Yesterday my sister called me. We don't talk often, but when we do we go marching back in time. Her memory is fantastic and somehow we got on the subject of the neighborhood where we grew up. Remember in my first post I spoke of the old neighborhood and the corner store? Well, she actually remembers the names of everyone who lived there. We have very fond memories of that place. Even though it was within the city limits, it was like a country village.
Two and a half years ago, while visiting my daughter back East, we took a day to go see where I went to school and I wanted to show her where I grew up. I remembered exactly how to get there and when we arrived I was astonished to find that my old neighborhood was - GONE. I don't mean to say it had been turned into a mall or amusement park, it simply was GONE. No corner store, no houses, no lofty oak and maple trees, nothing. It had been turned into a wild bird sanctuary.
Well, sister and I talked about this and we are glad that, if it had to disappear, it became a wildlife refuge. But, I was really disappointed. I went home and researched this on the Internet, and no where is there any mention of the people who had lived there. I feel like a part of my history has been taken away, but it will live on in our memories. Good memories of a simple childhood, we were poor, but happy because of where we were.
Till next time, Hatsy
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I THINK....
Did you see the Miss America Pageant last night? I'm not a pageant follower, but I like to see this particular one. It takes me home to a time when the pageant was in Atlantic City, NJ. It kicked off with a big parade on the boardwalk, each girl rode on an individual float and they were just as beautiful then as they are now.
My young people will be visiting again this weekend and I think I will tell them about the Jersey shore as it was then, not as Snookie (did I spell that correctly?) and her group depict it today. As a teenager, my friends and I would ride our bicycles eight miles to the beach and wander in the dunes. We would make a fire and cook hot dogs, sharing with the gulls and other water fowl. We collected shells to be made later into crude jewelry.
Another great attraction in Atlantic City was the Steel Pier. It extended far out over the ocean and you could spend the whole day there enjoying three movie theaters, exhibits, amusements and good food. What I loved best was the water show at the end of the pier that featured the diving horse and the young woman who clung to its bareback when it dove from the tower into the huge tank of water. What no one ever knew then (it was not publicized) was that the young woman was blind. Get the film "Wild Hearts Can't be Broken" for the full story.
Well, the pier, as it was, is gone now and the pageant has moved to Las Vegas, but it will always remain a part of the real and genuine Jersey shore.
Till next time, Hatsy
My young people will be visiting again this weekend and I think I will tell them about the Jersey shore as it was then, not as Snookie (did I spell that correctly?) and her group depict it today. As a teenager, my friends and I would ride our bicycles eight miles to the beach and wander in the dunes. We would make a fire and cook hot dogs, sharing with the gulls and other water fowl. We collected shells to be made later into crude jewelry.
Another great attraction in Atlantic City was the Steel Pier. It extended far out over the ocean and you could spend the whole day there enjoying three movie theaters, exhibits, amusements and good food. What I loved best was the water show at the end of the pier that featured the diving horse and the young woman who clung to its bareback when it dove from the tower into the huge tank of water. What no one ever knew then (it was not publicized) was that the young woman was blind. Get the film "Wild Hearts Can't be Broken" for the full story.
Well, the pier, as it was, is gone now and the pageant has moved to Las Vegas, but it will always remain a part of the real and genuine Jersey shore.
Till next time, Hatsy
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I THINK.......
My daughter has tried to convince me to start a blog and I thought about it and I just couldn't think of anything to write about. Then, I had occasion to move my residence, again, for the fifth time in five years. My moving squad was my grandson, my daugher, two-daughter-in-laws and a treasured neighbor. One of my daughter-in-laws brought along her brother and his friend.
After we moved my "stuff" across a courtyard, we sat down and visited for a bit. My company ages were 18, 21 and 24. I don't know why, but I THINK....young people like to talk with old people about the "old days", you know, way back when. So, we talked about what it was like to live without a phone. How, as kids we hung out at the corner store and waited for the phone to ring and then we took turns running to the neighborhood house to let them know they had a call and for that we got five cents. For five cents you could get a candy bar, an apple or a pickle and like every other nutritious conscious kid, I always opted for a candy bar.
This led to a discussion about cell phones. What a hot topic that was and I THINK...I'll save it for next time. So, what do you THINK? Till then, Hatsy
After we moved my "stuff" across a courtyard, we sat down and visited for a bit. My company ages were 18, 21 and 24. I don't know why, but I THINK....young people like to talk with old people about the "old days", you know, way back when. So, we talked about what it was like to live without a phone. How, as kids we hung out at the corner store and waited for the phone to ring and then we took turns running to the neighborhood house to let them know they had a call and for that we got five cents. For five cents you could get a candy bar, an apple or a pickle and like every other nutritious conscious kid, I always opted for a candy bar.
This led to a discussion about cell phones. What a hot topic that was and I THINK...I'll save it for next time. So, what do you THINK? Till then, Hatsy
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