It was during WW2 and I can remember selling GREEN SALVE, ordering paste on tattoos from the Johnson Smith catalog. Learning to play Monopoly, collecting tin foil. playing with Lincoln Logs, folding bandages with other kids at the American Red Cross, seeing all the War Movies like, FLYING TIGERS, CASABLANCA, MRS. MINIVER,BATAAN,GUADALCANAL DIARY,30 SECONDS OVER TOKOYO, THE PURPLE HEART
@Ren Tanner ....." from the Johnson Smith catalog...." They were located in Detroit, and had a catalog listing thousands of items. As a kid, I ordered from them this: As well as many other unique toy and novelty items, as well as needed practical tools and things. I believe my Dad obtained his Rolls Razor from Johnson Smith & Co. It was a very clever device. Rolls Razor model: Imperial No. 2 in closed chrome-plated case with the meander decoration. Rolls Razor open case. The blade handle on the left is attached to the honing mechanism lever via a spring-loaded bearing. The nickel plated blade on the right side is attached to the honing bar that slides on the red leather strop. The grey honing stone is part of the closing lid. The leather strop and the hone lids are not interchangeable as the blade needs to push against the hone but pull against the strop. The blade has a safety guard with pivot action that allows it to vary the shaving angle while providing safe operation. The head of the blade handle locks perpendicular to the blade using a slide type of action with the spring-loaded bearing providing additional stability. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls_Razor
At the age of nine I had more after school duties than a sixteen year old of today. Parents worked two jobs sometimes, in order to give my brother and me more than they had growing up. So after school I cleaned up the house a bit, set the table and began dinner. My dad was an ornery cuss....so he wanted biscuts and corn bread all from scratch most days. The main meal during the week was pinto beans and potatoes. Even after dinner had to wash dishes by hand. My brother who was suopose to dry and put them away...always had to go first to the bathroom, to which he stayed until dishes air dried. By this time my folks would foget about dishes so he would leave to play outside . Guess we were latch key kids early on...and at least oneof us had things to do.
Although my mom was a stay at home mom, I did have the chore of drying the dishes, think around the age of 10. Later I was responsible for keeping my room clean.
Clean sheets hanging on the clothes line,blowing in the wind. The sound of the attic fan at night, cooling you off from the summer heat. Ole Toms peanuts poured into a glass bottle of coca cola. The smell of mothers homemade biscuits baking in the oven.Awe, the smell of grandmas Lily of the Valley toilette spray ..sorry having random blast in the past moment again.
Your comment about your brother and the dishes brought this to mind: one of my much-older brothers took up playing the guitar; he then proceeded to tell my mother he couldn't wash dishes anymore- because the water softened his hands and would cause his fingers to bleed on the guitar strings.
I'm sorry, but I have to add this: when I was very young, one of my brothers had a 45 rpm of "the Ballad of Davey Crockett." As they always allowed me to play their records, I played it a few times and thought it was the saddest song I ever heard. I thought 'poor, poor little Davey!' It eventually occurred to me, though: what was a three-year-old child doing in a bar in the first place?! because the way I heard 'killed him a bear' was 'killed in a bar when he was only three!'
My brother played guitar as he got older. Taught hisself to play and would spend hours held up in his bedroom playing . He played in several bands..non famous...but was on a show here one time. Never used that excuse though.
Oh ! Janet - I'm gonna have to google the song and listen again - I quickly went from Davey Crocket to Sinatra and Frankie Laine ! So I don't recall the words very well, just the tune and chorus - I'll listen again with fresh ears
Thanks Janice - not the version I knew as a child - strange little song, with fresh ears @Janice Martin Sorry I called you Janet - senior moment there
Oh, on a side note, in case anyone wondered, the singer is the same Bill Hayes who went on to star on the "Days of Our Lives" soap opera.
Not sure what prompts me to these memories, but today I keep thinking about things I use to do as a kid. I like kool aid as a kid, but the thought of it now -eek no way. But in my kool aid, I would put a splash of milk- double . My mother always had to prepare three different breakfasts. Fried eggs and bacon for dad, oatmeal for my brother,and eggs scrambled in butter for me. I loved ketchup on them. My dad hated the site, and always put a cereal box or something in between us, so he did not have to look at them. My brother loved hot tea for breakfast(and still still does today) for breakfast. This irritated my dad( a real bigot by the way). I remember him proclaiming to my mother one morning- Would you look at him, thinks he is a bloody Englishman ! in my dads best British accent