Remember when you could…
I have to chuckle at myself some times. I have reached the age when the words, “I remember when” come out of my mouth more and more often. Just the other day, I was telling my grandson you could buy a candy bar for a nickel! Yes, for those of you out there born in this century, once upon a time, you could buy a full size candy bar for a nickel. And, they were even bigger than what you can buy now. I think a bottle of soda (or pop as we call it here in Indiana) was a quarter. The bottles were glass so you got money back when you returned it! I think hamburgers at McDonald’s were also a quarter…not that we ate there very often. Of course, wages were lower then, too.
Other rememories…
One of my students used to call them rememories, and I love that word. I know it’s not a real word, but I use it all the time. I remember when gas was $0.19 a gallon. My mom and dad had a charge at one of the local gas stations and would pay it off when Dad got paid. Do you remember Christmas Clubs? Or, was that a local thing? Anyway, you would start it in, maybe, January and put so much money into it with the intention of withdrawing it at Christmas time to buy gifts. Mom had Christmas Club accounts for all four of us kids. I think she put $.50 in each week…maybe less because we had less than $10 to spend on presents for our parents and each other. Again, things were much less expensive then so we may have had extra left over. I know I did!
More…
I was in Job’s Daughters when I was in my early teens. We would have meetings every other Thursday, I think. One of my good friends was also in Job’s so we’d get there early and head down to the drug store. Remember how I said candy bars were a nickel? We would buy two or three candy bars each because we were never in town. I don’t know how long they lasted. I do know we didn’t eat them prior to the meeting because we wore those white gowns (you can see a photo of those in this post). I think I was babysitting by that point, so I had a little bit of money. We didn’t get allowances at our house because it was just expected we would do our chores without expecting to be paid.
Still more…
When Nigel and I were dating, he could fill up his car (a 1969 Ford Fairlane 500) and take me to a movie…all for about $5.00! It was rare for us to eat something. Remember that early awkwardness of eating in front of someone you’re dating? I also didn’t sing in front of him for years…maybe not even the first few years we were married. Nigel and I started dating in 1973! Yes, we have been together for more than half a century! If you want to read about our first date, you can find that here. I do remember he worked at a men’s store in Columbia City and made $2.25 an hour! I’m not sure if he worked 40 hours or not.
Early days…
After Nigel and I got married, he worked at several different jobs. My dad worked for the phone company. Nigel idolized my dad so he wanted to work at the phone company. He got a job as a lineman and worked there for a few years. Eventually, he became a lineman…one of those guys who climb the poles. He had lineman hooks to wear on his boots and would honestly climb the poles. Funny to think of that now. One of the downsides to being a lineman was being on call. That meant he had to be available 24/7. I remember going out on a couple of calls with him in the middle of winter. Nigel had the oldest van because he was the newest employee. Eventually, he was lured away by a guy who worked for the local electric company. He would do the same job, but being on call there was even worse. He hated it and tried to get back to the phone company…which was a big old nope! So, he did what he always did when he needed a different job…he went to work at a local tool and die company called Weatherhead Tool. John Weatherhead was, if not the owner, important enough to just hire Nigel whenever he needed a job.
More early days…
Our first car payment was $66.73! I know, it’s weird that I remember that. That was for a 1974 orange Ford Pinto! We bought a 1977 gold Chevelle that I hated. The payment on that was $77.21! When Nigel bought our house, we weren’t married and he made so little that he qualified for some kind of government program. His house payment was $92 a month. The people running the program saw our wedding announcement in the local paper so our payment went up to $165 a month! I doubt you could rent a rundown tent for that these days!
Some more early days…
Nigel just couldn’t decide what he wanted to be when he grew up. In the meantime, I worked at Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. I have to say the whole thing because that’s how we always answered the phone! Eventually, Nigel got a job at International Harvester. He worked in the tool and die department. He worked second shift which meant we saw each other on the weekends. Let me tell you, my friends, we fought each weekend! We were so unused to being together and had such high expectations for those two short days. That was a lot of pressure. There were times when he would work a double shift. We felt like we were really raking in the money. One year, we made $40,000! I mean, it took me several years to make that as a teacher so it was a lot of money in the 70s and 80s.
