Who can take a 'nothing' day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwile?

Nothing takes me back to "the day" like when I watch this show. It is (was) TOTAL 70's. It was a groundbreaker, for sure.

And this is Mary's ultra-70's singles pad. Do note that, although this apartment boasts a balcony with french doors, Mary never once used it. I could never figure out why. Click on plan for larger image.

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1977

CLASSIC

I first read this book back in late '79, just after the mini-series aired. Bought it (well, not THIS edition, this edition pictured was released a couple years ago) at an airport bookstore. I got so totally absorbed in it, that I didn't remember much else about the plane ride. But I was hooked on this book. I read it, for a year afterward, from front to back and front again, and again, and again. I just loved it, and it has to be one of my all-time favorite novels. I just purchased the above edition from Amazon dot com and I finished it in 2 days.

BACK IN THE 70'S, OUR LUNCHBOXES WERE MADE OUT OF METAL.

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Dr. Scholl's Sandals

I know these were sold as "exercise sandals", but I don't think many ladies exercised in these things.

Misc. 1970's Remembrances

New Hampshire Circa 1973

These are a few things I remember from the 70's:

I thought that if I could sneak on the set of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and climb through the trolley hole I'd end up in the Neighborhood of Make-believe (I was so delusional).
I was jealous of Chastity Bono because I thought she had the coolest parents. I mean, my parents were great too, but her parents had their own TV show.....
I wanted to be a member of the Brady family, and was really disappointed that they brought on Robbie Rist at the final season without asking me first.
The Ice Cream Man.
Lite Brite. I loved playing with this thing in the dark.
The Watergate fiasco really bugged me because 'breaking news' footage kept interrupting my Saturday morning cartoons.
The "You deserve a break today at McDonald's" commercials. McDonald's used to issue iron-on decals for Tee shirts. Circa 1974 McDonald's issued wall calendars (they're impossible to find even on Ebay). McDonald's was maybe a 'once every 2 weeks experience', not an everyday thing. Plus there was no drive through, or breakfast. My standard order back then was a hamburger, fries, and a coke.
The gas lines of '73.
Mom's car was a 'Hornet'. The logo on the steering wheel was so cool.
Zar-ex drink syrup. Don't remember if you mixed it with water or milk, and don't remember what flavor it was, but it had a cool logo of a zebra on the front.
Fruit-Stripes (Some sort of a fruit gum that had a zebra with different colored stripes as a logo).
'Chains' that kids used to make using the old style of pop-top tabs on soda cans, etc. My cousin Karen had one that was 20 feet long.
Cartoons: Dr. Doolittle, Kid Power, Barbapapa, Liddsville, The Bugaloos, The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show, Pebbles and Bamm Bamm (not the Flintstones, but their own cartoon), The Brady Kids.
Bic Banana pens, "Time for Timer" educational cartoons, Avacado-colored appliances, 'Marathon' candy bars.
Bean-bag chairs.
Sandy Duncan walking through a wheat field with a box of 'Wheat Thins'. She always held one up to her mouth but I don't think she ever ate one on the commercial (she was such a tease).
The "It's not NICE to fool Mother Nature!" commercials.
There were no tv shows after midnight. They would play the national anthem then they would cut off. They would resume broadcasting at 6 a.m. Also tv's had dials, not push-buttons.
Telephones had dials with holes over the numbers, and not push-buttons. Today if you use the term 'rotary phone' to someone who is under the age of 25, they will look at you strangely because they don't know what that means (you have to tell them "you know, rotary phone, like the kind the Brady Bunch had", then they'll understand).
The song "Sing" by the Carpenters came out when I was in first grade.
Carly Simon's "Anticipation" was used for a ketchup commercial.
Hawaiian Punch inflatable rafts, and Budweiser label beach towels.
Farrah Fawcett posters.
Make-out vans.
Farrah Fawcett posters inside make-out vans.
Tiny televisions were introduced with 6-inch screens. My aunt Nancy had one, and when we visited her in her rv at the campsite she rented, we watched 'Maude'.
The other parents in my neighborhood didn't let their kids watch Mr. Rogers Neighborhood because they thought he would make their kids gay (I'm not making that up. Mom told me). I guess they didn't know he was AN ORDAINED PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER...
Infinity lights. I can't explain them, so if you've never seen one you'll never know what they looked like.
The Elect Trix Rabbit for president "campaign" in 1976 (the year of the Carter/Ford election). In your Trix box there would be a free "Elect Trix the Rabbit" bumper sticker. I've been trying to no avail to find an image of one of these, but when I do I'll definitely post it.

