I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice
Tables of paper wood, windows of light
And everything emptying into White.

A simple garden, with acres of sky
A Brown-haired dogmouse If one dropped by
Yellow Delanie would sleep well at night
With everything emptying into White.

A sad Blue eyed drummer rehearses outside
A Black spider dancing on top of his eye
Red legged chicken stands ready to strike
And everything emptying into White.

I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice...
And everything emptying into White

Into White - Cat Stevens
Tea For The Tillerman

Busted....

"You can be sure your sin will find you out"
Numbers 32:23

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In a nutshell...

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My favorite 70's movie scenes:

Frankie and Annette gone terribly awry..

My favorite move scenes are:

• The opening scene in Jaws. Well, duh!
• When John Travolta’s father smacks him in the head in Saturday Night Fever, and John says: “hey, watch the hair!”
• When Veruca Salt gets sent down the chute because she’s a rotten egg, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version, not the latest Johnny Depp version).
• The part in Harold and Maude when they steal the cop’s motorcycle.
• When Jenny dies in Love Story, because you knew, finally, that the movie was almost over.
• When Linda Blair's head does a '360' in The Exorcist.

(I’ll add more when I think of them. After all, it was 30 years ago…). Click on the photo for a larger image.

This is an image I posted way back at the beginning of my blog. But it's a sentiment I feel is worth repeating. I love you all.

I'm not ashamed of my love....

OK, so I admit it. I had this album back in '76. I listened to it every day religiously and now for the life of me I can't remember most it.

Working Out

I've never been to a gym or worked out a day in my life. I'm sure if I did it wouldn't be much different than in the above cartoon.

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I LOVE JESUS.

A 1971 Classic

This song's always been a favorite of mine. Someday I hope to be able to figure out what they're talking about....

Stairway to Heaven / Led Zeppelin - 1971
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying the stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows,
if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying the stairway to heaven.
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder, Ooh, it makes me wonder.
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.
And she's buying the stairway to heaven

1976 Little Professor Calculator

In 1976, dad was employed at Texas Instruments. For Christmas he gave me a Little Professor Calculator. LCD was a brand new concept (i.e. digital watches, calculators, etc.). It was basically a hand-held video game system utilizing math. I had so much fun with this thing, I took it everywhere. The L.P. shown is not mine, it's a picture I found on ebay.

The Mego Wizard of Oz line

In 1975, the Mego Corporation introduced their wildly successful "Wizard of Oz" line. I wanted these so bad but it was out of the question with my parents as these were considered to be "dolls" (although I think even I would be uncomfortable watching MY son role-play with Glinda the Good Witch).

Not shown, but also produced were the Emerald City playset, the Witch's castle playset, as well as the Mayor of Munchkinland figure and some Munchkins. This particular line brings high prices on Ebay auctions. You can learn more about these wonderful toys by clicking onto the following link: http://megomuseum.com/woz/index.html

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Sometimes, no matter what, you just can't win.

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Beer - the breakfast of champions.

I love beer. I have, ever since my first beer in 1969 (as mentioned in one of my 'May' posts). One of my favorite meals is cheesesteak and beer.

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I love horses but I'm afraid to ride them.

Benny Hill

As far as i'm concerned, this guy was the funniest guy I've ever seen. I watched his show in the 70's and he always cracked me up. His was probably my all-time favorite show of the 70's, after the Brady Bunch. I don't know why I didn't post him sooner. I was always disappointed when it was over, I could have watched him for hours. Actually I'm surprised I was allowed to watch it, he was VERY risque. I'm disappointed that they don't aire his program any longer.

He's since passed away. A comic genius, I miss him very much.

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Early 70's Drinking Birds

Sometimes products just take off, and really there's no reason for it. This is a drinking bird, that was popular in the early 70s. Basically you would fill a shot glass with water (what home didn't have a shotglass back then??? We had several), and you would push his head down into the glass, and he would continually lower his head into the 'liquid' and raise it up again, like he was drinking. He would drink indefinitely. Up and down, up and down, up and down. He could drink anyone under the table - definitely an invention of the cocktail generation.

