A Baby Boomer Life

[meirish]

Oh. Linda, you reminded me of the elevator operators...wow, and the telephones that were about 12 -14 inches tall with the "ear phone"part hanging on the side. Back in the late 40's and early 50's. When I got married and lived out on the farm a few years we had an 8 party phone line. Somebody was always listening it seemed.

In the 40's my dad had bought an "ironer" for some reason. Must have bought it used from a hotel or something. It was about 40 inches wide and a cover folded up and you would iron sheets towels, underwear, dishtowels...everything, even the shirts. It was to take the place of the old irons. Like who irons half that stuff now. It would soften the sheets and towel up when they hung to dry in the basement.

Remember the Jewel T man that came every month or so to buy mops, spices, cam mixes, jello, etc from. That was such a big deal back then. There was also the Stanley sale man that came to the house every so often with many things to sell. When I was first married my MIL would talk about the "sheeney" man and I finally asked who that was. During the early years of the 40's and during the war there was a guy who came around with a panel truck loaded to the gills with every type of thing you could think of. Toasters, food items, everything (probably lots of black market things) and this was the way he supported his family. He was very important at this time when they couldn't always find things in the shelves at the store.

Capitalism is a wonderful thing...so many ways to earn money and start a business especially when jobs are scarce. Lots of initiative back in the those days. What is so interesting is that we all have so many memories of the same things but yet every state and area in this great world had different things or ways to do things. Amazing.  It is like a piano, only so many white keys and black keys and the millions of musical pieces that have been written. meirish

[Linda196]

This thread is so much fun! It's also a great reminder that sometimes changes doesn't necessarily mean improvement, it was a much more personal time back then, wasn't it? Of course I can do without the ironing! I have one, but i refer to it as a crafting tool LOL

I think the Canadian equivalent to the Jewel T man would have been the Watkin's man, and many Watkin's products are still available here, through select commercial distributors or mail order, no more door to door.

I don't remember having peddlars coming around, but I did hear that my grandfather did that during the 30's when he could get merchandise. I do remember my grandmother waiting for "sharp" day, when a gentleman who's name may or may not have been "Mr Sharp" arrived on the block to sharpen knives and scissors, and each of the housewifes would bring him out a bit of a snack and a cold drink or a big mug of steaming hot coffee or tea, depending on the time of year. The snacks would be wrapped in wax paper, so he could take them with him, but the drinks were always in mugs or glasses, no disposables then, and he'd drink them down while doing his tasks.

We got our first television when I was about 5, and I remember the installer arriving, and spending what seemed like the whole afternoon getting it set up, adjusting rabbit ears, running out and giving direction to his assistant on the roof about the antenna (not sure why we need both), and dealing with the endless questions (from me of course). The first image that we saw was "The Lone Ranger"!

[meirish]

Eureka, I found the papers that I copied from internet....interesting facts....things that came about, invented or occurred around the time we got married in 1964. Odds and ends of info.

Panti hose appeared in the early 1960's...II know I wore a girdle and nylons when first working as a nurse, That with those darn all polyester uniforms was a killer AND there was no air in many hospitals at that time.

Typewriter standardization came in 1910 anfdd the IBM electric came in 1961. They were  great!!It seems early 60's or so Hashbro launched GI Joe

BASIC easy  high level intro pogromming language. Didn't give exact date.
Sony into first VCR
Bubble wrap and computer mourse invented.

The 1960's had the most significant changes in history.

Man on the moon.
St, Paul minnesoota got first MacDonalds...burger 15 cents.

