Wistful Wednesday: Christmas in the late 1950’s.

These are photos that Far Guy’s Mom put in a photo album for him.

They are not marked with a year…I would guess it is 1958 or 1959.

The chair on the left was torquoise and the rocker on the right was beige I think.  The tree is in its proper place in front of the window.  Far Guy has something in his hands …might be a Christmas Program…perhaps he had a speaking part and was cramming at the last minute.

Here he is joined by Muggy and his sister…who looks very thin…I wonder what color her dress was…I will guess blue.  She would have been 14 or 15 in this photo.

Far Guy says he thinks his sweater was light blue…but he wouldn’t swear on it.  Yes the photo was taken after church.

See the Shiny Brites on the tree? 

These are both Polaroid Photos taken by Far Guy’s Dad.  Muggy does not look thrilled.

Wistful Wednesday: T Bird

Cousin’s Bonnie and Wayne shared some fun photos with us by email,  we thank them for sharing! 

This one made us both smile.  Far Guy is in cousin Jay’s #10 T-Bird, helped along by his father.  This must have been around 1957 –1958 sometime.

Uncle Jimmy built this for his son Jay.  Note the string steering and the front wheels are wider than the back.

Far Guy thinks that there were races of some sort in Grand Forks, ND  this T Bird had no motor it was a push car.  (There are no hills to speak of in North Dakota.)

Wistful Wednesday: My Baby Brother

My baby brother is sixty today!  Happy Birthday Carey!

This is Carey and I in 1954, see how supportive I am of him, making sure he doesn’t fall over in the grass.

I don’t have many pictures of him on his birthday but I have just a few on my own birthday!  Here I am holding the cupcakes and he holds my doll…probably what makes him such a good Dad and Grandpa.  In 1957 I would have been six and he was three.

I am not sure when this one was taken, maybe about 1959.  Our Mother sewed our clothing, and I can tell that she sewed that shirt…I am trying to remember what color it was…I think my Dad had one that matched.  I think green…

I was might have been a bossy big sister.  I tried keeping him out of trouble.  Most of the time we got along pretty good, there was that one time when I stabbed him in the foot with a pitch fork…not sure why I felt compelled to do that…I think he was going to tattle on me … and a pitchfork to the foot will stop you in your tracks and make you forget lots of stuff.  I guess he must have recovered.  I might have waited on him hand and foot like the time he stepped on the bullhead at Shell Lake and got blood poisoning…he laid on the couch for days that time with a towel and a plastic bag around his leg, Dreft soap soaks helped to draw out the poison.  I thought for sure he was going to be a goner that time…but  he survived that too.  ( He stepped on that bullhead all by himself, I didn’t push him or nothin’, I even let him use my shoulder for a crutch as he hobbled back to Uncle Hugo’s house.)

I am possibly the best older sister he has!

Wistful Wednesday: Relatives

This is an old photo from years ago.  I found it among the hunting and fishing photos in my Father In Laws album.   I finished that scanning project and made a CD of the photos and packed it all away in the trunk.  One more project completed! All the photos were marked with who, when and where with a photo safe marking pencil.

Uncle Willard, Lola, Evelyn, Don and Aunt Louise

This was taken sometime in the early 1950’s.  That is Far Guys Mom at the end of the table.   The photo is taken from Far Guys Dads spot at the table.  So I can safely say he took the photo.  It was taken in the formal dining room at their home in Park Rapids Minnesota.

I think this photo has a spring feel to it, the ladies are in short sleeves, the linen tablecloth is the one with the green leaf pattern.   They have just finished a platter  of sweets of some sort and the silver creamer and sugar set is on the table. I bet it was taken on a Sunday afternoon.  Years ago Sunday afternoon was a time for relatives and visiting.

Uncle Willard is not in the best health.   Most of his children were here for Thanksgiving.  On Sunday afternoon they converged at our house along with other cousins from Detroit Lakes Minnesota..there was no linen table cloth..and no one showed up in a suit…but there was much laughter and lots of reminiscing and coffee and a plate of goodies. Alaska Guy and his brother from Washington DC were very impressed with this photo..it was one that they had never seen before.  I made them both copies. ( Lola and their Mother Louise are sisters.) It was a fun afternoon..almost like old times visiting with the relatives on a Sunday afternoon:)

Wistful Wednesday: 1950

My maternal grandparents were Elsie and Albert, they were the grandparents that we visited every Sunday afternoon without fail.  After I was married I was expected to visit there on Sunday afternoons too..I chose to go on other days so I could actually visit. 

