Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in...

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Memories Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with who we are today. and the past has a lot to do with who we are today. While no one should neglect the present or the future by While no one should neglect the present or the future by living for the sake of the past, it would seem to me to living for the sake of the past, it would seem to me to be equally wrong to allow the past to fade away from our be equally wrong to allow the past to fade away from our memories. I’m thankful for my memories, as I am thankful memories. I’m thankful for my memories, as I am thankful for my dreams for the future, both are important and for my dreams for the future, both are important and both should be treasured. both should be treasured. This Thanksgiving, I want to share a few of my memories, This Thanksgiving, I want to share a few of my memories, and let those who played such a big role in the forming and let those who played such a big role in the forming of those memories know how very thankful I am for them. of those memories know how very thankful I am for them. Disclaimer: These memories are submitted at random and are subject to Disclaimer: These memories are submitted at random and are subject to my forgetfulness. Also, these memories are presented at random, no my forgetfulness. Also, these memories are presented at random, no priority of importance or fondness was considered. Furthermore, what priority of importance or fondness was considered. Furthermore, what follows is but the tip of an iceberg, but one must start somewhere. I follows is but the tip of an iceberg, but one must start somewhere. I hope you enjoy my reflections of yesteryear, and I thank God for your hope you enjoy my reflections of yesteryear, and I thank God for your role in making my memories worth remembering. role in making my memories worth remembering.

Transcript of Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in...

Page 1: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

MemoriesMemories

Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with who we are today. While no one past has a lot to do with who we are today. While no one should neglect the present or the future by living for the sake should neglect the present or the future by living for the sake of the past, it would seem to me to be equally wrong to allow of the past, it would seem to me to be equally wrong to allow the past to fade away from our memories. I’m thankful for my the past to fade away from our memories. I’m thankful for my memories, as I am thankful for my dreams for the future, both memories, as I am thankful for my dreams for the future, both are important and both should be treasured. are important and both should be treasured.

This Thanksgiving, I want to share a few of my memories, and This Thanksgiving, I want to share a few of my memories, and let those who played such a big role in the forming of those let those who played such a big role in the forming of those memories know how very thankful I am for them. memories know how very thankful I am for them.

Disclaimer: These memories are submitted at random and are subject to my Disclaimer: These memories are submitted at random and are subject to my forgetfulness. Also, these memories are presented at random, no priority of forgetfulness. Also, these memories are presented at random, no priority of importance or fondness was considered. Furthermore, what follows is but the importance or fondness was considered. Furthermore, what follows is but the tip of an iceberg, but one must start somewhere. I hope you enjoy my tip of an iceberg, but one must start somewhere. I hope you enjoy my reflections of yesteryear, and I thank God for your role in making my reflections of yesteryear, and I thank God for your role in making my memories worth remembering.memories worth remembering.

Page 2: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

This past Halloween (2003), Katie was telling me how much she loved Malt Balls and then shared a few with me. I too like them, and it reminded me of the times in my early youth when Dad needed to go to Sears (on mainstreet) for this or that tool, perhaps a part for the lawn mower, other times for overalls. I remember always wanting to go and what fun it was to get some of their tasty popcorn! You could smell it the second you walked through the doors. The aroma would entice you till you either got some or left the store. I remember how Dad would often get the bridge mix, which was just a variety of chocolate covered treats. Some were great, some, well, not so much so. And, of course, I suppose it may be at Sears when I had my first Malt Ball. They were good then and they are good today. Probably an odd memory, but it’s one of those memories that gets triggered from time to time, and the memory of trips to Sears always triggers fond memories, not so much about the popcorn or malt balls, but time being with my Dad.

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Smells are a interesting thing, they can enchant and they can disgust, and they can certainly bring to mind memories of the past. Not often, but from time to time, I will get a whiff of one of the ingredients that went into the making of those faddish homemade clackers. Remember them? They were those variously colored balls we made, then drilled holes through the center, tied two of the balls on the ends of a short rope. And then, by the coordinated movement of the hand/arm, the balls would clack loudly. It’s not so much the clackers that I remember, but the loving Mom who took the time out of her busy day to help us make them. I love it when I get a whiff of some chemical agent that reminds me of that distinctive aroma that was let off by the ingredients of homemade clackers. It always reminds me that God blessed me with a loving mother who so selflessly spent so much time with Mark and me, making this or that.

Page 4: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

Of course, the fun times and memories weren’t restricted to the motorcycles, there are many many other great memories that were indelibly written in my mind. For example, I still fondly remember the whole family playing games together. The game of Clue sticks out in particular. Did Colonel Mustard kill Ms. Peabody in the Library with the pipe wrench? In today’s high paced society, families often don’t have or take the time to play together, and that’s a shame, because those are important times in my estimation, and I’m very grateful to have had parents who were willing to sit and play silly games with two goofy kids. I also remember how we’d watch TV, and one show sticks out in my, The Sixth Sense. I’ve never seen reruns of that show, but I remember watching it with my family, and I suspect it wasn’t the show that was so great, but rather the time with my family, together, in one room, just being together. I also remember how we would all work in the yard on Saturday morning. It was hard work, but the finished product made it worth while. I remember in particular the smell of freshly mowed over onion grass blades. The aroma of onions would fill the air. I rarely have those in my yard here in Irving, but every now and then I do, and when I mow over them, my memories immediately take me to the river and all the happy memories we formed there.

Page 5: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

Speaking of games and toys, boy, I can sure remember some fun ones. Here are a few. Slot cars, tons of fun. I remember my favorite slot car was a blue corvette/stingray. This past Christmas, 2007, Santa gave us a slot car set. Needless to say, we all thoroughly enjoyed racing the cars!

