Christmas memories of the 1950s

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Marianne Stanton

Baby boomer memories of Christmas in the 1950′s!

The gifts have been purchased, opened and the new year has begun!   Happy New Year!

This past Christmas I was reminded of my childhood Christmases at my grandparents home! I have five grand nieces and grand nephews ages 6-4-3-2-1!

My grand nieces were at my brother’s house!  My nephew Matt and his family with Wyatt age 4 and Thomas age 2 could not make the trip home from Virginia this year because of his work schedule.  Though disappointing, for the first time we used Skype!  My gosh! It was fantastic!

My grandparents in Connecticut would have loved Skype! So would my mom and dad!   While we went to my grandmother’s home on Algonquin in Detroit for Christmas Day with all my cousins, we never spent a Christmas with Nanny and Pep in Connecticut.  We talked long distance to them every holiday, but that sure wasn’t like Skype!

We had a wonderful visit!  (The boys are getting so big!)

I wondered, though briefly, what their lives will be like in 25 years with technology!

This baby boomer had a wonderful Christmas, and wishes everyone a wonderful new year!

 

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Baby Boomer pays tribute to 9/11/2001 victims

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

It’s difficult to believe that 10 years has passed since that horrid morning. Like  millions of others throughout the world, I still grieve for those who lost their lives, and  those who are still mourning the loss of a loved one.

So much progress has been made in technology, science, medicine and  the arts during the past ten years, unfortunately we are still fighting to keep our country free from terrorists. And this baby boomer thanks with all my heart, those who have risked,  or continue to risk their lives to protect our freedoms.

This Baby Boomer is proud to be an American!  God Bless the country I love!

Marianne

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Baby Boomer Summer Memories 1950s Connecticut

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

Baby Boomer Summer Memories in Connecticut in the 1950s always came to an end right before Labor Day.  My dad had to get back to work and when my brother and I were a bit older, to school.

After two weeks of being loved, doted on, playing on the beaches, visiting relatives, having ice cream just about every day, it came time to return to Michigan.

I remember we got up in the dark and just before dawn we would kiss my grandparents and Auntie Maime good bye.  I will always remember my grandparents and aunt standing on the asphalt driveway with large white handkerchiefs, wiping their eyes; and my brother and I in the backseat of our car waving and crying our hearts out.

My dad told us when we grew older that he let us cry from Connecticut to Upper New York State then said, “That’s enough crying, we’ll be back next year” and tried to distract us with the sites in the mountains and miles of farmlands with the never ending cows and horses.

Looking back, the return home must have been a long, two day trip for my parents,  with two sad little children in the back seat,  who could have cared less about those cows and horses.

I know once we returned home, we quickly slipped into the patterns of our childhood daily lives.  But we spoke often throughout the year, about our trip to Connecticut and our grandparents and Aunt Maime.

Do you remember being a child and feeling sad about leaving a favorite place?

 

 

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Baby Boomer Summer Memories-1950 Connecticut continued

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

This baby boomer remembers clearly visits to my grandparents’ home in Waterbury Connecticut!

After we had settled into my grandparents’ home for our two week visit, my parents had their annual obligatory visits to relatives on both sides of their family.  One of my clearest recollections is visiting “The Wolfs”.  Every year when I was a child I heard with dread that we were going to visit “The Wolfs”, elderly grand aunts and grand uncles and cousins who were my parents’ age.  There were no children for us to play with.

My parents clearly set down rules for our visit:  Say please, thank you, don’t touch anything, sit on the couch and don’t breathe.   Don’t move. We visited in our Sunday clothes.

Then we drove just off “Main Street” to a large wooden Victorian home.  My clearest memory is the large oval window of cut crystal and glass of the door as we stood on the wooden porch ringing the doorbell. Once inside, I remember the dark, somber colors of the walls, carpet, heavy velvet drapes, and huge velvet  couches and chairs with white lace doilies gracing the back of the furniture. The tables in the parlor held large Tiffany lamps with old china teacups and knicknacks.  And in the corner, near the couch we sat on was an  enormous wire birdcage that always held an equally large black bird that continually screeched at us. It was always hot in the house and the semi closed drapes made spooky shadows throughout the livingroom where my brother and I sat alone on that couch.

