Hey, Wasn't That US??

I received this from a friend recently and needed to share it with my blog friends. Even without graphics, this poem says it all............

A little house with three bedrooms, one bath, one car on the street.
A mower that you had to push to make the grass look neat.

In the kitchen on the wall we only had one phone,
And no need for recording things, someone was always home.

We only had a living room where we would congregate
unless it was at mealtime in the kitchen where we ate.

We had no need for family rooms or extra rooms to dine.
When meeting as a family those two rooms would work out fine.

We only had one TV set, and channels, maybe two
But always there was one of them with something worth the view.

For snacks we had potato chips that tasted like a chip,
And if you wanted flavor, there was Lipton's onion dip.

Store-bought snacks were rare because my mother liked to cook.
And nothing can compare to snacks in Betty Crocker's book.

Weekends were for family trips or staying home to play,
We all did things together- even go to church to pray.

We did our weekend trips depending on the weather,
No one stayed at home because we liked to be together.

Sometimes we would seperate to do things on our own,
But we knew where the others were without our own cell phone.

Then there were the movies with your favorite movie star,
And nothing can compare to watching movies in your car.

Then there were the picnics at the peak of summer season,
Pack a lunch and find some trees and never need a reason.

Get a baseball game together with all the friends you know,
Have a real action playing ball - and no game video.

Remember when the doctor used to be the family friend,
And didn't need insurance or a lawyer to defend?

The way that he took care of you or what he had to do,
Because he took an oath and strived to do the best for you.

Remember going to the store and shopping casually,
And when you went to pay for it, you used your own money?

Nothing that you had to swipe or punch in some amount.
Remember when the cashier person had to really count?

The milkman used to go from door to door,
And it was just a few cents more than going to the store.

There was a time when mailed letters came right to your door.
Without a lot of junk mail ads sent out by every store.

The mailman knew each house by name and knew where it was sent.
There were not loads of mail addressed to "Present Occupant".

There was a time when just one glance was all that it would take.
And you would know the kind of car, the model and the make.

They didn't look like turtles trying to squeeze out every mile.
They were streamlined, white walls, fins and really had some style.

One time the music that you played whenever you would jive,
Was from a vinyl, big-holed record called a forty-five.

The record player had a post to keep them all in line,
And then the records would drop down and play one at a time.

Oh sure, we had our problems then, just like we do today,
And always we were striving trying for a better way.

Oh, the simple life we lived still seems like so much fun,
How can you teach about a game, just kick the can and run.

And why would boys put baseball cards between bicycle spokes,
And for a nickel red machines had little bottled Cokes?

This life seemed so much easier and slower in some ways,
I love the new technology, but I sure miss those days.

So time moves on and so do we, and nothing stays the same,
But, I sure love to reminisce and walk down memory lane.

Victorian Etc.

I feel very privileged to be a featured writer in the newest on-line Victorian magazine, Victorian Etc. Like me, I suppose every author has spent years in pursuit of Victorian perfection in their particular field.

Grab that cup of morning tea and please take a moment to go on over and peruse this wonderful publication. I know you will find it truly inspiring.



Let me know how you liked it in the comments section of this post. Thanks!

An Offer Too Good to Refuse

Thanks to all of you that posted comments on my Victorian Christmas Decoration series. If you enjoyed the photos and wish to have some of these copies of your own, Aunt May's Cottage is now selling past issues of my favorite magazine, Victorian Decorating and Lifestyles. Many of the gorgeous Christmas photos came from that magazine.




Sadly, it is no longer published but I have been collecting these vintage treasures for the past few years. Sometimes, I must buy more issues than I need in order to get the ones (or one) that I am missing. I still have a few that I've not been able to locate, but that's part of the fun of a collection ....the hunt.

I'm willing to let duplicate issues of this fine publication go to folks that also feel they have been born about a hundred years later then their heart and soul.

If you love the old Romantic magazines, this is a publication you will want to have on your bookshelves for future reference. Timeless in it's decor ideas, there are also lots of articles on the lifestyles of our Victorian ancestors.

Stop on over to the cottage and check out "The Library" for the issues offered. Wonderful price of only $4.00 each!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve