Childhood Memories.....

My parents were older than most of my friend's parents. My mother was 43 and my father was 47 when I was born. I had five older siblings, the youngest was 14 when I came along. I grew up with the grandchildren. I had a nephew and a niece older than me.

During the summer months , most of the time, it was just Mama and me at home unless she was keeping some of the grandchildren. Seems like she spent alot of time in the kitchen. Every every morning the radio was turned on and we listened to DON MCNEIL'S BREAKFAST CLUB. The music was always upbeat with lots of applause and lots of talking and laughing.

Just before lunch, as I remember, SECOND SPRING came on. That time period's soap opera. I can still hear," Can a woman who's once loved completely ever find true love again, can she ever find a SECOND SPRING?" On Sunday nights we listened to "Beulah", "Our Miss Brooks", "The Shadow","Amos and Andy" and many more that have slipped my mind.

My Daddy always came home for lunch at 11:00 am on the dot. Since he owned his own business I suppose he had his choice of lunch times. Two things that would always be on the table at lunch and supper were ice tea (He did not drink water...so you can live without it) and lacy cornbread.

After lunch, three seasons of the year, we all went out on the front porch and sat in the porch rockers. Daddy listened to the news on a portable radio. Friends were walking up and down the street .... home for lunch or going back to work. Many stopped for a chat....about the weather, how much it rained the night before, who was sick, how the election would turn out.....whatever was happening town.

Daddy would go back to work, Mama would read the paper and I'd go to the kitchen.....to wash the dishes.

Do you have a special memory from when you were growing up?