uncle Jesse singing "Forever." And thus a post was born :).
I was born in 1980, and remember shows like Square One (a math show which was awesome-- it also had Mathnet, a Dragnet spoof with math), Zoobilee Zoo (the coolest show EVER!!), and then the regular shows like Jem and the Holograms, Smurfs, and GI Joe (I have brothers, so Transformers and 'boy' shows like that were watched as well). As we got older it was the TGIF shows like Full House as well as California Dreams, Saved by the Bell (yep, I was a Zach Attack fan!), and all those Nickelodeon shows (All That, Salute your Shorts, and Hey Dude). Samantha, I LOVED Silver Spoons :). I had the biggest crush on Ricky Schroeder... wow... I think I loved him more than I loved Uncle Jesse even... :)
I remember going to see "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" at a drive in movie theater when we lived in California. I also remember my grandma taking us to see "Oliver and Company" when we were on vacation. Movies were few and far between since many at my dads church did not approve of them, so it was great to get to do something like that as a family. My hands down favorite, though, was "The Little Mermaid".
My best friend in middle school was a huge fan of old school Nick at Nite shows, so she introduced me to the Dick Van Dyke show, I Love Lucy, and Mary Tyler Moore show. I was always a big reader and loved the Little House books as well as the Anne of Green Gables series.
Anya, I loved Now and Laters! My dad would surprise us once in awhile with candy-- either Now and Laters or Mamba. I haven't had those for years...
AHHHHH! Dark Shadows??? OMG! One time, I was little, we were watching it...it came on when my older brothers and sisters came home from school...and I got so engrossed that I didn't notice that everyone left the room! I was terrified!!! Lordy be, Eileen, I got shivers reading the words "Barnabas Collins."
My oldest sister saw it recently, somehow, I forget if it was on TV or a DVD, but she said it was SO HOKEY! A soap opera about vampires? And yet, my 14 year-old is in love with the Twilight series of books now...same theme.
Eileen, did you watch Gene London? Romper Room? Sally Star? Does the phrase "Quigley Mansion" mean anything to you?
Ack! Youtube clips :)
From Square One-- the song '8% of my Love.'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDqrW85RECE
And, from Zoobilee Zoo, here is Whazzat's Song (I loved Whazzat Kangaroo-- she was so curious and excited about the world). Its a cruddy quality video but you will get the idea!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyCk68lHNpw
I can't believe no one h as mentioned my all-time favorite show from the 80"s--The Cosby Show. They were playing it for several hours in the evening on one of the cable stations, but lately have replaced with The Andy Griffith Show.
My favorite episode is the one about the grandparents' 49th anniversary where the Huxtables put on a lip-singing performance of Ray Charles' "Night Time is the Right Time." Rudy's "Baby! Baby!" makes me laugh every time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSvGdfOfLFw
I don't recall Gene London or the Quigley Mansion, but definitely Romper Room (and I remember that she NEVER saw me and NEVER said my name!).
And I remember my younger brothers too being so afraid of Dark Shadows! My Mom used to yell at my sister and I to turn it off all the time!
Does anyone remember Chiller Theater or Thriller Theater with Zachary? He used to host these old horror movies, and he was so funny! One of my most favorite scary movies was The Crawling Eye.
If I get into any other nice memories from childhood I'll have to write a book! I loved my childhood, in spite of some problems my family had going on, my childhood is a treasure chest of wonderful 'nothing' type memories. We didn't have much money, I was one of seven kids, but we had a wonderful life!
Liza Beth,
I loved Zoobly Zoo. I used to watch it on PBS in the morning during the summer with my siblings. I can still remember all of the words to the theme song, too.
Does anyone else remember Pinwheel on Nickelodeon? It was kind of a Sesame Street rip-off, but I loved it.
One of seven, Eileen, and a happy childhood! We have a lot in common. Lots to be grateful for :)
(She never said my name either.)
