The year-1950 and the big hull-a-bal-oo was REA! Thats when it came to our neck of the woods in Richland County Illinois. We were already "used" to the bright lights because of a Delco system we had. Even had some other things that run off of this Delco system and it was much superior to what we'd had. I think the most memorable item was the brand new Decca record player that you didn't have to "wind up" to hear a song. The crops had come in and sold. Clothes were bought, debts paid and a little bit was left over---RECORD PLAYER! The first record that came home with it was Hank Williams's "Kali-ja". Thats all we had, all the older records we alread had were scratchy and worn out and pap didn't want to harm the new Decca. So, what did we do--play that blasted record over and over and over. I could even hear it in my sleep. I knew every word, guitar lick, chord change on it. I've since forgotten the words to the song after 50 years. Now I try to think of my name at times-long ago stopped trying to think of other peoples names. I can remember my dogs name! Does that say something? Oh well, life goes on.

When we got REA mom also stopped baking bread at home and pap started buying "store bought" bread. That was probably the next biggest thing to the new Decca. It wasn't long after- that that the Gibson household discovered Iced TEa! The say'ns "the more things change the more they stay the same" and "in his second childhood trying to recapture his youth" apply here now, I think. I long for those old days when the bread was freshly made on the old Home Comfort wood cookstove, Iced Tea by the bucket full--[and all the SUGAR I wanted], neighbors show'n up on Friday nites to play music, big Sunday gather'n with all kinds of country cooked grub. Yeah, even ole Hank sing'n his song would even be a welcomed site now! Thank you Lord for the memeories and all the good times we had". Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), February 11, 2001

Answers

Thanks for the memory, Hoot. Kalija was one of my Mom's favorite songs, she loved the "line" dance that went with it too. She's been gone 18 years next month, and I still miss her horribly.

Stacy Rohan 'membering in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), February 11, 2001.

The REA here in N. AL was the TVA. To this day when the river is down, you can see the stumps from the trees the folks with CCC cut down when they flooded it for Wheeler Dam. (Grampa always laughed, he worked a stint as a first aid and snake bite man. They held smelling salts for him!!! while he worked cause he feinted at the sight of blood :>) He didn't listen to Hank Williams much, but I remember him with a tear in his eye listening to the story about the soldier and the deck of cards ( i think it was done by Tex Ritter)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 11, 2001.