We were offered cookies on china plates and were allowed to have one.

Visiting the Wolfs was the only time I ever remembered my brother sitting still for any length of time to scared to move.

Once we left their home, we stopped for ice cream on the way back to my grandparents’ house.

Years later, my mom told me that our visits to The Wolfs lasted any where from forty five minutes to an hour.  Seemed like two days long to my brother and me.  She also told me that The Wolfs, Joe and Mae, from my father’s side of the family,  were a big part of the social society of Waterbury. She said that she and my dad were always surprised that we behaved so well, even as small children.  The truth is: we were terrified.

I remember when the obligatory visits were concluded, we spent many of our days at the Scovill’s Dam not far from my grandparents, swimming and playing in the sand and going on picnics with my mother’s brother, Uncle John and his family.

The days were long and fun filled in Waterbury!

Did you have special summer memories?

 

 

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Baby Boomer Summer Memories -1950 Connecticut continued

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

As my baby boomer summer memories continue in Connecticut, the first day my parents rested from the long trip and my brother and I played with our grandparents.

One of the first things that we noticed about Connecticut was there are no fences!   Here in Michigan, everyone had a hurricane fence enclosing their backyard.  But in Connecticut you could literally start at the top of the hill where my grandparents’ home was straight through every tree filled backyard to the next corner about fifteen houses.   The same with the homes in the back of the house, no fences.   Consequently,  when we were small, we were not allowed to play outside alone.

From the asphalt driveway and large garage to the huge trees in the backyard we found plenty to keep us occupied.

One of my most cherished memories is walking with my grandfather down the enormous hill on Hinsdale Avenue holding his hand, then crossing the street- to Wolcott -where there was an enormous arch cut in the middle of a mountain !  In by gone eras this was a resting place for horses.  In the back of the arch was a running  spring of fresh water.  My grandfather would fill up a bottle. He called it his tonic.  On the way back home, back up the large hill to his house, he would tell us stories about the early settlers in Waterbury who used to take shelter in the arch from the blizzards, hurricanes and unbearable heat.

My grandmother worked in a factory, and though she would take several days off when we were visiting, she did work a couple of  days. On the days she worked, we would stand outside the front of the house when the 5:00 whistle blew and wait for Nanny to come home.  I remember she would always bolt out of her friend’s car with her arms wide open and hug us.

My grandfather and grand aunt had dinner ready for Nanny when she came home and all of us would eat around the large kitchen table.

It didn’t take us long to get settled into our summer lives in Connecticut.

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Baby Boomer Summer Memories 1950s

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

Baby Boomer Summer Memories 1950’s – Connecticut

As a baby boomer, looking back on the 1950’s summer time memories, our Connecticut memories played an important role in shaping my brother and my lives.

After scrambling out of the packed car at my grandparents home, we always ran into their arms!  My brother and I knew our adventures were about to begin.

Everyone  used the back porch (veranda) to enter or leave the house.  I don’t think I  ever used the front door!   My parents and grandparents lugged suitcases, toys, and picnic baskets into the house.  It seemed like one minute the mound of our belongs were scattered in the living room, the next minute my grandmother had everything was neatly put away.

There was always lunch waiting for us.  Usually my brother and my favorite: bologna sandwiches with a large glass of milk.  The meal was prepared for us by my grandmother and my Auntie Maime who lived with my grandparents.  Aunt Maime was my beloved Godmother!

Though it’s been well over forty years since I’ve been to Connecticut, I remember every detail of my grandparents large, Cape Cod home.

As mentioned, we came in and out of the back door or the veranda.  The veranda  was a large,  rectangular enclosed porch with seven  windows.  (One of the windows opened and my grandmother used to hang her clothes up on the close line via a pulley.)  I’ve never seen anything like it before or since!

The kitchen was off the veranda.  It too was large, much larger than my house in Michigan.  The table was a white, heavy aluminum with six chairs.  The walls were white as were the kitchen cabinets that had glass doors instead of wooden doors!  The kitchen sink was an old fashion enamel that had one faucet.  The stove was modern for the time as was the refrigerator.