In the 70's, girls reeked of this stuff:

Yes, she is very innocent looking....

For those of us who are allergic to cats:

If you want a cat, but are allergic, just click on the picture above, print, and enjoy.

Never threaten someone who's making your lunch.

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Carole King

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again - it's so far and out of sight. I really need someone to talk to, and nobody else knows how to comfort me tonight. Snow is cold, rain is wet - chills my soul right to the marrow. I won't be happy 'till I see you alone again, 'till I'm home again and feeling right."

One of my all-time favorite singers from the 70's was Carole King. She was such a groovy chick. I loved every song from "Tapestry" but one - Smackwater Jack (to this day I've yet to find anyone who liked that song either). I've only ever owned "Tapestry", but I like the other above albums also.
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Just hanging out in 1973.

Security Blankets

Up until about 1972, I had a security blanket. I called it my "blankie" (this is so embarrasing). Anyway, it was blue and it had a silky top edge that I liked the taste of. Whenever I had to go up to bed into the dark upstairs, my blanket was always in my arms. Whenever I was upset, my blanket calmed me down. Whenever I was sick, my blanket was right there in my bed for me to curl up with. We watched many episodes of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers together. I was devastated when my parents threw it away. It was like losing a friend. Boy, those were the days when a simple blanket made everything seem okay.

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http://nationalgeographic.com/grimm

I have always loved fairy tales. The following 5 fairy tales are among my favorites. I tried to make them as short as possible, without missing anything important. You can read the entire stories by clicking onto the above URL.

Click on the picture for a larger view of "Little Red Cap".

The Frog King (the abridged version)

A princess was playing beside a well. Her golden ball accidentally fell into the well, and a frog offered to fetch it if she would let him live with her. She agreed, he fetched the ball from the well, then she took the ball and ran off, giving the frog the shaft. The frog showed up at the palace anyway, and although the princess wished not to comply, her father reminded her that she must keep her promises. By the end of the night she's had it with the frog, and throws it against her bedroom wall to kill it, but instead the frog turns into a prince. They got married, and probably had kids.

Mother Holle (the abridged version)

As a girl is spinning wool by a well, her shuttle falls into the well and sinks to the bottom. The girl's step-mother tells her to jump in and get it. She jumps in, sinks to the bottom and finds herself in a meadow. She travels and ends up at Mother Holle's house, where the girl becomes Holle's housemaid. She's a good, faithful worker, but gets homesick and asks to leave. Mother Holle sees her off but literally showers her with gold. The girl finds herself home, covered in gold, and her stepmother wants the same for her other daughter who is lazy and really the worst of the 2 daughters (sorry, but it's true). The bad daughter arrives at Holle's house via the well, thinking she'll eventually get showered in gold also. She gets hired by Holle, but does such lousy work she gets fired. She receives a parting gift shower also, but instead of gold she gets covered in pitch and it sticks to her forever.

Hansel And Grethel (the abridged version)

Hansel and Grethel (Gretel) get ditched by their parents in the forest. The kids get lost and end up at a witch's house. The witch promises them the world, but the next day she puts Hansel in a cage for the purpose of eating him. Gretel manages to push the witch into a blazing oven and kill her. The kids escape and find their way back to their father's house. The Stepmother has usually passed away (in some versions).

