my childhood – Page 2

Trying to Restore My Memory

leeduigon(patty)February 8, 2025

The Cisco Kid - The Carriage and Western Art Museum

Duncan Rinaldo (right) and Leo Carillo (left) in The Cisco Kid

I’m trying to kick my memory back into gear. A spotty memory, part of “chemo brain,” is a standard leftover from chemotherapy and radiation. In my own case it’s taking a lot of time to fade away.

Yesterday I was exercising my memory by asking it what TV shows I used to watch with Grandma. I spent a lot of time at her house. I was too young to realize this, but television had only come along later in her life and still seemed a touch miraculous.

When the weather was nice, of course, we were out on the porch–me with my pick-up sticks, Grandma with her Reader’s Digest. When it wasn’t, we resorted to the living room and turned on the TV.

Here are three shows I remember from back them.

*The Cisco Kid (1950-1956). I loved this show! So exotic! Certainly nothing like it in New Jersey. Grandma always tried to please her grandchildren, so we watched The Cisco Kid. I’m not convinced she thought it was so great.

*Arthur Godfrey. Great Caesar’s ghost! Could this guy put you to sleep, or what? Grandma never missed it. He played a big part in early TV history, on air 1949-1959. And it was live TV: sometimes he liked to just throw away the script and wing it.

*Queen for a Day (1956-64). This started out as a radio show in 1949–and who can forget it? Old ladies competed with each other, and whoever could trot out the most abject misery got to be “Queen for a Day.” Really, this was just awful! Grandma lapped it up like chowder.

I want to get my brain back on line. Somewhere out there is Ozias, Prince Enthroned–but where is it? I’ve got the longhand copy, but the finished manuscript is still hiding in the blahsmos.

Come on, memory! No more lolly-gagging!

Sanity Break: ‘William Tell’

leeduigon(patty)January 13, 2025

Ah, 1950s television! A great time to be eight or nine years old!

Taking time out from the nooze, it popped into my head to revisit this old show–William Tell, starring Conrad Phillips, produced by British Broadcasting.

It has half an hour of high adventure, and the good guys always won. You marched behind William Tell because his cause was just. Freedom! He fought for freedom.

By cracky, do we need heroes now! People like William Tell. And maybe we’re going to get some. Maybe Donald Trump’s election was the start of something glorious. Hey! Once upon a time we followed George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette… and a new country was born. Our country.

Maybe it’s once again a time for heroes.

[P.S.–Sound supervisor, Fred Turtle. “And how are all the little turtles?” Check the closing credits if you don’t believe me.]

God’s Stuff: Box Turtles

leeduigon(patty)January 12, 2025

When I was a boy, there were a lot of box turtles. We lived next to our local woodland, and the edge of the woods featured blackberry patches. That made it very attractive to box turtles. And when it rained, they would wander around your back yard.

(Did I remember I was Mr. Nature?)

I kept box turtles as pets. Who didn’t? They got very tame, but they were also escape artists. When they were out of their turtle pen, they used to bother our dog, Rags, by eating his dog food and totally ignoring his strenuous objections. There’s not much a dog can do to an adult box turtle.

Now, of course, it’s been years since I’ve seen a box turtle. That’s progress! McMansions everywhere you look!

*Sigh* Nature is a memory.

Memory Lane: Sears-Roebuck Christmas Catalogue

leeduigon(patty)December 28, 2024

Here! Enjoy seven minutes’ worth of toys in the Sears-Roebuck 1960 Christmas catalog.

Oh, did I love those catalogs! I know it’s not quite what Christmas is about, and you can go too far–(Are you kidding? You can go way too far!) but come on, let’s get real: who doesn’t like to receive presents? Some of us like to give them, too.

I loved the “play sets” with mobs of little plastic figurines. Can I remember all the play sets that I had? Circus (I was, I think, five years old). Farm. Dinosaurs and Cavemen. African Safari. Cape Canaveral. Military Base (with spring-powered missiles!). The kid down the block had the Ben Hur set.

And then there were all the different construction sets with which you could design and build your own architectural fantasies. There was just no end to it. Sitting on the couch in the sitting room, watching the snow come down, and thumbing through the toys section in the catalog–was there ever a more pleasant way to spend a winter’s day?

Alas, there is no more Sears-Roebuck & Co., no more Sears Christmas Catalog.

Just memories.

[P.S.–That’s Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring in the background.]

‘Swingin’ Safari’

leeduigon(patty)September 22, 2024

I need some happy music! (Eldermike, you were absolutely right about that).

Here’s one from way back when–A Swingin’ Safari, by Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra.

Was this used as theme music by “The Match Game”? Anyone remember?

‘Sweet Hour of Prayer’

leeduigon(patty)September 21, 2024

This is another hymn my mother and my grandma would sing as they went about their housework. I’m glad they did! It’s the kind of memory that stays with you and is always at hand when you need it.

Sung here by Alan Jackson: Sweet Hour of Prayer.

Have I Lost My Marbles?

leeduigon(patty)September 15, 2024

Nah, I’m all right–I just felt like hearing this: That Happy Feeling, by Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra, from way back when. As one of the theme songs for Sandy Becker’s show, it was a staple of my childhood. I’m glad I’ve not forgotten it.

‘Memory Lane: Knightly Model Kits’

leeduigon(patty)September 12, 2024

See the source image

I’m afraid my Blue Knight didn’t turn out quite like this.

The toy universe, back when I lived in it with my brother and sister, was very rich in knights, armor and all. Imagine our delight when we got these model kits for Christmas.

Memory Lane: Knightly Model Kits

Alas, plastic swords and battle-axes wouldn’t even cut yarn; the yarn cut them when we tried. My Blue Knight of Milan never did stand quite straight–probably needed a lamp-post to lean on.

Even so–model kits were fun! I don’t know how popular they are today, but back then they gave us many happy (and peaceful!) hours. And there’s very much to be said for that.

‘My Iguana’ (2015)

leeduigon(patty)August 26, 2024

Baby Green Iguanas

Gotta get ’em while they’re babies

This is the first time in my life, since I was a toddler, that I have no pets. God knows I miss the one’s I’ve had. Including my iguana, whom I had for 17 years.

My Iguana

Anyhow, this lizard thought he was a mammal, ’cause that’s how he was raised. He did everything but purr. All right, he didn’t fetch, either. But where we were, that’s where he wanted to be; and he was awfully good companionship.

Yes, I know a lot of people have had grouchy mean iguanas who’d bite you as soon as look at you. But it’s all in the way they’re raised.

Sort of like people.