'60s Memories

There were those miserable Saturdays when it was cold and raining outside and I was mandated to the indoors. "It's too cold and wet for you out there," Mom said, whenever I argued that I would be okay outside. Of course, nobody else was out, so I knew I'd be playing alone anyway. Still I argued and Mom replied with the ever-famous (wait for it) "You'll catch your death of cold out there." On those days I quickly recovered from my forced seclusion, and greatly enjoyed the day. Whenever I think of Saturdays, or Saturday mornings, my heart is always drawn to the years of 1961 through 1963. The mornings were amazing as I sat in front of the TV with action western shows and the greatest cereal on the planet to power up with. 

Saturday afternoons are also among my favorite memories. As Dad came in from the garage, and settled into his chair for the afternoon, a wonderfully wet Saturday was in store. From the kitchen came the loud whirring of Mom's electric mixer and the opening and closing of the oven door. The smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking is one of the many flavors of my life from 1962. Dad often got up for refills of his coffee, and I faintly heard conversations mumbled in the kitchen. He kept his voice low enough so we could not hear over the TV.  Soft "I love yous" were probably being exchanged, and no doubt Dad ran his finger along hot frosting to steal a lick of flavor. 

When the cold rain fell we all gathered to the living room for afternoon entertainment on a black and white set. I remember a rare day when Dad brought home some Nestle's Crunch candy bars; our corner store didn't seem to have them in stock, so they were a real treat. He also brought home some Blue Bell BBQ potato chips, and I crunched on them as I watched Jon Gnagy drawing marvelous scenes. Jon Gnagy's TV show was a favorite in our household and played on Saturday Afternoons. To this very day I have a tremendous love of gray skies and bar-b-que potato chips simply for the memory of this particular day. Sometimes Dad and I watched westerns, or reruns of "Highway Patrol".