CincyMom, thanks for the spring cleaning tip. I may try this. I feel overwhelmed. My children are at an age where they want to join everything, and all I do is drive them or pic them up or carpool right now.
I will not start until it is warmer. I like to clean the screens and windows and open them up for my first task. Fresh air!
Eileen: That is so true. I remember Romper Room and waiting for my name and she never called it either. I would get mad cause she seemed to call my sister's name all the time. I forgot about Dark Shadows. I loved Barnabus. Who knew a soap about a vampire and his love for one woman. One station on Sunday mornings use to play old Shirley Temple movies. Watching the original Sesame Street w/my first nephew then with my first son (2nd son was never interested). Watching Walt Disney on either Saturday or Sunday night. Fighting w/my Mom to watch Gilligans Island instead of the Jackie Gleason show. Old reruns of the Mickey Mouse Club (original). Seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show and hearing my parents say "What is the world coming to?" Look at their Hair, disgusting.
Anya -
I have seen every epi of Knots Landing! I was a KL ADDICT. Every Thursday night at 9pm, I was glued to the TV to see Val & Gary or Val & Ben, Gary & Abbey, Karen & Sid, Karen & Mack.....Oh I LOVED that show! I had a crush on Greg Sumner!
My fav cartoon as a kid was definitely Scooby Doo. It figures that I would grow up and be addicted to real life mystery TV.
I was a Sesame Street, Electric Company and Zoom (all PBS) kid. In fact, for my big 40th, my sister gave me the Old School Sesame Street DVD Collection. I love it.
CincyMom - Love American Style!
My fav soap was Days of Our Lives. I remember telling my Mom to make sure to wake me up to watch it on the day I had my tonsils removed and was in the hospital! LOL! She did, I saw all of about 2 minutes of an episode when Stefano was found to be ALIVE and then I passed out again! LOL!
Pixie Stix - YUM. Likamaid? Those sticks you put in the colored sugars? Remember the wax soda bottles filled with some crazy colored liquid?
Oh Eileen and Saint -
I loved Romper Room. I had to have an inch worm like they had on the show! She never said my name either.
Another show I LOVED was the one with Buffy & Jody - what was the name of that show?
I also loved the Brady Bunch.
That Girl!
Nanny and the Professor
I Dream of Jeanie
Gilligan...yes, I loved it and sang along!
The Courtship of Eddy's Father
My Favorite Martian
Lost In Space
Nothing, nothing, was better than The Partridge Family
Sam and I were just talking again and I remembered this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukSvjqwJixw
Small Wonder! I haven't thought of this show in years but it was awesome. Also, Sam mentioned Schoolhouse Rocks which is still just amazing to watch.
Happy Days, my parents didn't have cable so when we went to Cali each summer I loved watching re-runs of Happy days, Brady Bunch and Double Dare.
Eileen--wow, Dark Shadows!
Marci--Thanks for naming Love American Style. I remember the song playing when I lived in Plano, Texas, at the age of 3!
MommyZinger--My mil just taught my 6yo daughter Miss Mary Mac! She LOVES it. Something to be said for grandparents!
And jump rope, I used to do "Chinese jump rope" which was a stretch band that two girls held around their lower legs. I don't really remember what we did though...
Remember "Dallas" and "who shot JR?"
I know we mentioned this on an earlier post, but I DO miss the days when a popular movie was an annual "sit-with-the-family" special event--like Wizard of Oz or Charlotte's Web.
We just grounded my son from electronics for a week and it's staggering what is on the list (Nintendo DS, his CD player, TV, computer). And we don't have Ipods, Wii's systems, etc!
And on a funny note, as far as nostalgia, at one point the Cincinnati Bengals were successful. Really--I promise--they were!
Lizabeth--O lordy, Small Wonder. That song will be in my head all day!
"She's a small wonder...she's a small wonder!"
Alf, anyone?
Oh, yeah! One more--The Carol Burnett Show!
