Monday Memories: Chicago in the 50’s

How far back can you remember your childhood? Can you remember things and people from when you were three or four years old? I can’t go back quite that far, but my memories are pretty clear after about five years old. There are some vague foggy snapshots in my head from earlier, but not that crisp. Mom didn’t have many photos from those early years. I guess she was too busy working and raising three young daughters to stop and take a photo every five minutes like parents nowadays.

The first house I remember was 2301 S. Ridgeway, in Chicago. I was around five years old, maybe a little younger. My phone number was LA 11344, and that was 1958. I’m not sure why I still remember that, but I imagine it was because it was the first important thing I had to memorize in kindergarten. The house was on a corner and the Burlington Northern trains ran just a stones throw outside our window. I can see it in my minds eye like it was yesterday.

Sometimes it’s interesting to research your past. Today’s technology is amazing and can be instrumental in uncovering buried memories. Google and Google Earth can become addicting when doing research. I found a photo of my old house, grammar school, and neighborhood. And yes, it’s still there. Well, not the school, but the neighborhood. I guess not everything can last forever, even memories. Too bad!

The photo of three little girls was taken in that backyard on Ridgeway. I’m in the middle.

Monday Memories: Chicago in the ’50’s

Growing up on the south side of Chicago in the 1950’s was a blast. Well, at least I thought it was.To quote my mother, “We were poor, but everyone else was, too, so we didn’t know we were poor.”

Kids weren’t plugged-in and tuned-out back then. Everyone walked to school without earbuds blasting from an iPod or texting their every thought. After school, we played outside until we dropped from exhaustion or the front porch light flashed on and off, signaling time to come in for dinner and a bath.

Did you ever play steal the bacon? We used an old scrub brush as the bacon. Do you even know what a scrub brush is? Just kidding! We had two teams, each assigned a number. If the number one was called, the two kids who were ones, ran to the middle of the sidewalk, and one kid would try to grab the scrub brush and get back to home-base before getting tagged by the other kid. When we had a large group, we played in the middle of the street. Not much traffic back then. After 6pm, most everyone was home.

If you were a little girl, you played hop scotch and jump rope. Then, there was the complicated art of double dutch. I vaguely remember being able to jump between the two ropes, but I wasn’t that great at it. I spent endless hours playing with my Barbie doll. I made clothes for her with scraps of fabric and yarn. They didn’t have Barbie dream houses or pink convertibles back then. No Ken doll either. I think my Barbie was going to join the convent and become a nun. Can you imagine? Sister Mary Barbie?

Yes, life was simpler back then. I’m not sure if today’s technology and modern conveniences have really changed the world for the better. The jury’s still out on that one. Wish I still had my Barbie!

More Monday Manners: What ticks you off?

There are no hard and fast written rules for manners. We learn from our elders, parents, teachers, and friends. But, what about those idiots who wouldn’t know kindness if it came up and smacked them upside the head with a two-by-four? Were they raised on Mars?

Example one: I went to the post office today to mail three big packages. An elderly woman walked in behind me after parking in the handicapped spot. She waddled over to get an envelope from the wall and proceeded to fill it out at the side counter. By the time she finished, there were four people in line, so she waddled to the end of the line. I was next to be waited on, so I looked back and said, “Mam, you go ahead. You only have one item.” Her eyes lit up and she shuffled forward and thanked the others in line. That is just common courtesy and respect for our elders. I’m hoping to teach by example.

Example two: While I was driving home, I was in the right lane. I could have made a right turn on red, but NOOO! The car in the middle lane on my left, had inched up so close to the intersection, that I couldn’t see oncoming traffic. He couldn’t go, but he made it impossible for me to turn. I usually hang back when I’m in that situation.Then, don’t even get me started about those Pac-Man drivers that zig and zag in traffic, with less than a cars length, they cut in front of you and you are forced to slam on the brakes. Then, ten minutes later, they end up right next to you again. Manners dissuade you from displaying a particular digital acknowledgement.

