Thursday, April 30, 2009
A SUMMER DAY IN NEW BRITAIN
NEW BRITAIN FUN
Oh, to be young and poor in New Britain when school let out for the summer and be free to exploit the neighborhood resources, such as they were.
It was in the Great Depression in the mid=thirties. Nobody was going on vacation because nobody had the money. But we were used to being poor, and adjusted accordingly.
‘Waddya say we go roller skating today?” “I just oiled my skates, and put on a new wheel, so I’m ready.” “You bring the potatoes, and I’ll bring the bottles.” would have been a likely conversation on a day like that. What do potatoes and bottles have to do with skating, you might ask. Plenty.
“ I’ll start the fire.” It needs to be said that the fire was to be in the burner barrel in the back yard, near the garbage cans, and the ash box.. The potatoes were to be thrown directly into the burner barrel along with the rest of tbe trash. . They would be incinerated to perfection, having a quarter-inch, or so, coating, of some form of carbon, . by the time we fished them out of the cinders and ashes of the trash when we finished skating. The crispy carbon and a little salt made a memorable impression on defenseless taste buds which was not soon forgotten.
Accordingly, the fire burned the potatoes along with trash, and the back yard was filled with olfactory insults as the smoke wafted in all directions. This combined with smells of stale beer from the Tavern whose back window bordered on the back yard where the cookout, in a primitive form, would take place. As I recall, some of the kids didn’t smell all that good, either.
We did our own repairs in those days, and that included removing and replacing worn skate wheels when they wore out;. Roller skating was very popular then, there being few affordable alternatives., so popular, in fact, that Junior High Shop classes in machining, always included making skate keys as a project. The keys were required because the skates had to be attached to your shoes by means a clamp which was activated by said key. If you had worn out shoes, and many of us did, the tightening clamp would gradually squeeze your feet I suppose old shoes were better than no shoes at all.
Milk and soda bottles had cash value. Empties were worth either 2 or five cents depending of the type. We would go into Harry’s Variety Store , cash in the bottles.and get a big bag of penny candy which would last us until we go back to the incinerated potatoes . Then we would go skating.
An inexpensive and satisfying afternoon., good food and good exercise skating at
high speed on those irregular cement sidewalks in the city. It was fun, but I don’t think I would like to repeat it.
Oh, to be young and poor in New Britain when school let out for the summer and be free to exploit the neighborhood resources, such as they were.
It was in the Great Depression in the mid=thirties. Nobody was going on vacation because nobody had the money. But we were used to being poor, and adjusted accordingly.
‘Waddya say we go roller skating today?” “I just oiled my skates, and put on a new wheel, so I’m ready.” “You bring the potatoes, and I’ll bring the bottles.” would have been a likely conversation on a day like that. What do potatoes and bottles have to do with skating, you might ask. Plenty.
“ I’ll start the fire.” It needs to be said that the fire was to be in the burner barrel in the back yard, near the garbage cans, and the ash box.. The potatoes were to be thrown directly into the burner barrel along with the rest of tbe trash. . They would be incinerated to perfection, having a quarter-inch, or so, coating, of some form of carbon, . by the time we fished them out of the cinders and ashes of the trash when we finished skating. The crispy carbon and a little salt made a memorable impression on defenseless taste buds which was not soon forgotten.
Accordingly, the fire burned the potatoes along with trash, and the back yard was filled with olfactory insults as the smoke wafted in all directions. This combined with smells of stale beer from the Tavern whose back window bordered on the back yard where the cookout, in a primitive form, would take place. As I recall, some of the kids didn’t smell all that good, either.
We did our own repairs in those days, and that included removing and replacing worn skate wheels when they wore out;. Roller skating was very popular then, there being few affordable alternatives., so popular, in fact, that Junior High Shop classes in machining, always included making skate keys as a project. The keys were required because the skates had to be attached to your shoes by means a clamp which was activated by said key. If you had worn out shoes, and many of us did, the tightening clamp would gradually squeeze your feet I suppose old shoes were better than no shoes at all.
Milk and soda bottles had cash value. Empties were worth either 2 or five cents depending of the type. We would go into Harry’s Variety Store , cash in the bottles.and get a big bag of penny candy which would last us until we go back to the incinerated potatoes . Then we would go skating.
An inexpensive and satisfying afternoon., good food and good exercise skating at
high speed on those irregular cement sidewalks in the city. It was fun, but I don’t think I would like to repeat it.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A HARBINGER
Here's a sure sign of Spring in Connecticut---our Magnolia tree is in bloom. Compare it to the trees in the background.
Monday, April 13, 2009
EASTER 2009
Here's the gathering at our house for Easter Sunday dinner: Mara,Bob,Moe,Hana and Max----the little pooch belongs to Hana. We had a nice day, and a great diner, as usual
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AN ODE
But I'm not sure that it is not an epilog.
We take a writing course at the Senior Center starting tomorrow. Last year, Moe found out she's really good at writing Hai Ku's, and personalized greeting cards. I have yet to identify my strength, but I am a persistent tryer.
The attached is to bring to the first session of our course:
"I'm glad to see cold Winter go
Enough of ice and sleet and snow.
I'll put away my pails of sand
Then rake the lawn to make it grand.
And next year, Winter, you old hack.
Go away, and don't come back!"
We take a writing course at the Senior Center starting tomorrow. Last year, Moe found out she's really good at writing Hai Ku's, and personalized greeting cards. I have yet to identify my strength, but I am a persistent tryer.
The attached is to bring to the first session of our course:
"I'm glad to see cold Winter go
Enough of ice and sleet and snow.
I'll put away my pails of sand
Then rake the lawn to make it grand.
And next year, Winter, you old hack.
Go away, and don't come back!"