Food stamp program was created
Royal Crown Cola made first 12 oz al. can pop and Coke came 3 years later.
Plastic milk carton introduced
Pepsi made diet pepsi
Into of Buffalo wings
First Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer aired on NBC
Acrylic paint invented
Permanent press clothes invented (and the world quit ironing lol)
Halogen lamps invented 1960
Valium in vented in 1961...I was in nurses training at Mayos and www gave valium to multiple sclerosis patients for muscle spasms. And then the world discovered that you could get stoned on it.
Non daily creamer invented 1961

Top inventions past 50 years

1955  remote control
1955  microwave
1957  birth control pills
1958 Boeing 707 first successful commercial jet
1961 cordless tools
1961  industrial robots
1962  comercial satellite
1962  LED
1955 polio vaccine
1964  music synthesizer
1969 smoke detector
1970 digital music
1971  waffle running shoes
1969  automated teller machines
1973  cell phone
1979  song walkman
1955 velcro
1972  electric ignition
1973  MRI
1978 GPS
1984  DNA finger printing
1960 first pacemaker implanted
1960  first Etch a sketch...they have been around forever
1960  the laser
1987  Prozac antidepressant invented
1960  halogen lamps
1961  Cochlear implants
1962  audio cassettes
1962 silicone breast implants
1962  fiber tipped pens
1963  touch tone phones
1963  zip codes
1963  pull tabs
1963  easy bake oven
1964  wonder bra
1964  smiley face
1964  picture phones
1965  astroturf
1965  asparatame..artificial sweetener
1966 hand calculator
1868  first 911 call made
1968  first supersonic airliner
1968 first manned lunar orbit
1969  ARPA NET precursor to internet
1969  Unix Op Sy from Bell Labs Single chip micro processor

I thought I had found more...maybe there is more in all my papers. It must have really been interesting with all these inventions but darned if it made an impact on me and I was born in 1943. When we are busy with life...life just goes on. I think that the birth control pills probably really made an impact on many people and the microwave was a big deal.

[Bucky]

Hi everyone - once again, time has gone by so fast - I can't keep the days/months straight.

I hope everyone is doing well (as well as can be under the circumstances with a pandemic going on).

I just found out yesterday that as of Oct. 31st., I will be laid-off again - this time, until Spring - people are not wanting to dine inside or hold small events, so it's not feasible for our restaurant/banquet facility to stay open. Not the way I envisioned the start of my 10th year working there.     It is what it is, there's nothing we can do about it.  Thankfully, my family is well, so we will count our blessings and roll with the punches.

Sixty - we didn't have milk chutes, but we did have an insulated box on the front porch that the milk man would put our glass milk bottles in (and we would leave the empty ones for him to take back to re-use).

Linda - ahh, yes - the phone party line.  The neighbor girl and I got in trouble several times for picking up the phone and listening in (while giggling in the background).  I am certainly glad we don't have those today!!

Irish - were we lived in Ohio, we didn't have a Jewel T man, but we did have the Fuller Brush Man (in fact, I'm told my grandfather was one). The company is still in business today.

Irish, that's an interesting fact list you posted.

Back "in the day", things like restaurants, gas stations, stores, etc., were not open on Sundays.  In fact, up until Walmart founder, Sam Walton passed away, Walmart's were NOT open on Sundays.  That all changed once Mr. Walton passed away.  Today, there are still some restaurants and businesses that choose to remain closed on Sundays so their employees can go to church.

A topic that came up this week was how much wedding receptions have changed through the years.  In years past, the couple would be married at church and then have a small reception in the social hall there at the church with punch, cake and possibly finger foods to eat.  No big elaborate sit-down dinner, bands, dancing, etc.  Because I work at a company that holds wedding receptions, I see how much people spend for their receptions.  i think the most expensive reception I've seen is $35,000!  Wow, what I could do with $35,000!!  Just the decorating of the reception room is expensive if you have custom seating, elaborate table setting and flowers, etc.  The bar tab for many weddings can really rack up the cost of the reception.  I've been to a wedding reception where at the end of the evening they had fireworks - and those are not cheap!! 

For my wedding, I only had two bridesmaids - my gt. nieces wedding, she had 12!!!  Wow!!  Today, most brides and bridesmaids go get their hair, makeup, and nails done - $$$.  Many brides-to-be have catered bridal showers, etc.  My showers ( I had two) were at someones home with finger foods to eat - which was perfect.

