Growing up on rural James Street in Morristown NJ, we got to know the neighborhood homes and parents like our own.  Kids in the 50's and 60's had tremendous freedom to explore the surrounding wooded area-- check in for lunch and dinner. Though we were out of sight much of the time, the neighborhood  moms kept tabs on us.  "I have eyes in the back of my head!"  Mrs.McGrady often reminded us. We got to know each mom's 'specialty.'  Any one of the neighborhood kids would agree that Mrs. McGrady made the BEST cinnamon toast. We filed to her front door one by one ea ..read more

    That’s me in my mother’s arms—1952.  I remember many shopping trips at the 'Food Fair' during my first nine years living out on James Street in Morristown, NJ.  I grew up with six brothers, so my mom did a LOT of food shopping.  As a young child I looked forward to being given a penny  or a nickel to put in the gum ball machine on our way out of the store.  I loved bubble gum! I remember one particular shopping trip when I was perhaps four or five—it was like a dream come true! One of my brothers and I were bored so we walked ahead of my mom collecting ..read more

THEY'RE BACK! I knew that if I kept them long enough, my favorite style of all times—would return again! Baby boomers who lived through the 60's and early 70's remember them—Landlubbers, hip-huggers made of every fabric imaginable! I remember one pair in particular—orange, black and white striped—wide stripes. I thought they were particularly cool—until someone told me I looked like I was calling the cows home. Really didn't faze me though—over 30...what did he know? And would you believe, one of the very first images I came across in a Google search for images of bell bottom pants back then ..read more

If you've been reading my stories or if you've been a part of "Dear Baby Boomer-Remembering the 50's & 60's" on Facebook you know that there's a special place in my heart for those simpler days back when we were kids. I have found the subject to be a nice diversion when life in 2011 gets—well—complicated! (...know what I mean?) If you look back at those days and *sigh* wondering, "Was life really that simple back then?" I know you will enjoy my cards. If you've been reading along you will recognize some of the images from my stories.Take the Cadillac for example.... This card originated f ..read more

Remembering the days following 911-flags flying everywhere! From porches lining city streets—large and small. They reminded me of our tendency to take things for granted-assuming our life in this country will always remain the same. I walked my dog Dallas this morning and noticed there were some flags...but not many considering this is Memorial day. Feeling gratitude this morning for the blood that is being shed and has been shed through the ages for the incredible freedom we still enjoy—and so often taken for granted! Our little log house...makes me smile ..read more

September 1958 ".... I Pledge Allegiance.... " I remember feeling very small and insignificant as I entered my new classroom on that chilly fall morning. Second grade would be much harder than first, at least that's what my older brother assured me. As I sat at my new desk at the very front of the classroom, I was immediately aware that it was too small for me -- or was my chair too tall? All I knew for sure was that my feet did not touch the floor, and I wasn't about to tell anyone. I looked above the blackboard to the familiar printed alphabet, A through Z. Beneath it was the script we w ..read more

This is not my usual light-hearted "nostalgic" post—though the hero I will be writing about is a Baby boomer.This memory is one I must write about today, October 25th. It was a day much like today—autumn, sun shining, leaves covering the ground, though the trees not completely bare. Normally, a day I would consider to be among the most beautiful of all the days of the year. But this day began for me at 3am with a phone call—that call we all dread—a police dispatcher on the other end of the line. Of all scenarios I could imagine—the one that was about to unfold, was set aside in my mind a ..read more

Family Camping....what a romantic idea! Bonding—building teamwork-facing challenges together–getting close to God's creation....economical... well... Preparations for our first camping trip as a family in 1964— destination Lake George, N.Y.— were almost as exciting as the actual trip. Very characteristic of my dad, (Mr.Sawdust) we were going to do this right! One Saturday he escorted my six brothers and me to a large Army-Navy surplus store in Manhattan, a forty minute drive from our home in Upper Montclair, NJ. These stores were equivalent in the 60's to the sports outfitters of today. Eac ..read more

...not in the sense you might think of when I say..."romantic." For example—my kindergarten teacher's name was Miss Bowers. She was up there in years but I did not know it at the time because she smiled a lot and dressed so colorfully. Our bus driver's name was "Mr.Pickle." (I assumed he was old because he was bald) At the end of second grade, Mr.Pickle asked Miss Bowers to marry him. She said "yes" and she became Mrs.Pickle—the kindergarten teacher. ...see what I mean? But back to kindergarten...early in the spring that year, my older brother Bruce went to his Saturday Cub Scout meeting d ..read more

Home permanents had come a long way by the 50's. But not quite far enough! This ad promotion from the 50's featured identical twins, with identical looking hair styles. One was done professionally, the other was done at home. In his role as radio announcer for the long-running mystery series, Casey, Crime Photographer, sponsored by Toni, Bill Cullen would often deliver the commercial as if he was a character in the program. He would ask his radio audience.. "...which girl has the Toni?" From my one experience as a child, I don't think either one of them did! But before I take you back to ..read more