The dining room was elegant.  Maroon and cream wall paper graced the walls with maroon and cream floral carpet.  The dining room table was mahogany with eight chairs upholstered in a plush maroon, smooth fabric.  There was the matching mahogany china cabinet with the finest china!  I can only remember eating in the dining room once and that was on the only Thanksgiving we spent in Connecticut.  We always had informal dinners in the kitchen.

The large living room was beautiful.  The hard wooden floors were covered with a deep green floral carpet Three of the walls matched the green  in that carpet and the ceiling and one wall was painted an off white.

One of the walls had the most beautiful white fireplace! The black and white tv was in the far corner.  The sofa was covered in  a subtle green, cream and maroon striped pattern and two Queen Anne chairs matched the print.

The next room was a bedroom, a nice size, airy room with dark wood dressers and double bed.   The bathroom was smaller with an old fashion  high tub and high sink and the window looked out into the yard!

Back into the kitchen.  My brother and I had never been in a house that you could run from  the kitchen through one room to another and back into the kitchen.

The upstairs had two good size bedrooms.  Both had two windows,  one faced out the front of the house and the second on either side of the home.

We would explore the outside of the house the first day we arrived for our visit just to see if anything had changed.  The front of the house was lined with picker berry hedges and on the left hand side were snowball  plants that were taller than we were.  There were flowers blooming everywhere.  The back yard was completely shaded with huge towering trees.

Next to the veranda was THE CELLAR.

The  two cellar doors were anchored about a foot above the ground.  Large wooden doors with handles on them.  When opened, there were cement steps leading down into the musk smelling basement.

My brother loved to explore the cellar, while I found it scary.  Very scary.
In the backyard, my grandparents had a wooden swing and my grandmother taught us songs from her Irish past while we sat with her swinging back and forth.

Our first day in Connecticut always included dinner with  my mother’s brother and his family:  My Uncle John, Aunt Sis, cousins Don and Jack (who were several years older than my brother and me).

This baby boomer ‘s summer Connecticut memories always include being loved by my mom’s family!

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Baby Boomer Summer Memories 1950s

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

My nephew and his family’s trip from Virginia to Michigan this past week, sparked my baby boomer memories of the 1950’s when my parents would take us from our home in Michigan to Connecticut every summer to visit my grandparents!

There was a major difference between their traveling from state to state than ours those many years ago!

They had air conditioning, we had windows that rolled down.  They had a large van with a video for my grand nephews to watch. We had  our books and toys, and an invisible line drawn down the center of the back seat  so my brother couldn’t come over to my side and tease me.  They had cell phones to keep us informed of their journey home.  We didn’t.

And they had the expressways.   We sure didn’t.  Their travel time was ten hours,  ours was two days.

My brother and I spent several hours the other day talking about those trips to Connecticut in the 1950s.

We talked about how our mom told us that my dad promised her when  that when they were married, and moved to Michigan where his family lived,  and he had a job, they would return to her home in Connecticut every year.

He kept that promise.  We went to Connecticut every summer until I was in my twenties.
We remembered that we always began our trip when it was dark or the sun was just rising.  My parents had packed the car the night before and after breakfast we climbed into the Hudson Super Wasp and began the  long, two day journey to our grandparents home in Waterbury.

We clearly recalled driving either through the Canadian Tunnel or over the Blue Water Bridge to Canada.  And had inst ant recall of the endless blur of Canadian farmlands as the day passed.  My mom and dad sang songs with us, provided us with milk from a thermos and sandwiches thoughout the day.  We also remembered the countless gas station stops to use restrooms.

The first day’s journey always ended at the Kitty Kat Motel in Upper State New York.  (My brother and I both agreed that it was on one of our trips to Connecticut, specifically in Upper State New York,  that we began our life long love of New England).  We admired the tree filled mountains and the Hudson River!  (My dad used to tell us stories about Rip Van Winkle, Henry Hudson  and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, his own version.  We never forgot those stories!)

The second day’s journey included traveling through Massachusetts and into Connecticut.  We knew we were close to my grandparents’ house when my dad announced, “We are now driving through Litchfield!”
My brother and I were thrilled with Litchfield!  All the homes and establishments were painted white with black trim.  There were thousands of trees lining the streets  and the mountains seemed to shelter that beautiful town.