I can't even remember the last wedding I've been to where the bride & grooms car was decorated with streamers, a Just Married Sign, or tin cans streaming behind the car.  LOL

Well, I better stop here for today.

Let us know what you think about your "Baby Boomer Life".

Stay well,
Bucky

[Bucky]

Hello everyone - here we are in another new month - the months are flying by.  It's hard to believe here in the U.S.A. that next week is our Thanksgiving holiday.  I have a feeling this holiday will be very different from holidays in years past.  With the increasing numbers of Covid rising many families are opting for just immediate family gatherings and not going all out inviting the "whole" family for the holidays.  I'm not sure what my family is doing at this point.

That brings up an interesting topic - holiday celebrations in our baby boomer life.  For Thanksgiving, we always had my grandmother, a friend of the family who was single, and my dads boss and his wife (who never had children of their own) over to the house.  That was always our Thanksgiving day from as far back as I can remember.  For Christmas we would again have my grandmother to the house and just our family.  Back in the day, families would visit each other during the holidays - the women would sit down with some coffee and homemade cookies, the men would be in the living room watching some sporting show or outside tinkering under the hood of a vehicle, the kids would either be outside playing or playing board games in the house.  Good times!   

Since I've been married, holidays are very different from when I grew up.  First off, all my family live 500 miles away.  Since my family lives in the snowbelt of N.E. Ohio, I don't travel East in the winter months - too much changing weather from IL to OH.  I really miss that for our son (only child) as he doesn't get to visit with his cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.  My husbands family lives nearby here, and we do get together with them - but, it's just not the same for me.  I miss my family and friends I grew up with.

Is there some sort of "traditional" food you make for the holidays each year?  My thing is deviled eggs.  Funny thing is, I don't eat them, I just make them!  I guess I get that tradition from my late mother - every holiday she would make deviled eggs.  I like eggs - I just don't like them as deviled eggs - I guess it's a texture kind of thing.  LOL

My mother always made a lot of holiday cookies.  She would start early and have tins and tins and Tupperware containers full of Toll house cookies, press cookies, etc.  A couple years back I got a Wilton Cookie Press Set on clearance after the holidays for a $1.  I've found a recipe for the class spritz cookies so I'm going to try and make some this year.  I've always liked baking, however, my husband is diabetic and if I make "normal" cookies, he would sit down and eat every last one of them - which he shouldn't be doing.  So, I don't make any.     If anybody has some really good cookie recipes for a diabetic, please share.

Just curious - does anybody have their Christmas tree up yet?  I know several people who do (not me).

I'd love to hear some of your family traditions or things you do for the holidays.  Since this year has been such a difficult, challenging year for everyone - whenever you have the opportunity to spread some joy and encouragement to someone else, please take the opportunity.  A little kindness goes a long way.

Wishing you many blessings this week.

Bucky

[Bucky]

Hi - once again, time has slipped by and here we are approaching the last few days of December and 2020!  Whew . . . . what a year it has been!!

How was everyone's Thanksgiving holiday?  Our extended family all opted for everyone having their own Thanksgiving and not a "group" gathering.  So, it was just the three of us.

You know what I miss the most?  Hugging someone!  This whole year with all the social distancing has been odd . . . there are some people in the grocery store who practically run if you get too close to them.  I'll be glad when all the distancing is over.

Now that Christmas is over, when do you take down your tree?  I'm trying to remember what my family did growing up, and I have no idea.  We always had a real tree, so I'm sure my mom wanted it out of the house not long after Christmas.  This year, I put up my retro silver pom pom tree along with my color wheel.  I love this tree!  It reminds me of my grandmother - as she had a large silver pom pom tree (mine is a 4 ft. one).  I remember all us grandkids would line up from shortest to tallest for a group picture each year.  I think the tree will come down some time this week.