I also used to like Marathon candy bars. They were long, like a Butterfinger, and were a braided carmel inside, chocolate outside twist.
Haven't seen since 1980.
My childhood swimming pool has been filled with concrete and makes me always think of The Beverly Hillbillies' concrete pond. Sad.
How about first cars for the next post!
It was Family Affair, Mom, the one with Mr. French, right? That was a cute show!
And, Saint, I forgot about That Girl! I wasn't really little when those two shows were on but I still loved them. And I still wish I could wear my hair like That Girl!
I really love reminiscing! Thanks for the memories, girls!
One of the earliest things I remember as a kid was "Picture Pages." My mom got them for us to do on sick days, or days off from school. I used to throw fits because I'd want to do them before school everyday, but didn't have time.
Aside from that, I wasn't big into TV as a kid. I loved reading & always had a ton of books checked out from the library. The Betsy & Star books, the Katie John books, Little House, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume....then as I hit puberty...Sweet Valley High & Sweet Dreams. Oh, the shame.
I was also a music nut. Every weekend I would lock myself in my room & play America's Top 40 w/ Casey Kasem. Which reminds me of another show I would watch: Solid Gold. Don't judge :( Anyway, I would write out the Top 40 list, rate the songs, make up my own Top 40 list & then ride my bike while singing. Anytime Journey came out with a new song, it was always #1 on my countdown with a bazillion stars. I ♥'d Steve Perry.
Love American Style...Omg I am old!!!! I loved that show.
Don't get me wrong. I love my Big Love and 5 billion other shows, but sometimes I miss the oldies.
Forgot favorite toys:
Barbies of course
Chip Away sets ( ceramic items you had to chip away the stuff to get to it and paint it)
Easy Bake Oven (old blue one)
Paint by Numbers/ Woodburning kits
and paper dolls when I was at my Nana's house.
I loved Journey, too, Bella Donna. And I am nostalgic for a time when Michael Jackson was great and didn't creep me out. American Idol did MJ songs and NO ONE sang them as well as he did.
I loved Marlo Thomas' hair in That Girl! But I also loved her husky voice.
CincyMom, Ditto on the Carol Burnett show. We'd watch Mary Tyler Moore (Who can turn the world on with her smile?) and Bob Newhart on the same night.
Eileen - FAMILY AFFAIR! Yes, thank you. I loved that show! And, Mr. French - Sebastian Cabbot, right?
Saint - THAT GIRL!! I loved that show, too. I still love Marlo Thomas and, as you know, an active contributor to St. Judes!
CincyMom - ALF! I forgot about him. What did he always say? I had an Alf puppet that I got from Burger King or some fast food chain. I was a stupid teenager and my car was broken into, and aside from my purse being in the car, they STOLE MY ALF!!!! I had no money. I was more worried about my actual purse (which was new) and my ALF! Ha ha.
Yes I remember Family Affair but I also remember the little boy grew up to have serious drug problems, and the little girl, Buffy commited suicide when she was a teen. The Brady Bunch, drugs, alcohol, in their real lives, Different Strokes actors, so many of the series w/children the children have been badly affected by the fame, celebrity and money. I am now thinking on the TLC reality shows, mostly the Gosselins. They are now becoming tabloid fodder and even articles in People magazine regarding marriage troubles. They have to be under extreme pressure with these accusations (true or false) being sold on newstands. Thank god the kids don't go to stores. This will affect the Gosselin children in negative ways. The tups are sheltered right now but the twins admit to being teased in school. Jon and Kate are having difficulty coping with their new found celebrity so how can they help the children cope. With season 5 coming in May, Kate's cookbook campaign coming up every little thing they do will be watched closely and easily fueled into gossip. Television has not been kind to children.... sad, sad, sad.
Do little girls play jump rope anymore? I remember driving by school yards and seeing all the girls with their skipping ropes or bouncing balls doing rhymes. We also used to do those hand games like Miss Mary Mac. I never see kids doing that but I don't have school aged kids.
"Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack
All dressed in black black black
with silver buttons buttons buttons
All down her back back back.."
I loved that one. Also, one that began, "Ice cream soda, Delaware Punch, tell me the name of your honeybunch".
We played jumprope and then graduated to high jump - we made a high jump by stringing rubberbands together. Did people play high jump else where in the mid-to-late 70s?
Early TV crushes: Erik Estrada (whom I regret) and Randolph Mantooth (whom I don't - he was FINE on "Emergency", and just as fine, years later, on the soap opera "Loving").
Candy was Now and Laters or Charleston Chews. We liked Pop Rocks too, but you had to be careful not to eat Pop Rocks at the same time you drank a Coke, because everyone knew someone (or knew of some obscure celebrity) that had combined the two and their stomach had exploded.
Those were the days!
I LOVED Sweet Valley High. The girls' names...Jess and ??? And the second twin drove a Fiat, I think.
Loved Madeline L'Engle, too.
Lois Duncan wrote young adult books "Daughters of Eve" and "Stranger with my Face"
Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children.
I listed to Casey Kasem every week too, and Shadow Stevens. Here's a good CD mix: Survivor, STYX, Foreigner, Supertramp (before my Duran Duran, Bon Jovi days)
Oh I loved Sweet Valley High books. Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. I loved the Judy Blume books too. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Forever are some of the ones I liked the best.
Oh, I love ALF. My boys and I used to watch him and we are still fans.
We also loved jump rope and we had intense 2 square/4 square tournaments.
Fav toys were the Easy Bake Oven and Barbie as Monica42 mentioned. I loved the houses we would make out of shoe boxes. We liked dressing her up, but it was more the pretend we did with her.
Beverly Cleary books; Ramona, Henry Huggins and Ribsy. I also liked Henry Reed and Encyclopedia Brown. My all time fav back then was Little Women. I must have read that a million times and everything else she wrote.
I also miss the roller skating. We did that from a young age until a little past our high school years. I guess kids don't go to the skating rink on the weekends anymore. My boys didn't, they always wanted to hit the cybercafe or the coffee shop. For them, I am nostalgic for watching Roundhouse and Are You Afraid of The Dark. When they were tweens, Nickelodeon had a great Fri night line up and we would make a night out of it.
I was so taken by Barnabus Collins. I barely remember the show, but I always remembered him and a room of doors where they had to chose something. Both times that I remember, they chose wrong.
Nina, that's amazing that you got to meet JFK.
Did anyone else get to go on the Bicentennial Train that came through your town in 1976? I still have souvenirs from that.
Randolph on Emergency was waaaay hot!!
I forgot about "clackers" from the fair. I still have a purple glass pair.
I remember sometime in the 60's my family visiting my cousins in Milwaukee and having my first McDonald's hamburger and fries. Oh my. We thought we were in heaven.
Also the Beatles. I was in love with John Lennon. Every girl I knew had their favorite. I do remember seeing them on Ed Sullivan. 1964. I was 8 years old. The British Invasion. My parents were horrified.
indianprincess said...
I loved the Judy Blume books too. Are You There God?
LOVED this book! This was the MUST read book for our junior high. Judy Blume books were the best! Brings back memories of (showing my age now) wishing I was Victoria Principal because her boyfriend was Andy Gibb! Then, being sad when Andy died. And, the only dancing on tv was Solid Gold.
Mom said...I have seen every epi of Knots Landing! I was a KL ADDICT. Every Thursday night at 9pm, I was glued to the TV to see Val & Gary or Val & Ben, Gary & Abbey, Karen & Sid, Karen & Mack.....Oh I LOVED that show! I had a crush on Greg Sumner!
William Devane - HOT!
MonicaW42 said...
Randolph on Emergency was waaaay hot!!
Oh yeeesss!