Finally, about an hour later, we drove into the asphalt driveway of 76 Hinsdale Avenue, my grandparents’ Cape Cod home!

I don’t know how they did it, but  every year as we turned into their driveway, my grandparents, with their smiling faces,  would be standing in the driveway waiting for us!

When we climbed out of the car, our summer Connecticut memories began!

Did you travel in the summer?  Did you have a special memory?  Did you spend time at your grandparents’ home?

Waterbury Connecticut

My grandparents, Pep and Nanny!



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Baby Boomer Favorite Memory 1950s

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

It’s hot out there today!  The beginning of a heat wave that has been predicted to stay with us for over a week.

I met my baby boomer friends for brunch after church this afternoon at our usual restaurant by the lake.  Though it was nice and cool inside, we could see sun beating down on the hundreds of watercrafts zipping up and down the choppy water.

Children running up and down the docks seemed oblivious to the sweltering heat and once again my friends and I marveled that neither the frigid cold nor the blazing temperatures prevented children from enjoying themselves!

My friends and I, as always, discussed the current state of affairs, both nationally and those issues here in Michigan.   Enjoying the cool comfort of the dining area, we managed to solve the debt ceiling that has plagued congress and the president, health care reform, the social security crisis and the taxing of pensions.

We were in no hurry to leave,  and as my friends know,  I’m writing this blog, one asked   “What was your favorite childhood memory?”  Hers was a summer vacation to Arizona when she was seven and learned how to ride a horse.  Another of my friends said her favorite memory was  the day she conquered roller skating,  with those steel balls for wheels, and straps that always seemed too tight on our ankles

. Mine was my Uncle Jack’s wedding when I was five years old.  I remember every detail of that day.

On my way home from the restaurant, I replayed that long ago memory.

The day actually began weeks before when my grandmother had a bridal shower for my soon to be Aunt Alberta . My cousins Janet and Rosanna and I were invited!  I remember listening to the to my mom, grandmother and aunts talk excitedly about the wedding preparations.   I was mostly interested in the dresses that everyone would wear.   I learned that my Aunt Dorothy, Janet’s mother, would be in the wedding and  would be wearing a lavender, chiffon tiered, hooped  dress in the rainbow wedding. The bride’s sister would be wearing a similar dress in green chiffon, and the bride’s friend would be wearing a yellow chiffon dress.  No one knew what the bride was wearing. My mom said it was a secret until the wedding day!

As the weeks passed and the excitement mounted, my dress arrived!  I would be wearing a green chiffon dress the same color as the bride’s sister and a flowered headband.  I believe Janet wore a similar chiffon dress of pink and Rosanna wore the yellow chiffon.  We all wore white shoes and white nylon gloves!

The wedding was in the morning, (my dad was the best man) and we were dressed and ready to go that hot, August morning in 1953.  The wedding was in Troy, Michigan which was a distance away.  I remember barely containing myself , sitting very carefully, in the back seat of the Hudson Super Wasp, I wouldn’t wrinkle my beautiful dress.

Like most little girls I loved my dolls, ballerinas and brides!  This was a big day for a five year old!

We arrived at the church, a huge brick, and stained glass building, and went inside.My mom, brother and I  sat in the pews directly behind my cousin Janet and two rows behind my cousin Rosanna.  My mom graciously let me sit on the end so I could see the bride when she came down the isle!

I remember looking up at the large, beautiful, flower covered altar and seeing my Uncle Jack and my dad standing there.

Then the organist began to play the music.  My mom told me that when I heard the music, it was time for the wedding to start!

The first down the isle was the bride’s sister wearing the same color dress that I did!

Then my Aunt Dorothy looking so beautiful in her lavender dress!

Then the bridesmaid wearing my cousin Janet’s dress color.

Then the maid of honor wearing Rosanna’s dress color.

And  finally, there she was, my soon to be Aunt Alberta dressed in the most beautiful wedding gown I’d ever seen .  She was everything a five year old could hope for in a bride.  She wore a long, full skirt,  embroidered, pure white, chiffon dress trimmed in satin.  The lace veil, attached with a flowered headband, was over her face as she and her father made their way slowly down the isle toward my uncle.

I kept my eyes on the bridal party throughout the wedding mass.  I was enthralled watching my uncle and my new aunt walking quickly back down the isle!