As Baby Boomers did your family or you have any New Year traditions?  I know some people eat black eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread - or some, cabbage on New Years Day.  I don't have any traditions for New Year's Day.

I have some topics written down of things I wanted to post about for this thread . . . now, if I could only find it!!     Well, I take that back about a tradition, every year I tell myself that this is going to be the year I get my house all organized and in order.  Um, it's a work in progress is all I can say!  Maybe THIS will be the year it happens!! 

Wishing each of you a healthy, Happy New Year!! 

Bucky   

[Bucky]

Happy Wednesday!  Boy, a person needs a calendar to look at every day to know what day it is - they all seem to run together!

Yesterday, I took the Christmas tree down.  I didn't really put up very many Christmas decorations in the house, so it was pretty quick to put that all away. I miss the festive look of the house when you pack everything away.

This year for Christmas, I went through some totes in the basement of items I've kept for our son (only child), a lot of his toys from when he was a toddler, etc.  So I picked out six items and wrapped them and put them under the tree (I did this a few years back for him too).  Quite a few of them he didn't remember - of course not, he was a toddler!  He loved those toys and would play with them all the time as a toddler.  Some day I hope he marries and has children of his own and then he will get all the old toys of his for his children.  I kept the boxes for a lot of them - so they are like brand new.  I think the "memories" are more special to ME, than to him as a 25 yr. old.

While I was taking the tree down, I thought about my grandma (she had a silver pom pom tree too when I was growing up).  Thinking of grandma - I remember the smell of her perfume she wore.  I have no idea what it was, but it was something that a lot of the older ladies wore in the 50's, 60's, and 70's era.  Even at the place where I work (when we aren't closed temporarily because of restrictions) every now and again a group of older ladies will stop in to eat and if you walk past their table you can smell that smell again.  Do you know what I mean?  Something you smell that takes you back in time.  My Dad would wear Old Spice - again, a smell that takes you back to when I was a kid.

Are there other scents you remember that remind you of days gone by?

Bucky

[meirish]

Hi Bucky, My hubby wore Old Spice and whenever I smell it I think of him...

Speaking of grandmothers reminds me of my Mother-in-law. When Christmas came she started baking. She made the best Christmas cut out cookies that had such a soft texture and she cut them out thick and put frosting on them. She put them in the 5 gt ice cream pails and each family would get a pail to take home. We often brought the pail back for refills. Her cookie recipe had lots of butter and eggs and almond flavoring and the dough was almost the consistency of a pie crust dough. I made them a lot many years ago but never turned out like MILs. I also ate a about of ton raw dough back then also!!!

She also had many types of bars and other cookies she made plus some types of breads. I remember coming for Christmas dinner and besides the huge amount of food she made for the meal she would have the kitchen table full of plates of bars and cookies for dessert. People don't bake like this anymore. I used to try and make about 10 types of cookies and candies and take plates to the neighbors. That used to be so much fun. Christmas was the only time I made divinity and my hubby just loved it.

I miss baking the big meals for my family. It got so hard for me the last few years that I did it. I did it in 2014 for the last time. That was the first Christmas after hubby passed away. My grandsons still ask me to bake pies for them like we had at Christmas. I would bake about 7 pies cause always gave a custard pie to each of my sons cause they loved them so much. The little boys liked the apple and peach pies I would bake in a jelly roll pan. Such big pies that they would last much longer. I always sent different kinds of pie pieces and turkey home with the kids to lunch on.

There are so many things like that that I miss. The decorating the house at Christmas and eating Christmas eve buffets by lantern light at the dining room table with the big Christmas table cloth. The boys enjoyed that when they were young. We did that with the boys and their families a few times and the grandkids enjoyed that also. We need to slow down and take the time to do those "family" things again. Some families are still doing this, but so many with decreased income have had to cut corners in how they cook and celebrate these days.

