THE GOOD OLD DAYS

How long ago were the Good Old Days anyway? My days  meant I could walk home from school. or to a friend's house without an adult. All my mom had to do was call my name from the kitchen door and I knew I needed to get home. Yes, it was before cell phones and  social media, but a man had walked on the moon. Gasoline costs around .30 cents per gallon (yeah...not a type-o). I watched Lee Harvey Oswald get assassinated on live black & white television. The first time I heard the Jackson 5 the Osmonds or the Archies it was on a cereal box record. I didn't have my toys other than Barbies, a sand box, a doll with a giant teardrop on her face (Lil' Miss No Name--had to look that one up). But I had my bike, the library and a huge imagination. Who needed more? When were the 'good old days' for you? Let us know in the comments to be eligible for the drawing.

ANGI

One thing I did was ride my bicycle EVERYwhere. As long as I was home for lunch and dinner...I was golden. I lived in the middle of the block and our yard literally had a white fence in front. My mom and dad worked hard to keep the St. Augustine grass very lush under a huge huge shade tree. And that's why when we played space ship we played it at my house. We'd turn our bicycles upside down and set them end-to-end in a circle. Then we'd spin the peddles for energy and take off. Someone would always use their front tire like a steering wheel. Man...those were fun days.

AMANDA

My grandmother’s house was a wonderland of treasures. When I was young, its old three-story splendor, its lush green yard surrounded entirely by a five-foot hedge seemed like a fortress to my young imagination. Its Victorian beauty sprawled from front to back, top to bottom with many rooms, closets, as well as THE special drawer in the kitchen that housed the devil’s food cookies grandma stocked when we came to visit. It is here, on the grand woven tapestry rug in the living room that I first was introduced to the game of Chinese Checkers by my aunt. The board itself was handmade my grandfather and the marbles had been collected over time. While I love the game of checkers (yes, I’ll challenge any old man sitting in front of a checkerboard—that’s another story all together!) But something about the strategy of Chinese Checkers resonated—perhaps a cherished memory of my grandmother’s home-and ever since, it has been a focal point in our home. I have been known to buy Chinese Checker Boards as wedding gifts. (I’ve read a friendly board or card game with your spouse can be healthy!)

It’s one of the first games I taught each of my children and I’ve made sure that each of their homes also has a Chinese Checker board and there is never a family gathering that goes by without the gauntlet being dropped to play a round or two. Most recently, my oldest grandson (3.5 years) sat astutely watching his mother and I play the game with its shiny marbles I keep in a blue mason jar. I got him a checkerboard this year for Christmas, which means that not too far down the road, I’ll have another generation to teach and perhaps beat this savvy Gigi!

E.E. Burke

Dominoes. I love to play a very simple game of Mexican Train Dominoes. We didn't start out doing this when I was a child, although I wish we had. I LOVE playing this game because anyone can play--even when you're tired, have to do wash in between, want to drink some wine without bombing the game, etc. It's a blast. We play it with the grandkids and the grandparents. Anyone up for a game?

JACQUI

Memories of childhood puppets have a special place in my heart. I can remember being very young and very brave and putting on a puppet play for a Christmas community event. I'm not one who even slightly enjoys being on stage, so this memory is quite remarkable for me!

These days I have one Little Red Riding Hood puppet that I like to put on the bookshelf that holds my how-to-write books or sometimes (as in the picture below) I arrange her with my other treasures for a photoshoot. I bought Little Red during a trip to the Czech Republic over 15 years ago. I'm continually happy that I chose to bring her home because she's a classic who never fails to make me smile. 

WHEN WERE THE 'GOOD OLD DAYS' FOR YOU? Leave a comment to be eligible for (it's a secret!)