I remember my brother, cousins and I stood outside the church and had our pictures taken, feeling as special as the bride and groom!

After the ceremony, and the photographs had been taken, we got into the car and my dad drove us to a huge restaurant where the festivities began.  I clearly remember the bridal party entering.  My dad left them and joined my mom, brother and me at our flower decorated table.

I clearly remember that we had orange sherbet for breakfast!  I was in Heaven!

Though I’m sure the time we spent in that restaurant that wonderful day was approximately three hours, it seemed like a full day to me!   And more was still to come!

We left there and went to the bride’s parent’s home on Big Beaver in Troy, which at that time, was very rural.   The home was  large  with pillars, rolling lawns, and I couldn’t believe it,magnificent tents set up!

I remember for a while I followed the bride’s sister around watching as she brushed confetti out of her long, auburn hair that was styled in a page boy.  I guess I felt a bond with her since I was wearing the same color dress!

Adults who were warm sat in the tents listening to music, eating, drinking and keeping an eye on their children.

My new Aunt Alberta , who knew how excited my cousins and I were, made special time for us.  She let us touch her dress, hold her bouquet and have our photographs taken with her.  We had our photographs take with her around her enormous wedding cake.

When you’re five years old, watching a bride and groom dance, kiss, hold hands, and smile at each other, made all your fairy tales stories come true!

The day faded into night and my mom told me that my brother and I slept all the way home.

I’m sure I was dreaming about the day and all I’d seen.

Everyone has a favorite childhood memory.   What was yours?

 

Excited cousins at Uncle Jack's Wedding!

Baby Boomer Favorite Memory 1950s 

Baby Boomer Favorite Memory 1953

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Baby Boomers Memory of The Fourth of July

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

Baby Boomers Fourth of July Memories!

I love this country!  I don’t always agree with our elected officials,  but having seen other countries on CNN, there is NO other place I’d rather live!

Remembering back to the 1950’s Fourth of July, with the memory of World War II having ended not that long ago, my parents were very patriotic and they’ve instilled a love of country in their children.  (My dad’s parents had six children: five out the six served in the Armed Forces).

I clearly recall every Fourth of July, a large American flag draped in the front of our house, (and flags billowing throughout my neighborhood!).  I remember going to  parades early in the morning and watching the marchers and floats with great excitement!

Afterwards we would pack the car with a huge picnic basket and meet my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins at a tree lined park with a lake.

My cousins, brother and I spent the day playing on the beach, eating hot dogs, hamburgers , potato salad, potato chips and drank pop (soda) .

Early evening everyone piled back into their cars and went home.  Though we were tired from a full day, my parents always took us to the fireworks at a nearby community.  I remember we would sit on a blanket among hundreds of people, and wait for the fireworks to begin!  I know the first couple of explosions always frightened me!  I would quickly overcome my fear when I saw the beauty that lit up the sky!

To this day, I still love the Fourth of July celebrations!

Happy Fourth of July

God Bless America!

What are your baby-boomer memories of the Fourth of July?

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Baby Boomer Ballet Classes in the 1950s

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Marianne Stanton

This afternoon I attended my grand niece’s ballet recital!  My gosh!  She’s six years old, beautiful, graceful and I enjoyed watching the little ballerinas twirl around the stage!

I can’t remember the first time I saw a ballerina when I was a child but I loved them! I took ballet lessons from the time I was about five until age seven.  I remember for my fifth birthday cake, my mom decorated a white frosting cake with five little ballerinas.  Four twirled around the brunette ballerina in the middle of the cake!  I remember the five ballet positions and the sense of being a true ballerina, dressed in my tutu and ballet slippers, when I mastered each step.

As I watched the little girls today, with their hair pulled back in a bun, and their pale pink tutus and matching tights and slippers, on stage, I remembered my own recitals so long ago.  Nervous, yet excited to put on the ballerina costume,  I recall being so small on that big stage but in my child’s mind, being a full fledged ballerina when the recital was over!

What a welcome respite for the world’s problems: shrinking 401k, Pension taxes, news of crimes, to see the innocence of young children smiling and twirling around on a large stage!

Did you take ballet classes when you were a child?  Were you in a recital?

 

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