Page 6: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

Hot Wheels, another car set that provided hours upon hours of fun. I remember setting this up in MaMa and PaPa’s living room on Christmas morning.

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More nostalgic games that I fondly remember:

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Page 9: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

I don’t think we ever got candy cigarettes for Christmas or a birthday, but I do remember buying them at Wool Worths in Myerland Plaza. I think I preferred the cigars made of gum!

                                                         

                  

Page 10: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

Every kid has to have a BB Gun! Mark and I used to spend hours over by the Old River, back when there were lots of woods, looking for opportunities to shoot at a bird, or maybe even a squirrel. I remember finally killing a bird and realizing that it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. From that time onward, I didn’t aim so carefully.

Page 11: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

This was, without question, one of my favorite guys. It had real looking bullets that actually shot a piece of plastic across the room. It was spring loaded, so you just shoved the bullet back into the casing.

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The main thing I recall about this ghostly game is that the pieces glowed in the dark.

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Johnny Reb Canon

I really loved this Johnny Reb Canon. Spring loaded, this canon would hurt a tennis sized ball across the room. I remember taking this to school when I was at Horn Elementary – we were reenacting part of the Battle of the Alamo! Only in Texas to kids get to take canons to school.

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Lincoln Logs, tons of fun!

Page 15: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.
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I don’t recall this camera/gun being a favorite, but I sure did remember it when I was browsing through vintage toys and games of the 1960s.

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They say that the only thing that changes between a boy and his tows as he gets

older is that they become more expensive. I think that’s pretty spot on!

Page 21: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

Weekends at the Owl’s Nest, what great memories I have of that. The Friday night ritual of going to the River. Packing up the blue and white Chevy, Mark and I would crawl into the back and find a niche were we could comfortably ride for an hour. Once we arrived at the River, we would jump out and run to retrieve our motorcycles. We’d roll them from the house to the front, flip the choke lever, and after one or two kicks those Honda’s rarely denied us a joy ride up and down the road out front. What fun times we had on those motorcycles!

Sometimes, late at night, we would ride them out into the middle of the wildlife preserve. Then we would all sit and listen to the wolves howl.

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Yep, my first fish caught on an old blue fishing rod with a Zebco Reel. Yep, that’s Mom in the background, probably catching more than all of us put together, and probably doing so with the butt of a cigarette! If there were fish to be caught, Mom would catch them.

Remember when we all hopped out of the truck to fish and crab, and we were stopped dead in our tracks by the huge Water Moccasin?

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Are we having fun yet? From the look on my face, I think I would have preferred to be swimming at Evergreen Pool.

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Ah, yes, football. I loved playing football and I appreciated all the times we practiced out

front. Dad, you made for a pretty darn good quarterback!

Page 25: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

Uncle Floyd and Aunt Thelma, ducks

I’ll always remember this day. The sky was cobalt blue and the air was crispy cold. I always enjoyed visiting Aunt Thelma and Uncle Floyd. Their house was always so immaculate, the wood floors were so shinny, and they had that huge bathroom, pink, I think it was.

Page 26: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

This picture brings back many memories. Spending the summer with Mama and Papa and building this boat was the time of a life time! I remember the tree with vines that used to be where the shop was. I remember playing back there one night when Mom and Dad were having a party. We swung on the vines and at some point, someone noticed how some of the fallen vines were hollow. Next thing I recall, we were trying to smoke them. Don’t worry, I think we only tried it once.

Page 27: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

This weekend is opening day for deer season, and though I don’t hunt, I’m reminded, as I often am, of one day in my childhood when Dad and Mark were packing up to go deer hunting. Mom and I were staying home and over the course of the weekend, Mom taught me a song on the piano. I don’t remember with certainty what song it was, but I think it was Yesterday . Anyway, through her patience and love, she sat there with me and encouraged me to learn to play a song. I know it took patience and love, because I sometimes try to help my kids learn a song on the piano, and I know full well it can be monotonous and frustrating. Anyway, I’m thankful to have a Mom who was willing to sit there and help me take my first baby steps as it was, on the piano. That weekend, I began a journey on the piano that would last a life time. As a parent, I also appreciate the time and expense of piano lessons with Mel Arvin (what a great teacher he was) Thanks Mom, and Dad, for giving me a present that will last a life time!

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That same weekend, Mom and I went to the Bellaire Movie Theater and saw The Cowboys - with John Wayne! That movie came out in 1972, so I was 12 years old, the same age as Katie is right now. Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China that year, and J. Edgar Hoover died, as I recall.

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Good Times at the BeachGood Times at the Beach

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FIRST CIGARS FIRST CIGARS

Just hanging with by big bro, smoking and jamming to some good music.

Actually, I think it was those gum cigars from Woolworth that were our first.

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Life can be pretty difficult at times . . .

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But it ain’t so bad when you have a big brother to turn to.

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122 Bellaire Ct. A great home, with plenty of great memories.

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Edelweis, knee pin, ping pong and pool, horse shoes, garbage shoot, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, perot,

Mom making fudge on cold rainy winter nights, movie nights,

Building my boat

Skiing

Bulkhead

Shrimping adventure, Garbage shoot at bellaire, truck, blazer,

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DOMINOES

Chess

Page 36: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.

Did ya know?

Sperry & Hutchinson began offering stamps to retailers back in 1896. The retail organizations bought the stamps from S&H and gave them as bonuses with every purchase based on the amount you bought. The more you bought the more stamps you got.

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I still remember Dad’s awesome black and white Corvette #()_#(U%+_ po Oh, WAIT, I think that was a dream rather than reality.

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Page 39: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.
Page 40: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.
Page 41: Memories Memories are a wonderful thing. Among the many pleasures of memories, they help us keep in touch with the past, and the past has a lot to do with.
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