A little house with three bedrooms, one bathroom and one car on the street. A mower that you had to push to make the grass look neat. In the kitchen on the wall we only had one phone, And no need for recording things, someone was always home. We only had a living room where we would congregate, unless it was at mealtime in the kitchen where we ate. We had no need for family rooms or extra rooms to dine. When meeting as a family those two rooms would work out fine. We only had one TV set and channels maybe two, But always there was one of them with something worth the view. For snacks we had potato chips that tasted like a chip. And if you wanted flavour there was Lipton's onion dip. Store-bought snacks were rare because my mother liked to cook and nothing can compare to snacks in Betty Crocker's book. Weekends were for family trips or staying home to play. We all did things together -- even go to church to pray. When we did our weekend trips depending on the weather, no one stayed at home because we liked to be together. Sometimes we would separate to do things on our own, but we knew where the others were without our own cell phone. Then there were the movies with your favourite movie star, and nothing can compare to watching movies in your car. Then there were the picnics at the peak of summer season, pack a lunch and find some trees and never need a reason. Get a bat and a ball together with all the friends you know, have real action playing ball -- and no game video. Remember when the doctor used to be the family friend, and didn't need insurance or a lawyer to defend? The way that he took care of you or what he had to do, because he took an oath and strived to do the best for you. Remember going to the store and shopping casually, and when you went to pay for it you used your own money? Nothing that you had to swipe or punch in some amount, and remember when the cashier person had to really count? The milkman used to go from door to door, And it was just a few cents more than going to the store. There was a time when mailed letters came right to your door, without a lot of junk mail ads sent out by every store. The mailman knew each house by name and knew where it was sent; there were not loads of mail addressed to "present occupant." There was a time when just one glance was all that it would take, and you would know the kind of car, the model and the make. They didn't look like turtles trying to squeeze out every mile; they were streamlined, white walls, fins and really had some style. One time the music that you played whenever you would jive, was from a vinyl, big-holed record called a forty-five. The record player had a post to keep them all in line and then the records would drop down and play one at a time. Oh sure, we had our problems then, just like we do today and always we were striving, trying for a better way. Oh, the simple life we lived still seems like so much fun, how can you explain a game, just kick the can and run? And why would boys put baseball cards between bicycle spokes and for a penny, red machines had little bottled Cokes? This life seemed so much easier and slower in some ways. I love the new technology but I sure do miss those days. So time moves on and so do we and nothing stays the same, but I sure love to reminisce and walk down memory lane.
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
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Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8827 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I grew up in a house with eight children that was about 900 sq. ft. The average house size of my siblings is probably closer to 3000 sq. ft. and some of them have no children or one.
The above article may seem exagerated for sentimental effect but it is very accurate in my case.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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That brought back a lot of memories... there were 10 of us in a little 100 year old House... 3 bedrooms, Mom and Dad in one 5 girls in another and 3 Boys in one also. For a while we never even had a tub, just a Round Tin Tub where we boiled water and filled and took turns getting a bath, once a week. An old oil stove that I hauled oil from a shed in the back yard.. was our primary source of heat....2 channels Ed Sullivan and looney tunes were so much fun to watch, listening to the radio at night in the summertime was a real treat... and we ate what was served.. Corned beef hash, Hot dogs, bologna, or Goulash, which was only Minced meat, onions, tomatoe soup and macaroni... we always had something to eat...on Sundays there was always a roast or turkey for Lunch, and suppertime a cold plate... Yep some great memories for sure.
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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i was the only child, and my parents bought a grocery store,1950, in a building that was built in 1930's. no insulation, and monster coal furnace that used gravity to heat the place with. 4800 sq ft, in 4, 30' x 40'stories, and a hugh attic. 3 porches sittin on 5 acres with a few small outbuildings that we rented to single old bachelors. we had running water, COLD ONLY. like neil, we heated water on the ELECTRIC stove(was a wood stove when we moved in)had a long type galvinized WHEELING STEEL tub, we kept on the porch, and sat we would drag it in, heat water on the stove and the the 3 of us would take a bath in the same water. i will say we was the rich folks. we owned the grocery store, and our outhouse was a 4 HOLLER WITH FLIP UP LIDS!!!!! i never saw an indoor toilet till i got to 5th grade, and i was the only kid in 8th grade gym class that enjoyed taking a shower...we DIDNT HAVE RUNNING HOT WATER at home or a shower. up untill 8th grade, my idea of a shower was waiting for it to rain, jump in my swim trunks and go outside under rain gutter and flip a lever to take a shower instead of the rain going into the cistern. this water was used to wash clothes with!!!
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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I grew up in an 1100 square ft home 1 bathroom, 4 of us. i dont recall this ever being an issue. Later my parent did build a den on with firplace, room was about 20'x30'
I now live in a house that is a lil over 1100 sq ft and I didnt plan on being here for the past 23 years but it is what it is. hell if I ever moved up to a 2500 sq ft home I would feel special.
Belive me there s a lot of people out there that would love to downsize to my home right now
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
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After the "Age" post, and seeing how many of us are in our 60's, this had to be nostalgic for quite a few here. (Except we had 4 channels on our TV, ABC, CBS, NBC, & PBS) And I remember the milk man, bread man, and vegetable truck all making deliveries down our street.
Those were the days of preservative free foods. No wonder there was so little diabetes, cancer, and alzheimer's back then.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Remeber when people (Us) lived within their own means, and didn't complain about it. My real nick name should be "Second hand". 85% of what I buy is used.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Things were really quaint where I grew up...small closeknit town...I truly did have an amazing childhood...we were also 4 in a tiny house with one bathroom. It was the smallest bathroom I've ever seen...but I never remember anyone complaining. One phone on the wall. We had a milkman too! You really can't even say that your sibling must be the milkmans kid...because no one would even understand that now..lol. aaah the good ole days!
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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