I wanted one so bad, but was disappointed when I got it (don't ask me what I was expecting). I don't know what happened to it, but it never mattered because it was a rather dull thing to watch, which is why most you find on ebay are unused. To this day you can't even give them away on ebay.

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Milton Bradley Board Games

I don't know how many games i got when i was a kid. Every Christmas I received one or two. I know i had dozens, and Milton Bradley were the kings. Never had Operation though. I guess the concept of probing around a naked man didn't set well with my parents....

Harold and Maude

If you want to sing out, sing out
If you want to be free be free
'Cause there's a million things to be
You know that there are

This movie was released in '71, I believe. I didn't see it then (of course I wouldn't have, I was only 3 years old, you know). Anyway, this HAS to be one of the funniest movies I ever saw. I saw it on a movie channel in the mid-80's. I've seen it like 7 times or so (I've lost track). I never tire of it. It's a must-see, even if you're into the 70's or not. Trust me on this one. I miss Ruth Gordon.

Lady Godiva WAS a freedom rider

"God'll get you for that, Walter."

Lady Godiva was a freedom rider
she didn't care if the whole world looked
Joan of Arc with the Lord to guide her -
She was a sister who really cooked.
Isadora was the first bra burner
Ain't you glad she showed up?
Oh Yeahhhh!
And when the country was falling apart
Betsy Ross got it all sewed up
And then there's Maude
(Part of the Maude theme song)

And by the way I have absolutely NO IDEA who Isadora was, but she instigated bra burning and that's all that counts......
Any self-respecting feminist worth her salt would be at home watching this during the 70's.

The thought HAS crossed my mind:

I like the concept, but I don't think I have the nerve to try it.

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Snow Days

As a kid I disliked school SO much that my favorite days were snow days (days when we got so much snow that school was cancelled). I can remember listening to the radio while the announcer read off the list of schools that were going to be closed, and saying under my breath: "say mine, say mine, say mine, say mine, say mine, say mine, say mine, say mine, say mine, say mine". Then they would announce my school and it was like winning the lottery. Although unlike in the above cartoon, there's no way on this side of the horizon that my parents expected me to do my homework......

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A more accurate depiction of a snow day:

This was more like it (well, without the horse, that is).

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1972 Zoom Catalog

This was published in 1972. It was from the popular PBS program, Zoom. I had a copy of this but received it in 1974. It was my cousin Karen's (or was it Karla's?), and it was given to me when she (they) outgrew it. I really forget what was in it, but back then it was THE book to own (if you were a kid, of course).

In Defense Of Jan Brady

Time has not been kind to Jan Brady. Often the butt of jokes, she is regarded as a loser or "less than" her sister Marcia. I am here this day to prove that Jan Brady deserves more credit than she has received, and these are my reasons:

She was chosen over Marcia for the job at Haskel's Ice Cream Hut. According to Mr. Haskel: "Marcia, you're a great worker. But Jan here is a little bit better."

Jan was more artistic than Marcia.

She had longer, fuller, wavier hair than her sister Marcia. According to Lucy Winters, all of her friends envied it (no one ever said that to Marcia).

She had bigger boobs than Marcia by the last season.

Alice gave the locket to Jan, not Marcia.

She wasn't as girly as Marcia.

Jan didn't lose HER role in Romeo and Juliet, unlike 'you-know-who'.

She had the common sense not to fall for married dentists.

She was more attractive to Clark. As soon as Clark saw her in that dress, he forgot all about Marcia. I can't blame him.

Pamelyn Ferdin

Anyone who was a kid in the 60's/early 70's and watched any tv at all will remember this young lady, even if you didn't know her name. Pamelyn Ferdin was probably one of the most prolific child actors of that era. She was a major teen idol. Most would remember her as Lucy Winters from the Jan Brady wig episode. But she also appeared in Lassie, Gunsmoke, The Odd Couple, etc. Also in 1971, she was the voice of Lucy in the Charlie Brown TV Special: You're in Love, Charlie Brown. She was also in hundreds of TV commercials. This is a link to her fan site:
http://pamelynferdin.com/

Soup Kitchens

Back on Cape Cod, in my early 30's, money was tight. The town I lived in had a soup kitchen on monday - Friday, so there was where I would eat. At times I ate with transvestites, drug addicts, lesbians and homosexuals, straight men and women, catholic priests and episcopal ministers, postal workers, down-and-outers, and others who were just needing a free meal...... the diversity was endless. The food actually wasn't that bad. They would serve a fresh salad, bread, soup, a main course, and dessert. I went there for about 3 years. I kind of miss that place.

