Favourite childhood memories

[Hey Jude]

I would love reading about some of your favourite childhood memories--I use "childhood" loosely as I am still in my childhood

My guest-room closet is full of old '78s and '45s and LP 33's complete with original album coverings. "Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo, for tonight, I'm a-gonna see my ma-cher-a-mi-o. Pick guitar, fill fruit far and be gay-o. ..." was one of my favourite Carpenters 8 track tapes early 70s. Camping trips to Nova Scotia, Catskills, White Mountains and all up and down the Appalachian Trail throughout my younger years taught me that BIG NATURE was where living was at its best. We tented, damned up rivers, canoed, fished, built roaring campfires, sang songs, chased raccoons, porcupines, 'possums and other critters out of our food supply Back then (late 50s/60s) the ice chests were not insulated plastic but heavy-duty Coleman monstrosities that when filled with ice, milk, perishable meats/eggs etc. challenged our weight-bearing strengths. I remember waking up one morning at the Bay of Fundy Park finding raccoons sitting on the picnic table scarfing down our Cheese Whiz and bread. lol.

My grandfather was involved with the beginning of talking pictures and Warner brothers. He was an engineer for them many years ago. The parent company Electrical (ERPI) Research Products inc. eventually became Western Electric He was in Europe for several years. So I grew up hearing the stories of his years in Paris and being involved with laying the first trans-Atlantic cable. In my teen years he lived in NYC so my bro and I trained up from NJ to visit him, walking to the top of the Empire State Building, taking the Staten Island Ferry etc. Recently my uncle donated grandfather's very early sound motion picture projector from the days of ERPI to The Museum of Communications. The machine and clippings are on display along with an original manual. I remember mom lugging this contraption everywhere we moved in our 25+ years of Navy life. My father once asked grandfather to diagram a schematic on how to hook up external stereo components and I still have his handwritten 20 pages of "technical jargon" which my father never did decipher lol.

Being a "Navy Brat" has broadened my horizons and taken me places--Camp David--during my 4 years of high school. I remember meeting LBJ, trying on his bowling shoes, (size 14) when we had at our disposal most of the recreational facilities fit for "Presidents." I learned to play basketball with the best of the "Girenes" my dad's slang for the Marines during his WWII days...I remember trips to D.C. to tour the White House, a military re-enactment at Fort Meade Base in MD called "Prelude To Taps" which left an indelible mark on my life with the finale of Robert E. Lee riding in on his white stallion amidst a volley of cannon and gunfire.....oh yes....most of my memories are non-tech in nature, but in my estimation...have served me well for the life I have lead.

As life hastens along, I find myself counting my blessings. Will you re-count yours with us?

[Bigaldoc]

The fact that I'm sitting at a computer as I read your post brought back one of my early youth memories that may have been a precursor to my adult interest in computers. My parents were very poor and, for example, never owned a TV until well after I had left home for the army. When I was a kid, radio was the "thing" for everyone. We had one of course, but my sister and I were not allowed to play our LOUD music on it. Absolutely verboten!

One day, one of my aunts gave me a table model radio that didn't work, asking if I would like to try to "fix" it. To this day, I don't remember how I did it, but I got that sucker to work! I think maybe I found and repaired a broken wire or something because my memory also includes learning how to use electrical tape which was given to me by one of my teachers when I told him about my effort. Anyway, that old radio became my pride and joy. I kept the cover off so I could wire in extra speakers to attach to the bedposts of my bed for nighttime listening. Out on Long Island, the only "good" radio stations that were in NYC or NJ could only be picked up at night back in those days. I learned to like country music from the lone radio station that used to play it, but I could only get it late at night.

I faced my father's wrath if I played my music too loud, even though as the older of two children I had my own room and used to close the door so I wouldn't get hollered at. In addition to country, I remember Cousin Brucie and eventually Wolfman Jack and so on.