This is my grandparents the year before I was born.  They are all dressed up for church.  Remember those rubber overshoes like my grandma has on? All the ladies wore them in the winter..so they wouldn’t get their good shoes snowy or wet. Grandmas were the fancy smancy ones..they had fur at the top.

This is a summer time photo around the same time..give or take a year or two.  This is how I remember them dressing every day..Grandma in a house dress and Grandpa in his bibs with his engineers cap.  I think that is Dixie..they had a few Dixies in their time..Dixie would have been a cow dog…she would have went to the pasture and brought the cows up to the barn for milking. Dixie would have understood both English commands and German commands.

This is the house where I learned to play “Annie I Over” one summer Sunday afternoon.  Now for the younger readers..this is how you play.  You split into two teams, one team on each side of the house.  You throw a large ball over the roof and holler Annie I Over!  Then you wait..if the kids on the other side of the house catch the ball then they will sneak around the house and tag someone with the ball and then you are on their team. If no one catches the ball they are suppose to holler “Pig Tail” and then it is their turn to throw it over..always hollering “Annie I Over” as the ball goes up and over the house. It was a great game full of throwing, anticipation, running for your life to the other side of the house..and giggling..lots of giggling:)   

Wistful Wednesday : Late 1950’s

Years ago even if you didn’t go out every Saturday night..you went out on New Years Eve.  It was a unwritten rule. No one stayed home on New Years Eve.  You got all gussied up and went out..usually meeting relatives or friends, for supper..some dancing and more than likely a little bit of drinking.

In our area there were several places to go..Anglers Tavern being a local favorite..there would be music and they had a dance floor.  There was El Rancho over by Two Inlets..and there was a place called Toad Lake..and then over by Detroit Lakes there was a place called the Erie 34 Supper Club where you could have dinner and dance.

In the late 1950’s Far Guys parents were all dressed up and ready to go out..someone else took this photo with a different camera. It must have been Uncle Jimmy or Uncle Ronald. We get a rare color look at the couch that I have described previously as beige and those hopelessly wild flowery drapes, the venetian blinds and a pukey looking green corduroy round pillow.  We get a look at Far Guys Dad when he had a little hair remaining on his head.  This was before the big comb-over..you know when the men grew their hair long on one side and combed it over the top of their head to cover it and it made them look like they had a little hair..except if they took off their hat in the wind. Far Guys Mother is beautiful in a brushed satin dress and her earrings and necklace match.

If I could see more of the photo..Far Guys Dads shoes are perfectly polished..and his Mom has on black leather pumps..dancing shoes:)

Wistful Wednesday: Late 1950’s

This is a Polaroid, Far Guys Dad loved the Polaroid..sometimes I think it was because he was not a patient man and wanted to see his photos “right now.”  He would have loved the digital age.  I think perhaps Far Guys sister took this photo, or maybe Far Guys Mom. 

Far Guy, Far Guys Dad and Muggy.

This photo shows a slice of life in the late 1950’s..1957, 1958 or 1959. Far Guy in his pajamas, his Dad in the ever present flannel shirt.  It was kinda a short tree that year.  I would imagine that a fair amount of cussing went on when the dreaded light stringer was brought out. Every year when we put  stringers of lights on the tree one of us will remark “Remember how Dad used to cuss at the lights?”

I smiled at the plastic coverings that Far Guys Mom covered the couch and the chair with and wondered what records Far Guys sister Jan was playing on her record player or phonograph as it was called back then.  I can’t quite tell if this is the same two tone green phonograph that had it’s own gold stand in her room or not. You know one of those old stands where you could put records underneath..

And those drapes..they were all the rage.

Muggy was a Chihuahua. He lived a very long life..he is the same Muggy who pooped on my foot during my first formal meal in this house. (When I had to be told not to eat the entire shrimps and that I could leave the tails on my plate..farm girl..who had never eaten shrimp before.) The same Muggy who lost one of his toenails on the basement stairs and almost delayed our wedding in 1969. See that chair..Far Guy would “sic” Muggy after me and I would stand up in that chair and giggle at this ferocious little dog with the big attitude ..it was turquoise..the couch was a non descript beigey brown.

