A Beautiful Day

Slept with windows open last night -- air cool enough that Sweetie pulled on extra cover.
Awoke to sunshine and cool breezes- a beautiful day to celebrate another year of life!

Age is funny -- I can remember thinking my mother was "old" when she was only in her 40's.
Now I'm waaaay past that and I don't feel "old." Oh, of course, there are a few mornings I awake feeling just a little older, but for the most part I just feel like me.

How does "old" feel? Is it arthritis? I think I have a twinge of that from time to time.
Is it gray hair? Thanks to Clairol, I am not too bothered with that, but does covering it up mean I'm not "old"?
Is it remembering lots of changes in the world? Well, I do remember them.
I remember when TV wasn't. Not where I lived, at least.
I remember when Kathy Fiscus fell down the well in 1949. (I was visiting in California.)
The rescue attempt was the first "live" coverage of a news event that was watched from coast to coast. We watched it, too, on the tiny TV's that my relatives owned. Tiny screens with big magnifiers in front, to enlarge the picture. Kathy Fiscus died in that well and songs were written about her and laws passed to try to prevent that from ever happening again. Didn't work, Baby Jessica still fell down the well many years later!

We didn't get TV for several years after 1949. Did we suffer the lack? No, you see, we had RADIO. Oh what fun -- we gathered as a family and listened to shows together. Lux Playhouse of Stars was on Monday nights. We loved it. The big console radios held "pride of place" just like the TVs do today. Usually a family had just one radio and it was shared and families were together. Today, we have multiple TVs and we are more separated from each other. Not an improvement!

There were the old shows like "The Great Gildersleeve." "Boston Blackie," "Gang Busters," "The Shadow," "Fibber McGee and Molly." "Stella Dallas," "Amos and Andy," and many others. We listened when we traveled late at night. My grandmother listened as she did her housework.
Her morning shows were a prelude to later soap operas.

In the evenings the fathers and grandfathers gathered around the radios and listened to newsmen like Gabriel Heater. We weren't allowed to talk during these broadcasts. It was serious stuff! I can still remember his voice!

Today we see more than we listen. I don't regret that -- I love watching TV, but I am no more entertained than I was back then.

Well, my little visitor wants to go to the library so we'll go and than I'll take myself out for lunch. Tonight, Sweetie and I will dine out at a place of my choice. But just to keep myself from being completely spoiled, I fixed my own breakfast! ha ha!
Still lovely out -- just 73 degrees and it is almost noon. What a beautiful day!