I started working when I was about 12 (under the table, of course) and saved my money for a long, long time and finally had enough to buy a pretty decent reel-to-reel tape recorder. I attached that thing to the speaker of the radio (somehow, I don't remember) and by the time I finished high school, I had many reels of music I had recorded from that radio to tape. I eventually left home to join the army and to this day I don't know what my parents ever did with that tape recorder and all those tapes I had recorded.

[Hey Jude]

Thanks BigAl I really enjoyed reading your accounting. My grandfather lived on Long Island and I have very wonderful memories of my visits there complete with automats and Tad's Steak House and going to the 1964 World's Fair in New York City.

[Bigaldoc]

Oh yeah. Billie and I had just gotten home from France and were visiting with my family during the World's Fair.

[HansV]

Visiting my grandparents on my mother's side. The train ride was an adventure - the railway bridges over the wide rivers, the port of Amsterdam with its giant cranes (for a boy in the fifties, that is - nowadays they're much bigger).

Sunday morning in my grandparents' house - after the church service, we children were sent upstairs to play, my grandmother would make coffee. The coffee beans were ground in a hand-operated "coffee mill", and the smell of freshly ground and brewed coffee wafted up the stairs. I didn't drink coffee yet, but the smell was wonderful. When the coffee was ready, we were called downstairs again and got some milk and biscuits.

I loved to play with my grandparents' old cocker spaniel Paddy, named after an Irish soldier who had helped in the liberation of The Netherlands at the end of the second World War. It was a very easy-going dog, it liked children.

[viking33]

How did you get that pic of me?

Capture2-16-2010-8.25.00 PM.jpg

[Hey Jude]

Sunday morning in my grandparents' house - after the church service, we children were sent upstairs to play, my grandmother would make coffee. The coffee beans were ground in a hand-operated "coffee mill", and the smell of freshly ground and brewed coffee wafted up the stairs. I didn't drink coffee yet, but the smell was wonderful. When the coffee was ready, we were called downstairs again and got some milk and biscuits.

I loved to play with my grandparents' old cocker spaniel Paddy, named after an Irish soldier who had helped in the liberation of The Netherlands at the end of the second World War. It was a very easy-going dog, it liked children.

I'll 2nd the smell of hand-grown coffee brewing in my granny's glass coffee percolator (I still have it and drag it out for holidays). I loved reading about "Paddy" who helped in the liberation. Hans for sharing

[Claude]

My favourite memories are eating Mövenpick Colibri ice-creams in Lausanne, Switzerland. They always looked HUGE to me. When I visited last, naturally, I had to have one and I was very disappointed how small they were, looking at them from above rather than below

[steveh]

I would love reading about some of your favourite childhood memories--I use "childhood" loosely as I am still in my childhood

A bike, a red and white bike, a red and white bike hand painted. My father had been disabled out of the army after a post war accident in Egypt which broke most of the bones in his body, many of which never healed until he died.

I was 7, I dreamed of a bike, it was like an all consuming passion but dad could not work at any normal job and Government help was zilch for soldiers (still is). I woke up on my Birthday on December 17th, came down stairs and there it was, my dad despite being broke and mangled himself had gone out and rummaged around and found likewise broke and mangled bits and built me a bike, about 5 sizes too big mind, a red and white bike, hand painted.

I rode up and down the rode on that bike until I was about 14 when it got too small for me and the sneers from all the rich and well to do kids had died down and their shiny racing bikes had died years before.

I did not know until years later that our local village toy shop owner, Mr. Fader (God bless you Mr. Fader) came around our house on Christmas Eve of that year having heard of our plight and let my mum and dad go into the shop and pick out everything they needed for 3 boys of 5, 7 and 9 and let me dad pay on the strap knowing that he may only get spradic payments, if ever at all.

What a Christmas, what a bike, life has been good to me but it never got better than that.

[Hey Jude]

I woke up on my Birthday on December 17th, came down stairs and there it was, my dad despite being broke and mangled himself had gone out and rummaged around and found likewise broke and mangled bits and built me a bike, about 5 sizes too big mind, a red and white bike, hand painted.

What a Christmas, what a bike, life has been good to me but it never got better than that.