The bust…
Life was good for a few years. We were working and saved every single one of my checks. Why? I have no idea except that’s what we did. We didn’t go on vacations. We didn’t splurge on fancy restaurants very often. There was one that I just loved. It was called Ted’s and was in Fort Wayne. We had chateaubriand there the first time we went. It was also there I had my first cocktail…a daiquiri! They were known for their prime rib, and it was delicious! Then, we decided to have a baby. We lost the first baby by miscarriage. In those days, you didn’t talk about it. You just went on as if nothing had happened. No time for grieving. No time for wondering. We had our oldest, Josh, in 1980. At that point in time, the workers at Harvester were on strike. Nigel got strike pay and had to picket a couple of times a week. It was such a nice time, though, because we had money; we had a new baby; and we could just stay home and be together. But, then things got bad between the union and the company. Eventually, Harvester closed down almost all of the manufacturing in Fort Wayne and moved it to Ohio. That meant so many people with years and years of experience were just plain out of luck. Nigel didn’t have that much time invested so he wasn’t as upset. But, there were men who had decades and were close to retirement. Some of them moved to Ohio. Some guy (or maybe even more than one) bought an old bus and would drive guys to Springfield, OH (about 2.5 hours) and back. I think he slept during the day. They would leave Fort Wayne around 4:00am so the guys slept on the bus on the way there. That’s not a life, right? But, when you’re close to retirement and a pension, you do what you have to do.
A new path…
Somewhere along the line, Nigel learned about this little shop where this guy was doing electrical things. Don’t ask me what because I don’t have the vaguest idea what they were doing then. He hired Nigel and paid him a decent salary. That guy turned out to be a real jerk in the long run, but he did give Nigel the idea of a new career path. Nigel had a year of college before we started dating. He thought he wanted to be an accountant. But, he decided that life of being inside was not for him. By the time he’d gone through all these other jobs (we’re talking 1980 now), he decided being inside wasn’t that bad! Thus began his route to becoming an electrical engineer. It took him nine loooooong years to get his degrees. First, he got an Associate’s degree. That didn’t do much except get him a small raise at the old job. In the meantime, he’d heard of ITT (not the technical school) from a friend. He was working on his Bachelor’s degree at this point. He applied for a job there, but they said they didn’t have a place for him. He was within a semester of earning that BS. Once he got that, he was immediately offered a job. He worked there for nearly 30 years and has a few patents. He worked on a radio that was in the vehicles in the Middle East and would receive phone calls in the middle of the night from soldiers in the field needing help. He’d talk them through the repairs they’d need to do, or he’d get them other help if he couldn’t do it. He often forgets that so I remind him of it. He attained several big awards recognizing his achievements. People in New Jersey, Texas, and Arizona had the utmost respect for him.
Remembering…
I’ve been rather nostalgic lately because school is starting. My oldest granddaughter is driving. And, I’m recognizing that I’m closer to 70 than I like to think. Nigel is five years older than me which worries me immensely. I always check to make sure his chest is moving when I get up in the morning. He still gets up at 5:00. I do not! I know the day is coming when one of us is going to be alone. Remembering what we have lived through, what we’ve seen, what we’ve created is one way to keep the thought of the next part of our journey at bay. Remembering also keeps the brain sharp. I don’t know that there is any scientific proof to that, but if I can remember that first car payment, that has to mean something, right?
The outfit…
This is the Marigold Block Print Sleeveless Tunic from April Cornell. It’s on sale (really and truly marked down) and available in limited sizes. They call it pink, but I think it’s a peachy pink. That is one shade that is not good against my skin unless I’m really tanned (which I am not). So, what does one do? Well, as you can tell from the photos, it’s more a dress than a tunic on me, and it’s really a sundress with very thin straps. So, I wore one of my favorite Old Navy Luxe Sleeveless Tops under it. This accomplished two things. It put the green (which I can wear) closer to my face, and it took care of wearing a strapless bra. I liked how it brought out the greens in the print, too.
The Lewk!