Snow White (the abridged version)

A queen gives birth to a daughter, names her Snow White, then dies. The girl grows up to be very beautiful, and her stepmother becomes envious of Snow's beauty. The queen gives orders for the girl to be killed, but Snow runs away and gets a job as a live-in housemaid for 7 dwarfs in the woods. The queen locates Snow's new house and poisons her with a laced apple. Snow White recovers after being kissed by the Prince, she becomes queen, and the wicked stepmother usually dies a brutal death, depending on whose translation you are reading.

Rapunzel (the abridged version)

A man was caught stealing vegetables from a witch's garden. In return for sparing his life, she received the man's first born child, a daughter. The witch named her Rapunzel, and then locked the girl in a tower where the girl remained a prisoner. Her hair became extremely long, and the witch would climb the tower using Rapunzel's hair. One day a prince climbed the tower and he and Rapunzel fell in love. The witch found out about the relationship, cut off Rapunzel's hair and sent Rapunzel away. The next day, the prince climbed the tower thinking Rapunzel would be there, but the witch greeted him instead and poked his eyes out. After crawling around the earth for a few years (because he was blind), he and Rapunzel found each other and they got married. Somehow he got his eyesight back, and nothing bad happened to the Witch.

THE END

Jaws (the abridged version)

In a summer resort island, a woman goes swimming at night and is taken by a shark. The fact that there's a shark in the water goes unnoticed until a boy is devoured while on his raft in front of people, during a busy beach day. The sheriff (who is afraid of water and yet lives on an island), a scientist, and a fisherman hunt the shark and finally kill it. The sheriff survives, but in the movie the fisherman dies, and in the book the scientist and the fisherman die. No one really comes out ahead in this one.

Cape Cod, my birthplace.

Wood End Lighthouse, Cape Cod

Because I was born there, I am a true Cape Codder, even though I didn't grow up there. We did spend alot of time in the Summer there, though. My cousin Stephen wasn't born on the Cape, his family moved there just after he was born. He will never be a Cape Codder. Never. Being a true Cape Codder, at one time, meant something. If you were born there, you belonged. If you weren't born there, you were considered forever to be a "Wash-Ashore". However, there are so many people living there now that come from other areas that it doesn't really matter anymore - which is just as well because it was all so stupid. I always loathed status symbols.

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As a kid, even I knew that this kind of note would never pass scrutiny.

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In 1977/78, if you turned on any radio at any given moment, it seemed that every station was playing a song by The Bee Gee's. Back then, I really wanted to look like Barry Gibb (the middle one). Back then he was just plain cool. A pastor whose church I attended a few years ago, looks just like the one on the right, but I can never remember if the guy on the right was Maurice or Robin.

A 1977 present.

Dad gave me this in early 1977. He worked at Texas Instruments (the manufacturer of this game), so I got some of the new stuff that TI produced before it hit the shelves in the stores. Like The Little Professor, it was basically a hand-held calculator game system. I really forget what 'games' were on it, but I just loved it. I always loved games and puzzles where I had to use my mind. I never cared for 'battle' games. 1977 was also the year Space Invaders came out, and EVERYONE was hooked on SI except me. It was also the year Star Wars came out. I guess '77 was the year of space things.

As soon as I started using this, The Little Professor ended up in a drawer somewhere, and I played with Dataman for about a year.

Superheroes

I never got into the 'super hero' thing, i.e. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, X-Men, etc. I could never understand why nobody knew Clark Kent was Superman just because Clark wore glasses....... just doesn't add up. It all seems so silly.

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Superheroes Part II

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Alfons Mucha, Dancel (1898)

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band. Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man. Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand. And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand.
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The Parakeet

This is the parakeet I mentioned in my bio. This photo is me attempting to bond with that stupid bird, but honestly it never happened. It could never seem to get far enough away from me, probably because it knew I really didn't like it. Once mom and dad got drunk and took it out of it's cage, thinking they were going to give it a bath in the kitchen sink... to this day they don't believe me when I tell them the story.

I don't know why, but somehow scanned photos come out crappy on this blogsite. I believe this photo was taken in 1971 (if you can make it out).

A 1969 Christmas

Me playing with my new Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots game. Interesting toy for an only child.