Merryway said...I also miss the roller skating. We did that from a young age until a little past our high school years.
Me too. We didn't go to the rink though. It was in the street, on a hill, often until dark and, of course, no helmets or pads! Amazing we made it to adulthood!
Nina Bell said...I remember sometime in the 60's my family visiting my cousins in Milwaukee and having my first McDonald's hamburger and fries. Oh my. We thought we were in heaven.
My mom forbid any kind of junk food like this until I hit about 11 and she gave up. I went on a 'bender' for the next 5 or 6 years.
And Ramona Q. does ROCK!
Indian Princess and Theresa--with Judy Blume, we had quite an eyeopener in 8th grade when my Catholic School girlfriends and I stumbled upon copies of Forever and Wifey (adult Judy Blume, who knew!).
Quiiiiite steamy!!!!!!!!!!
CincyMom, another good book "from the day" was The Best Little Girl in the World. My mom had heard about it and that was the time when anorexia was starting to become more "known". She made my sister and me read the book. Excellent book.
Anya & Monica42...check it out..enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbTGzfOh8EQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCbsJl3WdTM
Mad Magazines. I used to read my brother and cousin's. It's how I learned about movies I was too young to be allowed to see.
Wacky Packages. I had a whole collection stuck to my closet and I was so sad to leave behind when we moved.
Theresa,
Thanks for the blast from the past youtube :) Suddenly he is not so hot lol..... I have moved on to Johnny Depp now. j/k he was hottie...
Theresa--and Deanie was something too, with the whole scoliosis thing (my niece has it and I don't know all details but she refuses a back brace and it is heartbreaking to see the curve as her spine goes up. It's like from the shoulder blades up is 3 inches to the right and she is a dancer and it is always so evident through her leotard. Heartbreaking).
Hey Nina Bell, we're the same age.
In 1964, when I was 8, I got to see the Beatles in concert. Or, at least, hear them, they were so far away. And it only cost $5.00. One of the ONLY advantages to having 3 teenage sisters at the time. I remember when a new album would come out my sisters and I would listen to it over and over.
My dad had no objections to them.
He'd say "They're making a lot of money. More power to them."
Remember before People mag and the internet, when we had movie magazines and 16 and Tiger Beat?
That old time candy that they make today doesn't taste the same. I got a Clark bar a while back and it was so bad I didn't finish it.
And when I don't finish a candy bar you know it's bad.
I never saw Romper Room. I was a Captain Kangaroo girl.
All the doctor shows- Ben Casey,
Dr. Kildare (my first crush),
Marcus Welby, Medical Center (with Chad Everett).
Kikibee,
That was a great time to grow up, wasn't it?
Seconding (or thirding) the Saved by the Bell love. My sisters and I used to watch it on TBS when we would get ready for school. I also miss old Nickelodeon (Rocko's Modern Life, Doug, The Angry Beavers); it's sucks now! I was a huge bookworm as a kid (still am), and I loved reading the Goosebumps, The Babysitters Club, and Encyclopedia Brown books. Every time I go to the library I want to reread them; I'm seriously considering it now that there's self check-out. :-)
To the OP who mentioned jump rope: My sisters and I still like to Double Dutch on the driveway in the summer. Interestingly enough, at the end of the school year last spring a couple of girls jumped rope out on the quad and attracted a crowd, so now one of the clubs I'm in is planning a jump rope-a-thon for the Fall!
MonicaW42, Merryway: I too loved Sid&Marty Krofft. While most people recall HR Puffnstuff, my particular faves were the lesser-remembered ones like Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Dr. Shrinker, and the Krofft Supershow rock band. And who wasn't scared during the opening credits of Land Of The Lost, when the claymation T-Rex would glare into the camera and roar so widely his teeth-filled mouth would fill the screen!