Weekday afternoon TV schedule for a 5-year old in '73

Somebody come and play
Somebody come and play today
Somebody come and smile the smiles
And sing the songs It won't take long
Somebody come and play today.

Back in the early 70's my afternoon tv line-up was:
Sesame Street
Mr. Rogers
Zoom
The Electric Company

Back then I thought it would last forever.....

View Master

This was so cool. I can remember holding the discs up into the light without the viewer, and looking at the pictures. Had a couple of View Masters and about 2 dozen discs (none of the above pictured). MOM THREW THEM ALL OUT!!!!!! (along with all of the other toys, had i kept them, they'd be worth a lot. I took good care of my toys). I still haven't forgiven her. I may throw out all of her jewelry someday.

Hamburglar Doll

I had this when I was a kid. McDonald's used to sell these, I think, for a dollar, when they would open a new restaurant in the early 70's ('72/'73). Those were the days when eating at McDonald's was a novelty and not an everyday thing. They also sold a Ronald McDonald doll (of course), but the above guy was my favorite.

I've long since lost the original doll I had (he perished in a tragic toilet bowl accident), but I just bought this one on eBay a couple months ago. You can still buy them dirt cheap.

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I Love My Dog

I just love that face.

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God did it.

It's been ruled through the courts that intelligent design can not be taught in our schools -schools, by the way, that Christian men and women's taxes also support - because it (intelligent design) has never been witnessed, so it's a theory. Evolution can, on the other hand, be taught because it's a scientific fact...... um, excuse me, everyone, but evolution's full title is "darwin's THEORY of evolution". The process of evolution's never been witnessed either, but somehow evolution's a fact. . . .......

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Funny Face drink mixes

These were extremely popular with kids. There were many more varieties all throughout the 70's. This was the "1972 - 1973 with vitamin c" line. I was addicted to goofy grape. For more information click on the link below:
http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/ffpac.html

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Cheech and Chong

A decade before Nancy Reagan told us to "Just say no", these guys told us to "Just say yes".

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Love Is Like A Butterfly

Love is like a butterfly
As soft and gentle as a sigh.
The multicolored moods of love
Are like its satin wings.
Love makes your heart feel strange inside,
It flutters like soft wings in flight. Love is like a butterfly,
A rare and gentle thing.

Dolly Parton
1974

My 100th Post

This marks my 100th post. I've really enjoyed blogging, much more so than writing in a journal. Thank you all for reading my blog, and the nice comments I've received. I'm glad to share my childhood with friends.

Snowy Woodz

My favorite toys from the 70's:

The following were my favorite toys when I was a kid in the 70's:

• Fisher Price Castle - My all-time hands down favorite. I would play with this thing for hours. The coolest parts were the trap door that sent the figures into the dungeon, the moveable stairs that they could hide behind, and the drawbridge. If they wouldn't sell for so high on ebay, I'd buy another set.
• Lego's - My favorite toy, but not my parents. Somehow 1 or 2 pieces would end up on the floor and they would step on them with bare feet.
• Chutes and Ladders - My favorite part was sliding my token down the chutes, although when you did that it meant that you were losing.
• Mouse Trap - Me and a friend used to fill up the tub that the guy jumps in with water.
• Show 'n Tell - Was a record player that had a "tv" built in. You would play the record and insert a slide into a slot and watch a "movie" while the record played.
• Silly Putty - I can still remember the smell of it.
• Silly String - Somehow the bushes in front of our house always ended up covered in Silly String.
• Maskatron - The Bionic Man's enemy. I loved that guy.....
• Matchbox Cars - Another 'land mine' that dad or mom would step on. The coolest ones were the kind whose doors opened and closed.
• Action Figures - Had Star Trek action figures and the Enterprise play set. Also one Robin figure ( no batman, so he was sort of out of place hanging out in space with Captain Kirk and Spock).

Happy New Year!

I stopped making New Year's resolutions long ago.

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