Everyday things can be functional and ordinary, or... EPIC! One of the most elegant collectible pieces from the 1940s and 1950s is the Aladdin teapot made by the Hall China Company of East Liverpool, Ohio. Hall was purchased only recently by Homer...
Take the Fast Train to Fun in France
1986 was the year to ride the TGV, the fastest computerized train rail in Europe, to France. The video below is part 2 of 2 hosted by a fuzzy, funny tour guide. Fuzzy from the film quality and funny as she jokes about bicycling along the hilly countryside terrain. I’d hoped to improve the quality, to save your eyes from strain, but that’s not in the cards. Like watching black and white television, once the storyline starts, the content hails all else.
Those space bubble cable cars are the bomb. Then more tour guide talk. Soon, timeless landscapes appear, winding toward the ultimate destination, Hotel du Grand Paris. SIGH. I couldn’t find that specific hotel online. A similar one 30 miles away has captured my heart: Hotel du Grand Paradis in Cogne, Italy.
Does a Genie Live Inside?
Jumping for Joy
(photo credits: Matt Spur) If you've ever attended a slumber party where jumping on the bed was allowed, you're one lucky duck! If not, maybe you've at least enjoyed the surreal weightlessness of jumping on a backyard trampoline, suspended like a bird...
Dreams of Glass
From basketweaving to breathtaking beauty. This is the short version of how Dale Patrick Chihuly found his path to unparalleled dimensions of artistry. The first time I saw one of his works was in Columbus, Indiana. Massive. Glorious. A complete burst of...
The Joker’s Wild
Game shows hit daytime television as early as the 1940s. If you were around in the 1970s, you could've watched The Joker's Wild, Gambit, and Match Game. Which one of these three did you like best? The first episode of The Joker's Wild is a time capsule....
Station Wagon Wanderlust
Autumn weather can make us recall bygone American road trips to the forest, lake, seaside, or mountains. Jumping into the back of the station wagon, begging for Dad to let down the back window. We'd kick off our shoes, pretend we were riding in a train or...
Hollyhocks in Hollywood
Imagine a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, celebrating motifs of your favorite flower. What's more, your courtyard and landscape are embellished with lush plantings of these same floral varieties. This was the world of Aline Barnsdall, visionary of the...
The Daily Grind is Grande
(image credits: PunkToad) What do you call it when you walk into a coffee shop and feel like you’ve been there before? Déja-brew! Coffee Jokes & Puns Coffee percolators have the sound and rhythm of retro kitchen music. Remember being...
D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read!)
Beverly Cleary turned 104 years old on 4/12/20. She says she didn't do it on purpose (living to be this age)! When I saw and heard Mrs. Cleary speak, her facial expressions made me want to learn more about her life and personality. Did you know she...
Pastimes in Tennessee
Today, we’re taking a time machine back to June 21, 1982 to visit the World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee! NYT Unveils World's Fair The 1982 World's Fair opening ceremonies are on continual replay (loop) on the big screen. Just inside the...
The Third Time is the Charm
What would the history of home entertainment have been without Blockbuster and Nintendo? The home videogame console industry was regenerated with the release of Nintendo NES in 1985. The third generation system introduced games now legendary: Super Mario...
God Bless the Milkman
Jimmy took a couple of years off before deciding to get back into his truck in the wee hours of the morning to make home deliveries of cold, fresh milk and eggs. His unlikely inspiration was the real-life milkman from his own suburban neighborhood: the father...
Definitively Dinah
(Photo credit: Terry Whalebone) Dinah Shore was one of entertainment's most beloved stars. Her music, television and film career was beyond imagination: 9 Emmys and a Golden Globe. Intelligent, charming, witty, talented; she was a born entertainer. More...
Bedtime Blanket Stories
Everyone loves a well-appointed bed. Especially when we use items we've held onto from years passed: a patchwork quilt, knitted afghan, woolen spread, satin coverlet, flannel sheets, and more; all set to layer the perfect bed for those colder nights ahead. ...
Salads for All Seasons
Retro recipe books abound online and in bookstores everywhere.... But, wait! Are there any bookstores left? At least thrift shops will continue to offer old cookbooks, I suppose. And, secretly hope. Let's take a look at popular vintage recipes for a...
All That Glitters
When Goldie Hawn smiles, she sparkles, glows, and glitters.* We all know Goldie has acted in more than comedies alone. But, if you’ve read her quotes or watched when she’s interviewed, you’ll know she believes making people happy is an important part of her...
What’s on the Telly Tonight?
Around 40,000 U.S. families owned a home television in the mid-1940s, compared to about 121 million today! October 1947 brought two televised "firsts" home: 1. The World Series game of Yankees (4) vs Dodgers (3) 2. Harry Truman’s White House speech...
The Corvette: A Love Story
Which car was your first love? A Mustang? The Monte Carlo? How about a Corvette? Pictured above is the 1978 Silver Anniversary Edition - my dream car. The next year ('79) saw the highest production of Vettes in its history. Chevrolet Corvette sales reportedly...
Seersucker Cotton & Candy Suckers
Summertime has now passed, and old memories of home life rituals come to mind. For me, one ritual would begin, as another one ended. Preparing for the upcoming elementary schoolyear was always an exciting time for my sisters and me. Our cotton seersucker...