Lots of old memories in this photo:)

The Tower

The Smoky Hills, these hills have been a constant companion in my life. Most days they look smoky and hazy.
Then you get up close to them and they lose their smoky haze.

I grew up near this fire tower, during the spring and fall it was manned by a person called a fire spotter. They were armed with binoculars and a radio, at the first sign of smoke they would call with the location of the fire. During the summer the tower was unmanned. There were three of us, my brother Carey, our neighbor Danny and me. The boys had no problems scampering up the ladder, I on the other hand struggled. When I was just above the tree tops my knees would begin to knock together and my heart would be in my throat. I would end up backing down without reaching the tower platform. The boys would usually go first, on the few occasions that I went first, I would have to dangle from the edge of the ladder to let them pass me, and then I would go down. It was on those occasions that they would call me a chicken and flap their arms and make chicken sounds. True friends.

One fine summer day, they decided that I was going to conquer my fear and I was going to make it to the top. Once I was on the ladder they said that they were not going to allow me to chicken out and if they had to push me up the ladder they would. There was lots of cheering and shouts of "Don't look down." "You are doing great" I made it past the treetops and there was no wind. Maybe I could do it? I scampered to the top, opened the trap door and collapsed on the floor, totally exhausted. The boys were right behind me, they hollered over the treetops "She did it!" Then they wanted me to stand up and look over the edge. I did but only while holding on. Then it hit me, how in the world am I ever going to get back down? I announced "I can't go down, you will have to leave me here." Much discussion followed, they were blaming me for the whoopings that they were going to get. They said I was going to be in "big trouble." Finally after much talking, and their swearing on a stack of Holy Bibles that they would never call me a chicken again, Carey started down, then me, followed by Danny. My knees shook, I cried, they ignored my fearful sobs and counted the downward rungs for me, one at a time. They talked me through it. They avoided a whooping, they never asked me to climb that tower again, but they never called me a chicken anymore either, it was the first and last time I climbed that tower..once was plenty for me:)

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas 1950

A first Christmas for a very special person. Far Guy, he was ten months old. Jan his sister on the left was four and his cousin Bonnie was three. Surrounded by girls! I believe this photograph was taken by Far Guys Dad, at Uncle J and Auntie E's home in Grand Forks, ND.
Note the very shiny wood floors, the somewhat "wild" drapes and the venetian blinds. That is one heavily tinseled tree!


Aww..Far guy is upset! His sister seems less than sympathetic to whatever monumental plight he is suffering that is causing him to cry. His cousin clearly does not want to deal with a little boy crying ( in the New Year..she gets her own little brother.)

I chose the follow up photo because it made me smile. ( Not just because he was crying.) Far Guy must have been learning to walk. There are pieces of tape on the bottom of his shoes. Mothers often put pieces of tape on the soles of shoes to help their newly walking children get more traction on very slippery floors..like hardwood floors waxed to perfection!

There are lots of interesting objects in this photograph. A photograph of a special couple is on the end table, I believe this is Auntie E's parents. There is also a record player. On the right there is some sort of boat on the table, perhaps a sail boat? Auntie E had some beautiful doilies. I am thinking that the lovely old chair was either beige or that dusty pink color?

I love the way the children are all dressed up. Saddle shoes, Patent leather shoes and some very slippery shoes with tape on the bottom:)

Bubble Lights

Do you remember the Bubble Lights that were very fashionable back in the 1950's? They fascinated Far Guy, he would sit and watch the bubbles for hours. He says that the bubbles were larger back then. I am not quite sure if I believe this or not, somehow lots of things seemed larger when you were a child.

We have one strand, they are not the old, antique ones but a little bit of nostalgia we were able to purchase at Ben Franklin a number of years ago. Noma, who was the King of bubble lights introduced a string of seven bubble lights, they do come with some cautions. Always use bubble lights in an upright position, allow several minutes for the bubbling action to start, if any fail to bubble a light tap with your finger will start the bubbling action immediately. Contents: Methylene Chloride. If a vial breaks, open windows and do not breathe.

The bubble lights were on the tree for a little while, they are headed back into their box. Far Guy can get them out again just before Christmas. The vials are glass and anything glass can break, as I have discovered in previous years. Chance! He has a big fluffy tail, that he wags with wild abandon. Sometimes he gets into a little trouble with the Christmas tree. So for the safety of all..the Bubble Lights bubbled for just one evening:)