I love these Miz Mooz Shay sandals. They may not be the best look as they cut my leg off at an awkward place, but I really don’t care! I love the very straps that do that as well as the color. These are the sage ones (also have the black ones). And, besides all that, they’re super duper comfortable. This jewelry is all from World Finds. If you’re not familiar with this company, I encourage you to check them out, especially if you like slightly quirky and definitely unique jewelry. I’m not sure which bracelets I was wearing so I’m going to link to a few I think I was wearing that day (here, here, here, and here). I can’t link to my earrings because they seem to be sold out. But, I love everything I’ve ever gotten from World Finds. I encourage you to read about their mission here.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
This was another photo shoot with my granddaughter. I think we did four or five outfits. This must have been in the middle since my hair is still kinda OK. Nigel asked me why I was asking him so many questions tonight. I just always have to tell a story instead of just focusing on the clothing. Maybe someday, I will. Today is not that day. So, can we talk? What price do you remember paying for a candy bar? What was your highest grocery bill when you were first married (ours was about $15)? Did you or your significant other have lots of jobs before finally settling in on a career? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
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No, no, no. You don’t want me to get started on memories, I will never shut up (but you probably already know that from my own posts). So I’ll answer just one of the questions.
I met my ex at work at the university. In the physics library, he studied physics. I said if someone wanted to get something to eat at the Italian restaurant on campus sometime because I still had so many food tickets. That was a benefit thing back then, we got a food ticket for 1 DM for each day, really for the university canteen, but quite a few restaurants, butchers, etc. around campus also accepted whole bunches of tickets. I didn’t eat in the canteen, so I collected them. Well, he said yes, and that was our first “date”. I have only ever had one job, I started training at the University Library, went on to Library School, and then came back to the University Library. The ex worked at a university institute and then went on to work for a company where he probably still is.
We were boring 😉
https://catswire.blogspot.com/
Hahaha!!! I think you and I would have a blast, sitting around and talking to, around, and over each other! That’s an interesting way to meet your ex! You weren’t any more boring than we are. I just make it sound exciting! I think that’s amazing you have had only one job which means you must really enjoy it!
Thanks, Cat!
Firstly, you look so cute in your that sweet dress and sandals. Great photos too.
It is interesting to look back sometimes and remember what we paid for things but then I also remember that I was also on very low wages. Mind you I certainly wouldn’t want to go back to those times- fun to look back but always go forward.
Thank you, Jill! This dress is so comfortable, especially in the heat. Oh, yes, we made so little back then. I made $100/week at my first “adult” job. I like to look back every once in a while just to keep those memories alive. But, the future is always fun to think about and plan for…even if the plans go awry.
You are positively glowing, Marsha!
I love the word rememories! How sweet! I remember my first job in 1984 paid me $3.45 an hour – that was in fast food. I also remember gas being $1.00 a gallon.
You really got me though with the whole thing about the day coming when one of us will be alone. I think about that now more than ever. Last week one of my co-workers passed unexpectedly. She was my age and I cannot wrap my brain around her sudden death.
Thanks for sharing these rememories!
xo,
Kellyann
Thanks, Kellyann! We were just having so much fun! Isn’t rememories the best word? It’s so much better than just memory because you’re remembering something. I am not sure what I made at my first job in high school, but my job at the insurance company paid $100 a week. I thought I was a millionaire!
I’m so sorry for the loss of your co-worker. Unexpected deaths are so hard to fathom. The whole idea of one of us being gone has been weighing heavily on me just because we’re both no longer spring chickens. I come from long lived women, but Mike’s family is not.
Our local bank still has Christmas clubs; but the amount you put in each week has definitely gone up! Such a cute outfit. I don’t remember much of what we used to pay for anything to notice huge jumps in prices (though I know they’ve happened I’m just really bad at remembering numbers). My husband began working for his father at age 11 after school and on weekends and eventually took over the company so he’s really only ever had the 1 job. Even after selling the company he basically kept doing what he’s always done just working for the new company that bought him out.
Thanks, Joanne! I can’t remember how much Mom put into it each week. I’m pretty sure she had one for each of us kids rather than one big one. I don’t know how I remember those amounts, but they’re stuck in my head. Wow! That’s a long time to work for the same company, but he was part of the building of the legacy.
This has me misty eyed – thank you for sharing the decades with us. I don’t have much to reminisce about yet, but will surely be treasuring these years.
Thanks, Edi! I hope you have lots and lots of years to create rememories!
