Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Those Were The Days....



When colors didn't necessarily have to go together to be considered fashionable.

When holding hands with my sister was the norm, no matter the age.

When hairstyles "made the outfit".



When pin the tail on the donkey was a popular game to play at the party.

Where my twin sis and I shared a birthday cake, birthday presents and pretty much shared everything together. And you know what? We didn't mind sharing.

When punch bowls were the rage instead of juice boxes and sodas. When we were little, we very rarely were allowed to drink "pop" and if we did get the privilege, it was shared, one "pop" between us.

When every guest was thanked individually for coming and also for their gift. The joy of the party was in being another year old. My sister and I were always shy so when it came time for them to sing Happy Birthday to us, we almost dreaded it. Being the center of attention wasn't our style!



When plastic on sofa cushions was "in".

When your legs would stick to the plastic on the sofa cushions.

When green shag carpet was coveted and raked religiously.

You know, there are times when I long for those simple times when my mom would make popsicles with the Tupperware popsicle maker.

Pick up sticks and jacks and Chinese jumprope and hopscotch was fun and entertaining.

Girls and boys played together and it meant nothing but that we'd have a ball. The boys were always told to not be so rough with the girls. The boys LISTENED and weren't rough.

There were many times when we went camping that building a nest out of pine needles and pretending to be a bird was "fun". Or, waking up to the smell of bacon cooking over an open fire smelled delicious.

I miss the times where as a family, we watched tv together, in the "den". We would watch Truth or Consequences, Queen for a Day, The Flip Wilson Show, Hee Haw, Roller Derby and Let's Make a Deal.

Even though times were tough and money was scarce, we didn't mind keeping our socks up with rubber bands or sharing a stick of gum or wearing the same Easter outfit two years in a row. We recognized our blessings of having when so many didn't. What we did have, we cherished.

I miss playing board games with my family...Sorry, Aggravation, Monopoly and Match game. Even when the tv video game Pong came out, my parents set limits on how long we played and we didn't complain about those limits because we loved to be outside anyway.

I think about how manners were so very important back then. In school, the teachers were highly respected. To act up meant the deepest consequences...a paddling or a swat. At home, we always asked to "be excused" when we were done eating. We were expected to eat all of our food, even the stuff that was "nasty". We had chores and they were expected to be done or else.

When I look back to simpler days, I see innocence. There was very seldom the fear of being kidnapped. I remember sleeping on the front lawn with my older cousins in sleeping bags on a hot summer night.

When I look at kids now and parents, gone are those days with so many families. It's like they forgot just how good it really was back then and you know what? It's sad!

What do you remember about the good ol' days?

17 comments:

Deborah Ann said...

Aw, you twins were/are adorable! I secretly wished I had a twin sister, but instead God gave me twin sons.

Thanks for the memories, they came flooding back as I read yours. I remember the rubber bands to hold up my socks, and board games. Those were simpler days. We watched "The Waltons" and "The Monkeys." There were 9 of us kids, so we didn't get a lot in the way of 'stuff' but I'll treasure the memories forever...

Sherry said...

Simone what a beautiful post!! And the photographs?!? Delightful!! You and your sister were so adorable..easy to see the women you've become.

I laughed at some of these (the plastic on the sofas!), the games we'd play, the sharing, the popsicles in tupperware, punch bowls, kids birthday parties at home....you were describing my childhood as much as your own!!

To the good old days...they really were wonderful!

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Awwww, you two are just too darn cute! I remember a time spent with family and where neighbors got together for celebration but also to help each other work. The men would gather to work cattle on each farm or erect a barn. That just doesn't happen anymore.

You have a beautiful day, girl!!!

Ina in Alaska said...

OH how I LOVED Queen for a Day!!! I LOVED all the hard luck stories told by the women. I remember eating dry Cheerios while watching Star Trek and thinking we were pretty "hot stuff" to be able to do so.

When I was in 5th Grade our teacher got married and our class attended the wedding. We were in awe of being able to attend!!!

Enjoyed your lovely post, it brought back memories of the old days for me too. xoxo

Mari said...

I didn't know you were a twin. You two were so cute!
I loved reading your memories. I share a lot of the same ones. Plastic on the sofa, raking the green shag, Truth or Consequences, Flip Wilson... Good times!

Lin said...

Oh gees, you two are SOOOO cute!! Yes, I remember the good old days and wish they were so innocent again. Sigh.

lagirl/sweet tea said...

Pop Beads, Saddle Oxfords, "Rock n'Rollers", Suitcase purses, Appliances that were Harvest Gold or Avacado Green were the rage!!

You & your twin were adorable. I bet you got lots of attention everywhere you went. LOVED the photos! Beautiful family!!

Unknown said...

This was a totally lovely post! I adored the pictures and I loved the images you painted with your words! Life does seem like it was simpler and so much more peaceful then!

Veronica Lee said...

That was really beautiful, Simone. And I love, love the photos! You two were so cute.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Those photos are adorable!!!!!!!
Your mom is gorgeous! It's obvious where your good looks spring from!

Oh, I remember all that and more!!! We played Parcheesi and Monopoly.

Gold, Avocado and that funky orange that were on drapes, furniture, appliances....EVERTHING!!!!

Buckeroomama said...

What a beautiful post, Simone! And the pictures? I simply LOVE them! Which one was you?

Yes, life does seem to be simpler then, eh? Bet our children will probably reminisce about their younger days and say the same things to their children.

Multiple personalities.. said...

What a wonderful post! Having such simple fun with your twin sis must have been so precious. I do sometimes miss those simpler times, when board games were the norm instead of video games. But I can't say that I miss the plastic covered sofas, ha ha! Thanks for sharing, this was a lovely read!

Heart2Heart said...

Oh how I remember those times so well. I remember that going to McDonalds to get a happy meal was a treat not the norm and staying out late to play with friends to play games like Tag, relay races and to tape playing cards in our bike spokes to make a sound much like a motor bike.

Thanks for bringing these wonderful memories back to all of us.


Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Anonymous said...

You two are so adorable!

I remember those things as well. Things seemed so much simipliar back then....without money.

We played school and house and spent most of our time away from the tv. I was such the dreamer back then.

Christella D. Moody said...

Love the pictures and nostalgic post. Also, you played with people you wanted to play with. No play dates.

ethelmaepotter! said...

What fun!
...when there was only one tv in the house, black and white...and only three channels.
...when the Wonderful World of Color on Sunday night was the highlight of the week.
...when nobody locked their doors, unless there were reports of an escaped convict or a mad dog in the neighborhood.
...when going out to eat was a very rare treat, and children behaved in restaurants.

This nostalgia could go on and on...

Joanna Jenkins said...

Great pics of you and your sis! I love that you two were holding hands.

My grandma had a "plastic sofa" and lamp shades too. I never understood why until I had grandkids of my own. Sometimes I wished it was back in style :-)

xo

 

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