Sadly, they are making Land Of The Lost into a horrible movie. I thought it was bad enough when they did a 1990s Saturday-morning remake in which the Sleestak looked like bi-ped rhinos. But from the trailer I saw recently, this movie looks like a totally dumbed-down action-comedy. The makers are probably the geniuses who originally didn't want the giant robots in the Transformers movie to talk...
CincyM,om--now I remember Deanie! Yes, good read.
Sorry to hear about your neice. One of our neighborhood girls, Kristin, had scoliosis and I remember how she too at first didn't want anything to do with a brace. I felt so bad for her becasue I think she was ashamed because nobody else had this. Then, about two months after she was diagnosed we all were hanging out and she told us she was going to be wearing a brace and wanted to be an example to other girls (even though nobody in our school had it but her). That was one of my first introductions to seeing someone mature. She even talked at our school health fares.
I hope and pray that your niece will see how the brace can only help her. I don't know much about scoliosis or how it's treated now, but I hope your niece can be helped.
Wow, Nina, JFK! Impressive.
I love clackers from the carnival. I remember when they were banned too because they exploded on someone (same person who combined pop rocks and coke?). Who misses the little 45 records that we played on the hot pink record player in a box with a handle you could take to your friends hous?
So many memories...great thread!
Monica--where would we be if it weren't for 21 Jump Street? :)
Pet rocks! And mood rings...indianprincess has one, so do I!
I bought the Sid and Marty Krofft book and they admitted they were doing some drugs to come up with those shows. It totally makes sense now.
Theresa,
21 Jump Street. He was a pup then. He couldn't even look bad in Pirates of the Caribbean with gold teeth.
I just remembered one -
Chinese Jax!
You probably had to be a kid in the late 70's to early 80's to remember these.
We played with them for hours and changed out colors. They were little multicolored rings of clear and opaque plastic. The "game" involved picking them up with a bouncing ball, but it was really just an excuse to make something pretty!
Theresa said...
Anya & Monica42...check it out..enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbTGzfOh8EQ
Aww, thanks! He is still cute like I remembered!
Nina Bell,
We sure grew up in a more innocent time. I'm glad I didn't know what the Beatles and everyone else were really up to, like we would today.
My daughter was asking me if I had "heard" about Jon & Kate. I never knew that much about anyone's marital problems when I was her age. Except for Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. You couldn't escape that. I remember stuff in Mad magazine about them, and Debbie and Eddie.
I'm the old one in the bunch. I mostly remember climbing trees, playing hopscotch, and rollerskating down the sidewalks in our neighborhood--and I'm not especially athletic! In the summers, when night was falling and it was too dark to do any of that stuff, we'd sit in a circle, play Truth or Dare, or tell ghost stories.
Before I entered first grade, my mother tried to keep me inside so we could read together, but I told her I'd deal with school things when I started school. (I certainly did, and now I'm a retired prof!)
I did watch TV, and I was in love with Marty of "Spin and Marty" on the Mickey Mouse Club.
Wish I could still sit way up in a tree and gaze at the sky, but I can't afford any more hip replacements.
Creak.
Anyone else here in the first wave of baby boomers, or am I all alone in my senectude?
Hmm, the word is "senectitude," not "senectude." Why didn't I just say "aging"? It was probably my mother prodding me from the Great Beyond to learn, learn, learn.
Signed,
Ancient
Speaking of rollerskating, my sister & I used to rollerskate in the house (when the parents weren't home of course!) She had a HUGE crush on Michael Jackson (Thriller era) & we'd practice moonwalking in the kitchen.
I think my favorite Judy Blume book was Blubber, because it always reminded me to be nice to other kids, and how mean kids could really be. I knew a few "Wendy" types back in the day.
I loved Tiger Beat and Bop magazines :) I was madly in love with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I just knew he was the only man for me..... Now that we're grown and he's still only 5'6" I'm kind of glad things didn't work out btween us LOL.
Did anyone see Uncle Al? He just passed away last week. It was a big kids show in the 70s in Cincinnati.