Hello Marsha,
Here I the UK – as a child I can remember when you could buy sweets for a quarter of an old penny ( pre decimal then) The coin was called a farthing. Also you could to Saturday morning pictures for 6 pence and that was enough for sweets in the interval.
Mum and dad also saved in a Christmas club.
When I was married we lived on £7:00 a week – sometimes my fruit and veg bill is more than that for 1 day! So nothing was wasted.
Our first house cost £15,000 pounds and the mortgage rate was 15%.
No much money but happy times with 3 children under 5.
This is a lovely post Marsha, definitely got me thinking in a good way .
Thank you, Linda! I always wondered what a farthing was. It’s amazing when you think of what we bought back then and for how little. But, our parents also made so little then, too. Ah, so Christmas Clubs were something all around the world. I don’t remember what our mortgage rate was back then, but I remember my brother-in-law buying a home and paying 18% interest! Oh, I had three children under four so we definitely knew how to make that money stretch! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. I was afraid it might be a bit maudlin!
Sweets for a penny. And I remember pulling up to the petrol pumps and as a child being allowed to ask the attendant for £3 of 3* (on behalf of my mother) which was a lower grade and cheaper than the top one.
Thanks, Rosie! Oh, I forgot the “dime” store. They had candy in bulk there. You would tell the lady behind the counter how much you wanted. I even think it was called penny candy! Isn’t it funny the things we enjoyed as children? I truly dislike getting gas now.
Rememories….i love that.
And brava, for layering with a shirt like that under the strapless dress. Brilliant
Xoxo
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! I love these little tees! They work so well when you feel the need for a little extra coverage!
I love all these memories you share! I am also getting nostalgic lately because my son is taking off to Atlanta and I think this is probably it as far as him coming back permanently. Love this dress my friend!
https://www,kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! Oh, that is a hard when you realize it’s probably the last time. My daughter left for her freshman year at Franklin College here in Indiana. I had no idea it was actually the last time she was ever really home. She had jobs during the summers until she graduated. You now have a new place to visit!
Oh my goodness! Your post ignited so many of my own “remember when…”moments like my own green Pinto guy (not Hubby) from the mid 70’s. I haven’t thought of those days for some time! And I love the word “rememories” – I’m going to remember that one! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Thanks, Laura! Pintos were so much fun, weren’t they? Trips down Memory Lane are really good as long as we come back, right?
If someone can tell a good story it is you of course! I am afraid that I can’t remember many good memories about my childhood or early twenties. I like to not think about it. But I love to look back on things Gerben and I have done together, we are 33 years together. Great holidays and enjoying many times with friends! What a lovely dress Marsha.
Thank you, Nancy! I am sorry you don’t have good memories. I do make it sound as if my childhood was golden, but it wasn’t. I’m so glad you’ve had Gerben in your life for so long. You must have been about the same age as I was when Mike and got together.
I remember Christmas clubs! We had them in the UK. And we used to call fizzy drinks Pop, the same as you. Fizzy pop to be accurate.
I love reading memories of contemporaries. No matter where you are in the world, there are similarities.
Thanks, Gail! It seems Christmas clubs were all around the world! My son makes fun of me for calling it pop. He calls it soda. It is fun to read others’ rememories.
My mom had a 1969 Ford Fairlane, and I remember my parents trading it in, also for an orange Pinto! lol. Yes, eating in front of someone you just started dating was so awkward! Love your dress!
Jill –
Doused in Pink
Oh, my gosh! That’s amazing! What color was her Fairlane? Mike’s was a really dark green. He sold it to his younger brother, but we drove it away from the church when we got married. I don’t remember how long it took before I didn’t feel awkward anymore. And, thank you for the compliment!
This was a fun post. I am not as old as you, but even I still go “I remember when I could buy..” something for way less than it is now. Like gas, going to a movie, sodas etc.
I enjoyed learning about your early days with you and Nigel and Nigel’s work. That was fascinating. He certainly has accomplished a lot over the years! Now I need to go back and read the other posts too.
Thanks, Lisa! It’s good to know the generation behind me is picking up the baton of “I remember when I could buy…!” I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Mike really has accomplished so much, especially when I add that his algebra teacher in high school told him he definitely wasn’t college material. Of course, part of that may have been due to someone’s (not the teacher) attitude!
