My sister-in-law sent this to us. Was wonderful remembering when. Even though the second half is a little bit before my recollections. I remember hearing about them.

Close your eyes . . . And go back . . . > > > > Before the Internet or the MAC, > > Before semi automatics and crack > > Before chronic and indo > > Before SEGA or Super Nintendo > > > > Way back........ > > > > I'm talkin' bout hide and go seek at dusk. > > Sittin' on the porch, > > Eating bread and butter. > > Eatin' a 'super dooper sandwich', > > Red light, Green light. > > Chocolate milk, Lunch tickets, > > Penny candy in a brown paper bag. > > > > Hopscotch, butterscotch, doubledutch > > Jacks, kickball, dodgeball, y'all! > > Mother, May I? > > Hula Hoops and Sunflower Seeds, > > Jaw breakers, blowpops, Mary Janes, > > Running through the sprinkler > > (I can't get wet! all right, well don't wet my hair....) > > The smell of the sun and lickin' salty lips.... > > > > Wait . . . > > > > Catchin' lightening bugs in a jar, > > Playin sling shot and Red Rover. > > > > When around the corner seemed far away, > > and going downtown seemed like going somewhere. > > > > Bedtime, Climbing trees, > > A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers, > > Cops and Robbers, > > Cowboys and Indians, > > Sittin on the curb, > > Jumpin down the steps, > > Jumpin on the bed. > > Pillow fights > > Being tickled to death > > Runnin till you were out of breath > > Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt > > Being tired from playin' . . . Remember that? > > > > I'm not finished just yet . . . > > What about the girl that had the big bubbly hand writing?? > > Licking the beaters when your mother made a cake. > > > > Didn't that feel good . . . just to go back and say, Yeah, I > > remember that! > > > > There's nothing like the good old days! > > They were good then, and they're good now when we think about them. > > Share some of these thoughts with a friend who can relate. > > > > One can't be serious ALL the time, eh? > > > > Remember when . . . > > There were two types of sneakers for girls and boys, Keds & Flyers, > > and the only time you wore them at school, was for "gym." > > > > When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there. > > > > When nobody owned a purebred dog. > > > > When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a huge > > bonus. > > > > When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny. > > > > When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school > > > > When your mom wore nylons that came in two pieces. > > > > When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had > > their hair done, everyday. > > > > When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, > > without asking, for free, every time. > > And, you didn't pay for air. > > And, you got trading stamps to boot! > > > > When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden > > inside the box. > > > > When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to > > carry groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. > > > > When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at > > a real restaurant with your parents. > > > > When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed . . . > > and did! > > > > When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the > > fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. > > Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn' t because of > > drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Disapproval of our parents > > and grandparents was a much bigger threat!! > > > > Remember? >> >

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), August 20, 2000

Answers

Boy does't that take ya back! I'm getting old. I was trying to remember when I laughed till my belly hurt. Someone would say something funny while you were drinking soda and it poured out your nose!! Member that?...Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), August 20, 2000.

Vaughn - Loved this post! My sister and I were just talking about some of those very things this week. She wanted to let her grandson catch fireflies in a jar like we did as kids, only to discover ,there are no fireflies to catch anymore! I remember when we were little, each grandchild had there own week's 'vacation' at my grandparents'farm. Granny always had a quart mayo jar cleaned and ready, with the lid riddled with air holes. Every night we ran the yard collecting our nightlight to take inside with us. We'd go to sleep watching the twinkling of these little bugs, our faces glowing with warpaint where Pa had painted stripes with bugs. Ah, to do that again.

Jackie

-- Jackie (Jlynne058@cs.com), August 20, 2000.

Hang that one next to the Mona Lisa for it is definatly a classic work of art !!!

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), August 21, 2000.

Ahhh.... Sounds wonderful!! This is the type of country/community I want for my children. Now, to have that, you have to remove yourself from the mainstream, reject most of what is considered standard and pray, pray, pray! (No, we are not hermits) But are certainly limited concerning what we are able to participate or involve ourselves in.

Thank You Vaughn, memories like that are pricless..... makes me sad for our children. So much available to them and yet so little of any real value. God Bless! Wendy

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), August 21, 2000.

Common memories are really wonderful! Remember how it seemed, in June, that summer would last forever? Then suddenly it was August and canning season? Mom and I would take a day off from canning to shop for school clothes. I was real happy for that day off. Sometimes we stopped at Woolworths for lunch. Grandma would slip me a dollar for a banana slit if she couldn't be there.

Some of my favorite times of summer were: swimming in the irrigation ditches when Mom wasn't around; climbing high on the haystack; reading a good book high in the old tree by the barnyard; the town parade and picnic where you filled your plate with the best food(we always knew who the really good cooks were); dunking the school teachers in the dunking booth and, of course, the gymkana that night. Life was so wonderful as a child. It saddens me greatly that so few children have that experience now.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), August 21, 2000.

And mulberries. We were all purple from head to toe for weeks!

-- Barb Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), August 25, 2000.