Ancient of Days,
You didn't just say "aging" because you are a teacher. Thanks for the new word. I will try to work into my life this week (if I don't forget the lesson because of, ummm, senectitude?)
loved Tiger Beat and Bop magazines :) I was madly in love with Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Samantha, I have lost all respect for you :-) JTT? Really? He was sooooo overrated. Him and Jonathan Brandis used to make me gag. He was cute but full of himself.
I am a former tiger beat/17/bop/big popper reader. Now I'm so cool, I graduated to People. Man I'm sophisticated (riiighhht).
Did anyone see Uncle Al? He just passed away last week
Are you talking about Al Albert's showcase? Probably not, I think that was a local show with low ratings but I loved it when I was really young.
NMD-
It wasnt a bandwagon for me... it was true love.... if only he had ever met me.
Are you talking about Al Albert's showcase? Probably not, I think that was a local show with low ratings but I loved it when I was really young.
Did that show have little girls in frilly dresses singing or tap dancing on it? Then he would sing to them...sort of like a beauty pageant or dance recital? Very vague memories...
If any of you admit to being Hanson fans...well...
I just read it on Wikipedia and only thought of it because there are all these tributes since Uncle Al passed away last week in his 80s.
It was the second longest running children's show behind Sesame Street or something. I couldn't tell if it went national from what I read. He played his accordian a lot and his wife played "Captain Windy." Not a show with little girls wearing dresses.
No Nomoredrama, I wasn't a Hanson fan but I did like New Kids on the Block...on my..Did I really admit that? Yes, I did. Had the posters and everything. I would sing for hours.
Indian Princess...
The New Kids are a different story. Who wasn't a New Kids fan????
I don't know anyone who wasn't an NKOTB fan...Hanson on the other hand...LAME!
nomoredrama said...
Indian Princess...
The New Kids are a different story. Who wasn't a New Kids fan????
I don't know anyone who wasn't an NKOTB fan...
Do you know anyone under 35? LOL.
Seriously, my little cousin liked NKOTB and I enjoyed *some* of the music as well. I actually thought Jonathan Knight, who seemed to get the least attention of the five, was the cutest.
I have a strange affinity for boy bands. Early on, I chose the Backstreet Boys over N'Sync even though I like to think that my musical tastes aren't quite so formalic and truthfully, I was 10-15 years too old to really have my opinion matter. That said, I think both bands puts out a lot of great pop songs. "I Want it that Way" and "Bye Bye Bye" are both on my i-pod.
Come on NMD, do you really think any of us believe you never sand along to mmmbop?
I loved the backstreet boys. I still do. Saw them in concert when I was 15- they did not disappoint. They have the cheese factor bc they became so popular with teen girls- but they became so popular with teen girls bc they were A. all so good looking, and B. they had awesome voices, and could harmonize like nobody's business. They are very talented and no one can deny that. I dont know why, bc physically he's not my type, but I still have a thing for the "bad boy" of the group A.J McClean. Brian Litrell has gone on to contemorary Christian music and I love what he's put out, he has an amazing voice.
I also loved Boys II Men. I LOVE Til the End of the Road......
Whatcha got to say about that NMD? Let me guess you were one of those hardcore Smashing Pumpkins girls right? :)
SamanthaNC said:...A. all so good looking, and B. they had awesome voices, and could harmonize like nobody's business.
"I still have a thing for the "bad boy" of the group A.J McClean."
Ok, it is still just embarrassing that I have an opinion on this (again, too old), but I totally agree! AJ had the best voice. And I loved the harmonizing.
I was one of those pretenders who thought they were too good for pop music. Backstreet Boys was one of the groups that made me wise up and realize pop music when done well, is great.
I liked all those Judy Blume books. There was also the book and movie Sooner or Later which made a splash. And yum yum, he is still cute today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO5eAwTnZ40
Rex Smith.
I thought I wrote that.
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