Author: 610rrandtr

Everyone’s grandmother is the greatest, right? In 1960, two years after her husband died, my maternal grandmother was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease and told she had six months to live. They clearly didn’t know who they were dealing with. Her parents came from Germany in the 1800’s, speaking fluent German in the house. I suspect… Continue reading My Grandmother, best in the world

Collections I had an aunt that was a department store buyer for women’s clothes. So she made multiple trips to NYC, even taking me along once to see the Statue and Empire State. We even ate in one of the last Automats (Note: if you don’t know what this means, check out a doc on… Continue reading More Toys!

Well, Susie, It’s right here! Fifth grade ends and the playground isn’t open………..yes, they blew the May 30 deadline. So, instead they did it on the Fourth of July, though in truth we had been skulking around after dark. (Cop parked there all day–goes to show how much crime there was.) The entrance began halfway… Continue reading The Playground!

We have met the enemy, and he lives here. How about a little music to set the mood? As the sixties refused to go away and leave daddy in peace, his racism and intolerance grew focused and festered. The Chicago riots turned him into a chain-smoking maniac. And I had a front row seat. Initially,… Continue reading Strike Two, Daddy–1968 Chicago

Dippity Do or Brylcream? Women’s Hair Salon’s looked completely different in the sixties. There were no chains, so they were all run by individuals. A place where neighborhood ladies met and talked in between sets and perms. Row after row of huge iron hair dryers lined the walls–large, space-helmet hats that descended on their hair… Continue reading Hair Care

Privacy? Not! I just realized, you never heard about the awnings. Well……… All the houses either had metal or canvas awnings. It was a cool thing to have in the fifties, I suppose. As you’ve seen the psycho next door had the metal ones, which made for wonderful sound at Halloween. We had canvas dark… Continue reading The awnings

The true ‘Mansion on the Hill’ Gracefully hidden behind tall hedges and trees, the oldest house in my borough stood on the main drag atop the hill. It was a three story mansion in grey marble with a two story garage/servants’ quarters. On foggy nights, the twin lamps that straddled the oaken door resembled a… Continue reading THAT house

School is out from 5th grade. The playground is not finished. Tension is high. Our hero, little me, is out front in the shade of a tree, small transistor radio at my side. I was probably reading a comic book or My Weekly Reader (summer version). Across the street, Steve is under a car (soon… Continue reading The Music Begins

Splish Splash car was takin’ a bath I don’t know when car washes were invented, but one didn’t arrive in our corner of PA until the late 60’s. It was erected in a less fashionable part of the city….literally one block long. An amusement park ride for adult males. I’d say that it was maybe… Continue reading The thrill of…..the Car Wash (?!)

A Shooting Gallery This may seem off topic. but it isn’t…….In the sixties, there were no electric signs, except for neon. You either had neon, or you put up wooden signs. This left small shops like delis, hardware stores, pizza shops, etc out in the cold. Enter the major soda companies–Coke, Pepsi, Seven-UP, RC, etc.… Continue reading I Love the Sound of Gunshots in the Morning