[alwann]

I remember summers growing up in Baltimore City (it was safe then) when old men in horse-drawn wagons would drive around the neighborhood selling fresh melons and corn. They'd cut out a plug from a watermelon for you if you wanted to check the ripeness.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Nucky

Sounds like a typical day in our neighborhood. We had the dream neighborhood as far as people getting along. We were there for one another as the years passed and then real-life kicked in and we were supportive for anyone needed anything on any issue it was a given that it was taken care of. The early years and Baseball all day and Basketball under the driveway lights and the Lawnmowers we picked out of the junk and made a good one out of many still sticks in my mind. We would take the same engine apart time after time just to learn. I can still smell all the oil, grease & when you mentioned the TV you brought to mind the smell of the tubes and the noises the set made when it turned off.

If I could buy a current model Console TV like the old days I'd do it in a second. Best of all I remember being The Remote Control before they were invented. Sometimes I would fake going to sleep so I wouldn't have to move and nowadays it's unusual that I can find my remote.

I would say that the best accomplishment for our little gang was the year we finally collected a couple of bucks over a thousand dollars for the Jerry Lewis Telethon. We were in amazement that Mr. Lewis could stay up for 24 hours and can remember crying with everyone else when he sang the song at the end and announced if they hot a Million Dollars in the collection. YouTube. What a great childhood. I never knew that we weren't rich. I had it all. Other than my Bike and Go-Cart and Minibike my most favorite and protected thing was my beautiful Bowling Ball. I was so happy. God Bless my parents.

Thank You for starting this thread. Along with the Ice Cream, and other thread like that it makes me so happy considering the way things are nowadays. Chitown #1

Fudgesicles WERE good. American bicycles were heavy, single-speed, had fenders, and other trappings. Kids put balloons in the spokes to become a motorcycle. Sears was a big thing. We cut our own bows from trees and used them in VERY dangerous manners. Those were the days, my friend!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Fudgesicles WERE good. American bicycles were heavy, single-speed, had fenders, and other trappings. Kids put balloons in the spokes to become a motorcycle. Sears was a big thing. We cut our own bows from trees and used them in VERY dangerous manners. Those were the days, my friend!

Those were the days my friend
We'd fight and NEVER lose
We'd laugh away all those blues
About the future, we had no clues
Cared less, no need for that mess
Save us please, Beetles
From Rock Hudson and Doris day
No more, no less

[jh214]

I remember the good old days, running home from school so I could play different sports in the neighborhood. Used to make money as a 10 year old, cutting next door neighbor’s yard and riding my bike to the private country club in Kenwood, Ohio to caddy (about 4 days a week). Used to put my earnings on my Dad’s dresser to put into my savings account. Seems like most kids today, couldn’t start a lawn mower, use a paint brush, or wax a car.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by alwann

I remember summers growing up in Baltimore City (it was safe then) when old men in horse-drawn wagons would drive around the neighborhood selling fresh melons and corn. They'd cut out a plug from a watermelon for you if you wanted to check the ripeness.

My mother, born in 1905, grew up in Baltimore, way, way before your time I am sure, but she told me about the horse drawn wagons and block ice being delivered for their "ice box" as she also referred to our electric refrigerator.

We moved from New Jersey to Albuquerque, NM in 1945 where an old local farmer drove a Model T Ford truck with the bed loaded with locally grown vegetables and fruit. He would stop and park it on our block. She always bought some fresh picked vegetables and fruit from him. One day he did not show up as usual. Turned out when he was seated in his outhouse a black widow spider had bitten him on his privates. He did not show until the next year but he did recover.

My mother cooked almost everything from scratch as she was a stay at home mother, a rarity these days. She had been a high school teacher of Mathematics and French but gave it up to raise her children. My father managed a small Safeway store so we always had good meat and other groceries. We rarely if ever ate out as we could not afford to do so.

My brother and I rode our bikes all over as they were our transportation to school, the movies, the swimming pool and friends' homes. There was no need to lock them at that time, either.