By the way, did anyone used to make fruit cake?? I had a recipe that used graham cracker crumbs and evaporated milk plus dried fruit and raisins that was so good. You could keep it in the freezer and cut off a piece when you wanted...I ate a lot of fruit cake all by myself cause my family all turned up their nose at it. A good fruit cake that is full of big pieces of chopped nuts is so good.

Also, I love mince meat pie and I made that a couple of times also. My folks had a restaurant and my dad made the best mince meat pie. He always put pieces of beef roast in it and that made it even better. I usually had to eat all the mice meat pie at my house cause hubby and kids didn't eat it. Dreams are fun but now I wish I had some of these goodies to eat. Take care and stay well. meirish

[Bucky]

Merish - back in the day, I think it was the "norm" for families to make big meals for the holidays. Back then, most families lived close by - now, they are spread out all over the country in other states, etc.  Today, it seems both parents are working and they just don't have the time to make such big meals, it's easier to eat out or pick it up at a restaurant or store already made.  There are exceptions, and I do know of a few who still love to bake and prepare big meals for the holidays.  For myself, when we have a "family" get together, it's more a potluck type of thing, which I like.  I don't mind the cooking part, I hate the cleanup!!

In years past (definitely NOT in 2020), the place were I work they would have buffets for Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Thanksgiving.  We were packed!  Families would spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a prepared meal where they didn't have to cook it, set it up, or clean up.  We also use to have the Sunday Brunch - again, we were always packed.  Many families would be there week after week.

I remember my mom baking a lot of cookies at Christmas time - pressed cookies, Toll House cookies, bars, fudge, etc.  I felt bad for my dad one time when mom had a fit he had gotten into the cookies that she was saving for "company".  He didn't have very many and he was dunking them in his coffee.     There were many times us kids would pick out the chocolate chips from the bowl as mom made Toll House cookies (long before all the warnings about not eating raw cookie dough).  We survived!!  LOL

Mom would send a container or plate full of cookies home with those who lived by themselves or didn't haven family nearby.

As I have mentioned before, after I got married I really wanted to bake cookies at the holidays- but with hubby having diabetes, I don't, or he would eat every last one of them!  I need some sugar-free recipes.  A friend and I had talked about making press cookies this holiday, but it never happened.   

Bucky

[meirish]

I just was thinking about the days that I would bake a lot of goodies hide them in the freezer only to find that the boys got into them when they got home from school. I was still at work then so they had free range,. I bet a lot of parents can relate to that.

Bucky, I feel bad that you didn't get to bake much because of your hubbies diabetes. I had a similar problem as my hubby had Celiac Sprue and couldn't eat flour (gluten) so that really made a difference. There was hardly any gluten free flours or other ingredients or specific items in those days so I would make things from scratch like fudge, divinity and have to read every label on any ingredient even to make a bar with chocolate chips. Made things very challenging. We always knew when he ate some hidden gluten cause he would get very sick and it would spoil a lot of days or evenings for him.

I am trying to think of something that you could make for your hubby. If I do think of something I will PM the recipe to you. Take care. meirish

[Linda196]

I really missed baking this year, too. Same basic reason, Diabetic hubby, but previously I had still baked, and gave it to friends, neighbours and soup kitchens and pantries.. Covid made that a less acceptable option. even the soup kitchen prefers packaged commercial treats right now. Somehow, donating a bunch of packaged school ready lunch box treats just isn't the same 

[meirish]

Life has sure changed and it is no wonder people have trouble keeping themselves in good spirits. Takes work to keep our minds positive when our lives are so changed. meirish

[Bucky]

A typical Baby Boomer Life - when we had babies being a sleep deprived parent up with a baby all night long, then it progressed years later to waiting up all night for your teenager to come home.  Well, tonight, I am pulling an all nighter as our son is traveling 950'ish miles overnight from IL to Denver, CO (after he worked a full day, packed up the car and took off to head West).  Thankfully, he has a rider with him, but I still worry about the driver falling asleep while the passenger is sleeping too.  I guess that stems from an experience I had as a teenager many, many, many years ago.  There was a group of four of us traveling together from a week at church camp.  I was in the back seat and I noticed that the driver nodded off and I yelled, "Rodger!".  To this day, I never, never, never sleep in a car when traveling.  That's also the reason I always do the driving wherever we go on family trips.