Example three: I have found that most drivers in the state of Texas believe that turn signals, stop signs and red lights are totally optional. I once asked the mechanic at the car dealership if turn signals were removed before shipping new cars to the state of Texas. Then, there’s the four-way stop etiquette. The rule is…stop quickly for a mili-second, then step on the gas. It doesn’t matter that three other drivers were stopped before them. No common courtesy on the road.

Example four: But, on the other hand, when a woman walks toward a door, men will open the door for her, tip their hats, or help her lift a heavy bag when a woman is struggling in the Walmart parking lot with a twenty pound bag of dog food. Here in Texas, they say, “Yes mam and no sir.” The only thing I can’t figure out is why the huge discrepancy. Perhaps, there are different rules for manners on road than there are for kindness to the elderly and women. Oh yes, it seems that the older or the prettier the woman is, the kinder and more helpful the man is. That’s just universal.

Sunday and Sisters

There are sisters, and then there are SISTERS. There are the girls and women in our lives that we are related to by blood, and then, there are the girls and women who are often closer to us than any DNA molecules could possibly achieve. I’m talking about GIRLFRIENDS. There is no sibling rivalry, resentment, jealousy, or quarreling, only love and sincerity.

Don’t get me wrong. REAL sisters are wonderful, but girlfriend-sisters are REAL. This way we get the best of both worlds. The reason I’m feeling nostalgic is, the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of being part of the TOTS. The Table Of Talent Sisters here in McKinney,Texas. We all met by chance at different times, and our numbers have grown over the years. We started out with two friends and now we are about ten or more.

We did not name ourselves. We’re wonderful, but very humble. Not! About four or five years ago, a group of us were sitting at Spoons Cafe in McKinney,Texas. We are all artists, writers, photographers, and creative souls. Whenever we met for lunch, we would bring show-and-tell and share our latest endeavors. Our usual waiter, Collin, would often squat down next to us to take our order and admire the latest masterpieces. One afternoon, he just shook his head and said, “You ladies are just one table of talent.” Lightbulb moment! We decided to call ourselves the Table Of Talent Sisters, TOTS for short. Thanks, Collin! The rest is history.

What’s really wonderful about the TOTS is, we share everything. If we learn a new craft, we share. When a girlfriend has a birthday, oh my goodness, it’s like part and present city. At our last Christmas gathering at Snug on the Square, we took up the whole back room, and a very large U-Haul was needed to cart away all the handmade gifts.(Well, maybe several large shopping bags.) Then, if someone experiences a loss or illness, we’re there. When one girlfriend is hurting, we all cry. “In sickness and in health. Till death do us part”, GIRLFRIENDS RULE!

Taco Tuesday

There are two words that can bring delight to my heart, and they are…Taco Tuesday! I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to texting, but when I hear that little “ping” and my friend, Karen, sends a text that only reads…Taco Tuesday, with a question mark, I’m quick on the draw with a two letter reply..O and K.

The food at Rosa’s Cafe in McKinney isn’t out of this world fantastic, but it is pretty good, and the three taco platter is so darn cheap, I couldn’t make it at home for the price.(Under $4 on Tuesday) Believe me, I should know. I’ve been making delicious homemade tacos since I was a little señorita.

But, it isn’t just the food, colorful decor, and authentic ambiance that entices me. I thoroughly enjoy an impromptu lunch invitation from a friend. It means we get to sit for a couple hours jabbering about our week, complaining about our husbands, and extolling the praises of our now grown children. Funny how, as the children get older and move out of the house, they tend to become so wonderful and accomplished, and when the husbands are around all the time, they tend to lose their glowing status and credibility. I guess we just need something to complain about.

The point I’m trying to make is, friendships are special, and Girlfriends are extra special. So if you have the opportunity to make someone’s day with a note, a call, or an impromptu lunch, JUST DO IT! And to quote Carly Rae Jepsen…”Here’s my number. Call me maybe!”