We played cowboys and Indians with cap guns and hand made bows and arrows. We made sling shots using inner tube rubber for power. I made a sling and learned to use it to throw rocks pretty accurately a very long way. I had a pump action Daisy BB gun I loved until its spring finally broke. I built model airplanes from scratch using balsa wood. Gliders, rubber band powered and finally glow plug motors. Those were the days!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

My mother, born in 1905, grew up in Baltimore, way, way before your time I am sure, but she told me about the horse drawn wagons and block ice being delivered for their "ice box" as she also referred to our electric refrigerator.

We moved from New Jersey to Albuquerque, NM in 1945 where an old local farmer drove a Model T Ford truck with the bed loaded with locally grown vegetables and fruit. He would stop and park it on our block. She always bought some fresh picked vegetables and fruit from him. One day he did not show up as usual. Turned out when he was seated in his outhouse a black widow spider had bitten him on his privates. He did not show until the next year but he did recover.

My mother cooked almost everything from scratch as she was a stay at home mother, a rarity these days. She had been a high school teacher of Mathematics and French but gave it up to raise her children. My father managed a small Safeway store so we always had good meat and other groceries. We rarely if ever ate out as we could not afford to do so.

My brother and I rode our bikes all over as they were our transportation to school, the movies, the swimming pool and friends' homes. There was no need to lock them at that time, either.

We played cowboys and Indians with cap guns and hand made bows and arrows. We made sling shots using inner tube rubber for power. I made a sling and learned to use it to throw rocks pretty accurately a very long way. I had a pump action Daisy BB gun I loved until its spring finally broke. I built model airplanes from scratch using balsa wood. Gliders, rubber band powered and finally glow plug motors. Those were the days!

Good memories. I made an Australian Bola and would TRY ? to hunt rabbits with it, usually unsuccessfully, but it took skill and was fun. After the nest apocalypse, I may have to practice again.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Fudgesicles WERE good. American bicycles were heavy, single-speed, had fenders, and other trappings. Kids put balloons in the spokes to become a motorcycle. Sears was a big thing. We cut our own bows from trees and used them in VERY dangerous manners. Those were the days, my friend!

Had an English racer 3 speed and went all over Brooklyn including places that we had no business going. Put playing cards in the spokes for our noise

[Nipper]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

Fishing with a string on a stick, dip netting crabs, swimming on the bay, playing baseball, riding bikes, selling Grit newspapers, growing up in my Grandfather's country store and friends.
Clean, family tv with NO cursing.
Life was great!

I was an editorial assistant in the mid-60's at Grit. I wrote the Doris Lee advice column. I have a lot of Grit memorabilia, including a bag the boys used to carry the paper. I plan to sell it all one of these days.

[Thorr]

Watched didn’t have color tv or air conditioning til high school

[lcarlson]

I grew up in the Midwest and my memories are the same as most of you. Everyone helped each other. Adults never talked about money, religion and politics, their thinking was it was your business and no one else need to know. How wonderful life was !!!

[billethkid]

The peace and quiet of no 24/7 hysterical news blabbering.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Good memories. I made an Australian Bola and would TRY ? to hunt rabbits with it, usually unsuccessfully, but it took skill and was fun. After the nest apocalypse, I may have to practice again.

Lot of rabbits here in Bonita, come and get them. On second thought squirrels would be good too

[fdpaq0580]

Just remembered rubber band guns. A stick wit a wooden clothes pin on it.
Also, does anyone remember having the little metal trays that you put a wooden stick into to make popsicles from fruit juice or soda pop?

[Gulfcoast]

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580

Almost forgot the school play ground, with METAL jungle gym, METAL slide that burned your butt in summer and froze it in winter. Don't forget tether ball, 4 square and the merry go round. And swings that when you got real high you would jump out. Now that was fun!

We used to bring waxed paper with us to the park to rub on those metal slides, we would sit on a square and really zoom down that slide.

Other memories: catching fire flies on summer evenings, putting them in jars and watching them light up. Slip n slides and running through the sprinkler on hot summer days, drinking water straight out of the hose, Monopoly Marathons. I also remember long days spent with my nose in a book, reading both classic and contemporary stories just for fun.

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by Nipper

I was an editorial assistant in the mid-60's at Grit. I wrote the Doris Lee advice column. I have a lot of Grit memorabilia, including a bag the boys used to carry the paper. I plan to sell it all one of these days.

Every home we went to would buy the Grit paper. Thank you for making Grit an easy sell. Heading back to Papa's store we collected bottles. Life was great.