It is so stressful when your children (in my case, our only child) travels these long miles driving straight through, especially in the winter months when the weather can change in a heartbeat at any point in their journey. 

He's checked in once so far - I sit at the kitchen table with my paper map and follow along with his journey.  There is one particular spot in his trip where the phone service is pretty much none existent for a couple hours as it is a pretty barren, remote area that really stresses me when he's driving through there in the wee morning hours and there is no traffic at all (or few and far between) should he break down. 

So tonight I'm keeping the caffeine flowing, surfing the web, and praying for our sons safety in his travels.  That folks, is my Baby Boomer Life tonight!  I'll take a nap later once I know he is there safe and sound.

Bucky

[meirish]

A mothers work is never done. And then the grandchildren come and we worry then too. I am thinking of my 21 year old granddaughter who went to Charleston South Carolina for a weirdly timed break. She went with 2 other gals and stayed at a friends parents condo close to the ocean. Should be driving home in a day or two.

Her college has had so many strange ways of educating and doing breaks this year and they gave a longer Christmas break and then added  a couple more weeks for the breaks they missed in the fall. These colleges are going to be in trouble. I just read that there are not even the usual number of teenagers applying for grants and scholarships as they don't plan to go to college when the Covid is still around. The whole world has a new norm that is for sure.

It was interesting reading about your wedding and comparing it to the weddings of today.  I got married 3 weeks before I graduated from nurses training. A bunch of gals did that so we could have our nursing friends work or be in our weddings. It was a really crazy thing to do that is for sure. I took 5 finals and then came home to get married. I was pooped.

I had one sister and hubby had one brother and they were our attendants. And back then we had the obligatory ham sandwich on buns with the great home made dill pickles, mints, nuts and cake. Things were really simple back then. I had my wedding dress made by a lady in town and it cost 50$. It was very simple but it did the job. I think my wedding cost me 500$. Cant believe the money spent on weddings in this day and age. I would feel so guilty spending that kind of money on a wedding knowing that there is going to be bills the rest of ones life. WOW

Also, i noticed something in Walmart this winter that really surprised me...but shouldn't have. I was checking out puzzles as people at my coop do puzzles a lot. Normally there are just a few puzzles on the shelves but this year there was about 3 shelves of puzzles of all kinds. Then it hit me that Covid and the lockdowns have reduced the world to sitting at home and doing puzzles and playing cards. Time has a way of repeating doesn't it. That is what people did when I was growing up. Take care. meirish

[Bucky]

Happy Saturday!   

I'm thankful my son had a safe trip to CO - tomorrow, the reverse process starts all over . . . . hopefully, they will get an early start to head home and should be home by midnight at the latest (I hope).  He did mention that about half-way into their trip that the winds picked up and he was driving with 45-65 mph winds.  The winds continued for the remainder of the trip through Nebraska and Colorado.  I know from experience driving in high winds how stressful it is on your body - especially your hands and arms as you hang on to the steering wheel tighter.

Baby Boomers - just wondering if any of you use a glass punch bowl any more?  Growing up, that was the norm for bridal or baby showers and various parties - the punch bowl with matching glass cups and usually served with little finger foods.  I have a punch bowl w/cups down in the basement.  I can't remember the last time I used it.

I also have several sets of snack sets from the 1950's - they were small glass plates with matching glass cups.  I have my mom's two sets that were a wedding gift when they married in 1950.  An aunt of mine gave me two sets of the white milk glass snack sets.  I probably have eight sets total - not all matching ones, but that doesn't matter - it adds to the festivity when they are used.  Again, I haven't used them in a very long time.  I'm saving them hoping that some day our son will be engaged and we can use them for a bridal shower.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Bucky