Fun trip down memory lane with you! I understand your anxiety regarding one of you being left alone. That eventuality truly sucks. Dan is 8 years older than I am. Given that there is nothing that I can do about it, I try not to dwell on it. I don’t want the anxiety sucking the joy out of now. I will admit, I take an SSRI for my anxiety. Started that before I met Dan. I come from a long line of worriers. The SSRI has been such a help in preventing me from living in an abyss of dread.
Super cute outfit!
Thanks, Michelle! I try very hard not to think about it, but Mike does have calcium build up in his “widowmaker,” but the cardiologist is not worried about it. I just keep thinking, as I reach certain milestones, what my parents did and didn’t reach. By my age, Mom had beaten lung cancer though she continued to smoke. My oldest is the same age as my dad when he died…that truly blows me away. I have been on anti-anxiety medication for decades now. I had panic attacks when I was younger but didn’t realize that’s what they were. They help keep the panic attacks away. I’m just a worrier by nature, though. I think your move to Albania probably helped with that abyss of dread, too.
As usual, I greatly enjoyed your post.
You triggered so many memories of things I’d forgotten, like Christmas Clubs! Definitely did that one!
Mr and I were big into couponing when our kiddos were little. We grocery shopped with coupons and that determined what we put on the table. (He was giddy when he learned we could double dip.) He is/was an accountant and the value of money saved was an early and very influential lesson for us…we saved first and ate second. No one went hungry, but there was a lot of pasta back then, haha.
As a kid, I lived down the street from a pizza place….the sign out front advertised $ .19 slices….THOSE were the days (although pizza then was pretty crappy by modern standards, because now it’s glorious). The fast food place around the corner was called “Jester’s” where you could get a McDonald knock-off hamburger for a quarter…. FUN DAYS!!!
Thanks, Em, I appreciate that you (whose writing inspires mine) like my posts! Oh, I forgot about couponing. We had a local grocery store chain that would match prices from other stores. It didn’t even have to be a coupon. You just had to take in the ad from the store, and they’d meet it. And, you could use coupons. My daughter worked for them and loved when someone came up with a handful of coupons and cutouts. She loved showing off that she could do that math in her head! We always had beef because my mom would give us that for a Christmas present. My grandpa raised beef cattle, and she was a big beef eater…plus she was very generous.
I lived about a mile out of town so no walking down the street to grab a slice! I honestly think we ate at McDonalds once or twice when I was little. We did get to go to the Dairy Queen every once in a while though. Now, after my dad died and I got married and had kids, we would go out to dinner every Saturday night with my mom. This was before car seats for little ones because there would be six to seven of us in her car (not a station wagon, either). Ah, the good old days…they truly were, right?
They were the good times weren’t they Marsha? I do this all the time and end up sounding like my mum! Lol. Jacqui.
Do join my link up today. Xx
Thanks, Jacqui! I did link up with you. I try to do it every week. But, I have to use my iPad as my laptop won’t let me. And, yes, the old times were the good times, but then, we always think that, don’t we?
I was really fun reading through your memories! With me hanging out with my dad at the hospital for 2 days (my mom was in so we kept her company), I got to here some stories I hadn’t heard before. Love your jewelry and am going to have to check them out. Those sandals are a lot of fun and I love the color. They make me think of my new light teal ones.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thank you, Mireille! I’m so glad you were able to hear those stories. My dad passed so young, and I didn’t think to ask my mom when she was still alive. We have what I call family urban legends.
Hi, Marsha – Thanks for sharing your personal history with us. It’s fascinating to hear! xoxo – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
Thank you, Angie! I love to tell stories, as you can probably tell!
So many good memories. We call fizzy drink pop too. I remember Christmas clubs! Teenagers can’t believe the things we did at their age – like listening to music on a big disc and putting coins into a public phone to make a call! How times have changed. I love your cute sundress, you look fabulous! Thanks for linking!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Oh, my gosh! My granddaughter saw a telephone booth here for some display and couldn’t believe we used to use them! So much has changed in our lifetimes. I saw a video about all the things we have experienced as a generation, and it was mind blowing! Thanks so much for the link up and the compliment, Emma!