Nighttime on The City of New Orleans, changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee. Half way home, we'll be there by morning, through the Mississippi darkness rolling down to the sea. And all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream and the steel rails still ain't heard the news. The conductor sings his song again, the passengers will please refrain - this train's got the disappearing railroad blues.
Good night, America, how are you? Don't you know me? I'm your native son. I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans, I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.

The Mouse's Tale

Fury said to a mouse, that he met in the house, 'Let us both go to law: I will prosecute you.-- Come, I'll take no denial; we must have a trial: for really this morning I've nothing to do.' Said the mouse to the cur, 'Such a trial, dear Sir, with no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath.' 'I'll be judge, I'll be jury,' said cunning old Fury: 'I'll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.'

Lewis Carroll

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Scripto pencils

Back in the late 70's I was in love with these things (well, maybe love is TOO strong a word, but I thought they were pretty cool).

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Well, I said I wasn't going to attempt this one, but I couldn't help myself. If only I could have done this well back when I was in school.....

I love going out to eat.

When I was little, dad and mom could always take me out to eat at nice restaurants because I didn't misbehave. I was quiet and never a bother. It was because I actually LIKED going to nice restaurants, even at a very early age. I still like going out to eat, although I don't go to fancy restaurants (now that I'm paying the bill). My favorite types of restaurants are All-You-Can-Eat buffets, Italian restaurants, and pizza places.
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The dark side of disco.

Ethel! Bad Ethel!

Back in the late 70's, it seems like EVERYONE got on the disco bandwagon - and some should have just left it alone. Ethel Merman was an incredibly gifted, talented, and extraordinary Broadway performer unparalleled in many respects ...... but when it came to disco, she should have just bowed out graciously. To hear a clip from the above album, click on the following link if you dare (but don't say I didn't warn you):

http://franklarosa.com/vinyl/Exhibit.jsp?AlbumID=78

Howard Pyle: The Mermaid (A sereia) - 1909

Incredibly easy recipe

MEATLOAF WITH POTATOES

2 lbs. hamburg
4 pieces crumbled bread
1 egg
A dash of Bell brand seasoning
A little water

Mix all ingredients and place in a loaf pan, and cook for 1 hour, 15 minutes at 350, along with a few whole potatoes (a potato can be put in the oven to bake without wrapping it in aluminum foil. Just poke with fork only a few times. Once the skin is broken it will not burst).
Prep time is only about 10 minutes (including pre-heating oven). It's an incredibly easy meal-in-one, and perfect for single guys who aren't great in the kitchen. You can't mess up on this one, unless you overcook it. Also, Heinz makes a great beef gravy that heats up in a matter of minutes.

SUGGESTION: Put the potatoes in the oven 10 to 15 minutes before putting meatloaf in oven.

The Brady Bunch Staircase

When I was a kid I was absolutely fascinated with the Brady's staircase. I thought it was so cool. It was a secret fantasy of mine to someday live in a house exactly like theirs, staircase and all. It's interesting that on almost every sitcom, they had a 2-story house and their stairs had a landing: Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Donna Reed, Leave It To Beaver, Roseanne, All In The Family, The Cosby Show, Different Strokes, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc. It's also interesting that on every show during it's entire run, the interiors never change. Walls never get re-painted, new pictures never get hung, the furniture never gets re-arranged, no new appliances, the TV always stays in the same place (sure, Carol and Mike re-wallpapered their bedroom but the story line required it. After all, how else was Alice going to be able to "accidentally" step in a tray of wallpaper paste????).

I'm Bobby Brady

You Are Bobby Brady

Ultra competitive, you will do almost anything to win. From pull ups to pool sharking, you're very talented. And while everyone is aware of your victories, they still (affectionately) consider you to be a little brat!

What Brady Are You?

I've taken several "which Brady are you?" quizzes on the internet over the years, and I always end up being most like Bobby (I mean EVERY time, not once was I someone else), which is cool because Bobby was my favorite boy character on the show. They did get one thing wrong, though, I really stink at pool.

"Oh Alice, with all that hardware on your head you punctured your air mattress!!!!!"

Fisher Price Playsets

As a young kid in the early 70's, among my most favorite toys were Fisher Price playsets. I had the above schoolhouse, the castle, and the barn (I don't remember if I had the garage or not). They were wonderful toys that inspired creativity and imagination, and since I was an only child until I was 13, most of my toys were one-person toys.
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The Electric Company - ah, I miss those days.

Title: the “ly” song
Composer: Tom Lehrer
Lead vocals: Tom Lehrer
Scene: Cartoon with a man faced with many awkward situations.

You’re wearing your squeaky shoes,
And right there taking a snoozeIs a tiger.
So how do you walk on by?
Silently. Silently. Silent, l, y.
You’re a secret agent man
Who’s after the secret plan.
How do you act so they don’t know you’re a spy?
Normally. Normally. Normal, l, y.
At an eating contest you boast
That you can eat the most.
How do you down your fiftieth piece of pie?
Eagerly, unh. Eagerly, yeah. Eager, l, y.
On the lake your boat upset,
And your clothes got soaking wet.
How do you stand and wait for them to dry?
Dih-dih-dih-dih-dih-dih patiently.
Dih-dih-dih-dih-dih-dih patiently.
Dih-dih-dih-dih-dih-dih patient, l, y.
In the public library,
You fall and hurt your knee.
But the sign says “quiet, please”,
so how can you cry?
Quietly. Quietly. Quiet, l, y.
As you walk along the street,
A porcupine you meet.
How do you shake his hand when he says hi?
Uh, carefully. Carefully. Careful, l, y.
You enter a very dark room,
And sitting there in the gloomIs Dracula.
Now how do you say goodbye?
Immediately. Immediately. Immediate, l, y.
Bye-bye!

The Electric Company ran from 1971 - 1977 on PBS. It was one of my absolute favorite shows from around '72 - '76. I watched it every day. It had, as part of it's cast, Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, and Joan Rivers.
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HAPPY EASTER!

Come sail away with me, lad.

I'm sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea.
I've got to be free - free to face the life that's ahead of me.
On board I'm the captain, so climb aboard,
We'll search for tomorrow on every shore.
And I'll try, oh Lord I'll try, to carry on.

I look to the sea, reflections in the waves spark my memories.
Some happy, some sad,
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had.
We live happily forever, so the story goes,
But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold.
But we'll try best that we can, to carry on.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there's nothing to worry about...but please keep your heads down."

It's time to play the music

It's time to light the lights,

It's time to meet the Muppets

on the Muppet Show tonight.

It's time to put on makeup

It's time to dress up right

It's time to raise the curtain

on the Muppet Show tonight.

Why do we always come here

I guess we'll never know

It's like a kind of torture

To have to watch the show

And now let's get things started

Why don't you get things started

It's time to get things started

On the most sensational inspirational

celebrational Muppetational

This is what we call the Muppet Show!

{Blatt!!!!!!!!!!}

The Muppet Show debuted in 1976, the start of the disco era. One of my favorite shows back then. I miss Jim Henson.

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I can't say I totally agree, but that's what they said:

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

When I was a kid I thought it was hillarious to sneak up on someone and scare them.... actually, I still think it's funny but I don't do that anymore.

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Burger Chef

In our town, before McDonald's, and after the A&W Root Beer stand, there was Burger Chef. I don't know how many people remember it, but I loved Burger Chef. They had an early version of McDonald's Happy Meal. The Chef's was called the "FUN Meal" - which came with a hamburger, fries, drink, desert, and a toy. I always ordered a Fun Meal. Once McDonald's came into town, followed by Burger King, the Chef didn't make it long. Nothing could compete with McDonald's back then. I'm not sure when the last Burger Chef closed up shop, but it just goes to show than no one is on top forever (and do note the cigarette machine in the background. Imagine walking into a fast food restaurant today and seeing a cigarette machine? No wonder Burger Chef folded. Imagine saying: "I'd like a fun meal with a Pepsi, and a pack of Marlboro's, please.").

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