Topic · 16 posts
The '50s, '60s and growing up in West Texas.
“OO EE, OO AH AH, TING TANG, WALLA WALLA BING BANG.” Ask any child or teen-ager of the ’50s what this phrase means and they will remember the summer of 1958, a summer most memorable because of its music, including “Witch Doctor” by David Seville and “Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley. Actually, Seville’s song…
I want toys for Christmas. Can’t remember saying that since, hmm, maybe 1959. Growing up in the Bellah family, we kids had two categories of gifts: Toys Everything else “Everything else” included books, stocking stuffer and school stuff, but mostly it meant clothes—the multicolored socks from Aunt Fern, the sweaters knitted by our Granna. “Everything…
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Prepared a special feast in my fire pit yesterday. Cooked the same as when I was in Boy Scouts. Used mesquite—not too green (coals won’t last), nor too thick (won’t go to coals soon enough). —One half-pound hamburger patty, surrounded with veggies (mostly shredded potatoes) —Wrapped in heavy duty tin foil, carefully folded at the…
So I’m doing my traditional New Year’s assessment—seeing what got done last year and thinking about what needs to happen in 2020—and I had a thought. Maybe the most important thing is not what I put on my “to do” list but what I leave off. Because, it’s obvious; I can’t get ALL these things…
Not even mid-November and stores already decorated for Christmas. But if you think I’m going to complain, think again. You see, I love all things Christmas, even the commercial stuff. If Wal-Mart wants to deck the halls with reds and greens and play “Jingle Bells” in July, I say, “Go for it.” I don’t even…
So I’m sitting in my 2006 Tacoma pickup in front of one of those drive-through oil-change places, and this young man pokes his head in my window asking if I want the more expensive oil for older vehicles. “Older”? “Yeah, have you driven more than 75,000 miles”? I glance at my odometer that registers just…
Had a salad for lunch today. In case you’re thinking I’m a healthy eater, you should know I had banana pudding for supper last night. No, not for dessert. I said I had banana pudding for supper last night. And before you start judging me, you should know banana pudding has milk and eggs and…
Watching my second rainbow of the day and thinking of some lyrics by Don Wyrtzen. “When I was just a child I knew Why rain fell and flowers grew The I believe came easy then And I can still remember when” The words convict me. Because for most of the afternoon I’ve been filling out…
Spent the evening packing memories. They came in file cabinets full of letters, legal documents, instructions, and pictures/drawings mostly of/from children and grandchildren. My job was to make six drawers of material in the old home fit into three in the new one. Wasn’t hard. I save way too much insignificant stuff—a copy of my…
It happened again Sunday. Was paying the ticket at Calico County, and the cashier recognized me. “Dr. Bellah, remember me?” “Of course; what’s your name again?” “Andrea B. I had you—let’s see—2006, I think.” “Sure. How are you, Andrea?” “Of course you remember me. I was special.” Her grin was both mischievous and eerily familiar.…
Walked by my old house yesterday. The four-bedroom ranch structure that Sternenberg Lumber Company built for Bob Bellah in 1957 hasn’t been occupied by my family since 1968. It’s only a few blocks from where I now live, but I hardly ever pass it—one, because it’s not on the way anywhere and, two, because the…
September 1960. Cassius Clay won a gold medal at the Rome Olympics, Mickey Mantle hit what was thought to be the longest home run ever (643 feet), and Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy held the first televised presidential debate in history. But for me and my 12-year-old classmates, something more life-changing was afoot. For…
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In less than two hours will be on the road. Woohoo! Our 2010 vacation in Ouray, Colorado is about to begin. Will make a side trip first. To Omaha, Nebraska where my brother Craig now lives. Haven’t seen him since June 1 – the day after Dad died. Am bringing Craig some of Mom’s and…
Who put the bomp In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp Who put the ram In the rama lama ding dong No, I wasn’t attending a reunion of the Canyon High School class of ’67, but rather a performance put on last night by the CHS class of 2017, which includes my granddaughter Brooke. “Who…
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Davy Crockett died last week. Well, not exactly. Fes Parker, who played Davy in the 1950s feature films, died. He was 85. Davy was my first hero – not only because of the ’50s shows, but because of a popular youth biography (remember those orange covered books), and, of course, there was John Wayne’s The…