That brings tears to my eyes That is one of the most beautiful stories I've heard in a very long time. Mr. Fader brought your dream to life by enabling your dad to give you the desire of your heart. It just doesn't get any better than this

We share the same birthday

[steveh]

Hey Jude

"Thread Hijack Alert"

I guess that is why I have always loved Christmas time, no mattter where in the World I have been posted to by whatever Company I am working for I have always made it home for Christmas. The family is so large now that we have to split the dinner down into 2 days and seat about 16 on Christmas day and 14 on Boxing day (2 new additions to come this year).

The first time I read Dickens' Christmas Carol it made me think of Mr. Fader and until recently that was the first film of Christmas we would all sit and watch, usually on the 17th, but this year I was out voted and the Polar Express which has been number 2 for 2 or 3 years made No. 1, I don't mind everybody enjoyed it (and yes I can still hear the bell :-) )

[viking33]

Visiting my grandparents on my mother's side. The train ride was an adventure - the railway bridges over the wide rivers, the port of Amsterdam with its giant cranes (for a boy in the fifties, that is - nowadays they're much bigger).

Sunday morning in my grandparents' house - after the church service, we children were sent upstairs to play, my grandmother would make coffee. The coffee beans were ground in a hand-operated "coffee mill", and the smell of freshly ground and brewed coffee wafted up the stairs. I didn't drink coffee yet, but the smell was wonderful. When the coffee was ready, we were called downstairs again and got some milk and biscuits.

I loved to play with my grandparents' old cocker spaniel Paddy, named after an Irish soldier who had helped in the liberation of The Netherlands at the end of the second World War. It was a very easy-going dog, it liked children.

I noticed that this particular thread is the only one that goes off screen to the right, requiring a scroll bar to read the right side of the posts.
Is this because of BigAl's huge attachment picture of the Worlds Fair globe or is it just the skin I'm using? ( I'm using Rainbow Pearl skin )
I thought attachments were auto sized to fit in a single screen?
I haven't noticed this being a problem in any other threads.

[HansV]

It appears to be a problem with the Rainbow Pearl skin. I'll ask Mike to look into it.

[viking33]

It appears to be a problem with the Rainbow Pearl skin. I'll ask Mike to look into it.

OK, thanks, Hans. As I said it seems to be just this thread not any others.
No big priority.

[HansV]

Mike - quick as always - has already fixed it!

[Bigaldoc]

Sorry folks, I didn't mean to cause a problem. When I looked at the shot here in Subsilver2, even at its largest, it didn't require scrolling so I let it ride. I'll be more careful of max. size in the future.

[HansV]

Hi Al, it wasn't your fault. The software should automatically scale back large pictures, but there was a temporary glitch in the Rainbow Pearl skin that stopped the scaling. It has been fixed now.

[viking33]

Hi Al, it wasn't your fault. The software should automatically scale back large pictures, but there was a temporary glitch in the Rainbow Pearl skin that stopped the scaling. It has been fixed now.

Looks fine now, Thanks Hans and Mike.

Way back in the recesses of my mind was that auto scaling thing but thought that Al's pic might have blown it out of the water somehow?
So "scoozie me bambino" Alberto.

[Hey Jude]

Hey Jude

"Thread Hijack Alert"

I guess that is why I have always loved Christmas time, no matter where in the World I have been posted to by whatever Company I am working for I have always made it home for Christmas.

The first time I read Dickens' Christmas Carol it made me think of Mr. Fader and until recently that was the first film of Christmas we would all sit and watch, usually on the 17th, but this year I was out voted and the Polar Express which has been number 2 for 2 or 3 years made No. 1, I don't mind everybody enjoyed it (and yes I can still hear the bell :-) )

I'm happy you think you hijacked the thread because in my opinion you didn't Christmas shall forever remain my most favourite holiday and time of year. Growing up we always decorated our tree on the 17th and went Christmas caroling around the neighborhood. My brother many years ago introduced me to The Snowman and that is our traditional Christmas Eve movie before any exchange of gifts is allowed; along with The Christmas Story on Christmas Day. "I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me......"