Shoney's

1977 ad

I loved the one in Dothan, Alabama.  I enjoyed the burger and Hot Fudge Cake.

 I remember our neighbor taking the four of us to Shoney's on a day when my mother was tied up with something very important.  Our neighbor knew how to make us happy!

Arcade Games

We used to play arcade games in the Northside and Porter Square Malls in Dothan, Alabama. And every summer we went to Panama City Beach, Florida, we'd make our way to the big arcades there. What fun!

Gateway

My first laptop

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Dad Jokes

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Growing up, on our rides to Auburn on Saturdays for football and weeknights for basketball, we would pass through Eufaula, Alabama.  On occasion, and probably more often than we'd like to hear (lol), my dad would remind us of how Eufaula got its name.  He'd say, "There was an Indian family walking along the top of a mountain.  Suddenly, the mother noticed her child getting too close to the edge.  In a panic, she hollered, 'Come back. Come back. You falla, you falla.'"  We'd all laugh.

Mowing

Starting in middle school, I would cut the grass at both grandparents' homes, and I did it every now and then for the bank, which only had a tiny strip of grass to mow.  My grandmothers were very generous (w/ pay), but they expected a good job.  I actually enjoyed doing it, and I liked making them happy.  I'm sure I spent my earnings on baseball cards.

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Oops

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When I was a very young child I remember my dad bringing in some groceries he had picked up at The Piggly Wiggly.  As he was carrying a big pack of Coca-Cola up the garage steps, the cardboard container suddenly ripped open and the glass bottles smashed when they hit the bricks.  He got in touch with The Pig and they refunded him.  Dad was very upset!  He loved Coca-Cola.

Cherokee - 1950s

My reply to a friend when he reminded me that I took him to the Cherokee history museum years ago.

And I took you to Harrah's Casino. We also saw a couple of waterfalls. When I was growing up, the easy, regional vacations were: down to the Florida panhandle to the beach, to Disney World in Orlando, to the mountains (with a stop in Cherokee) and up to Atlanta, our nearest really big city. If families were able to pull off these trips, it was considered a great thing, and kids were thrilled.

Scuppernongs

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We had scuppernong vines in our backyard in LA (Lower Alabama).  They produced bronze and dark purple fruit.  I enjoyed the sweet taste, and I would even occasionally eat the peel.

How to eat a scuppernong

I think we called them "scuplins."  Scuppernongs would have been a bit hard to pronounce for Southern boys.  😉 

And The Winner Is

For church training back in the 70s, one teacher I had was Nona Solomon.  One Sunday we had to bring a treat to class.  I wanted to make Rice Krispy Treats.  Of course, our parents had to really do most of the work!  There was a vote to see whose treat was the best, and I won.  Well, my mother and I won!

Memorial Day

Imagine somebody showing up in the USA for a one-year job, only to be told in orientation, never criticize the president, his family or the office, and never talk negatively about Christianity.

I've have been given these instructions in other countries - just change the wording a bit.

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The Lawrence Welk Show

This variety show first aired on May 11, 1951 and ran for twenty-seven seasons.  My grandmother enjoyed watching reruns of it in the '80s.  On occasion, I would even watch it with her.

Pulled Muscle

When I was playing junior varsity basketball, I pulled a muscle in my lower back.  I was really hurting!  This was in '86 or so.  Anyway, one day my mother answered the doorbell on Solomon Rd, and there was Uncle Bumps Vann.  He had brought over a brown electric back massager with a heating element (similar to 1976 model above).  He was very nice and said keep it for as long as I needed.  I did get better!  Later on I learned from Uncle Bumps' sons that their dad suffered from chronic back pain ("down in the back") that only got better after surgery in the 70s.

Halls Cough Drops

 

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When I was a kid and attending church with my family, almost always I would be sitting next to my dad.  Just before it was announced that we'd be standing to sing the Closing Hymn, Dad would reach in his pocket and pull out a couple of Halls.  He would ask if I wanted one.  I think he used these as breath fresheners as much as anything.  Dad loved singing hymns.  I did too.  Once the service ended, he spoke to many people.  Halls Cough Drops came in handy!

Daisy

 

I remember getting a Daisy BB Gun when I was around ten years old.  My mother bought it at Western Auto Store on Main St. in Headland.  It could have been a Christmas gift!  It took a little while to convince my mom I should have one.  What's interesting is that once I got it, she was the one who taught me how to shoot it!  Target practice took place in our backyard.  There was a lone peach tree that had some peaches that were maybe a bit diseased (certainly not ideal for eating!), and that's where we aimed the BB gun.  I can see her now.  She talked me through it as I watched her.  Safety was #1.  I recall my mother having a good time.  We laughed.  

My Daisy was exciting for a year or two.  I rarely used it after that.  I do remember shooting a bird with it.  But I knew I couldn't tell Mother that.  That was a one time thing!  Curiosity got the best of me, though, and in my young mind, guns were for hunting.  I might have even fired at a squirrel or two.  Luckily for them, I wasn't a great marksman. 

Some friends of mine had pellet guns.  One friend let me shoot his when I stayed over at his house.  I didn't long for a pellet gun, and I'm very sure my parents would have been opposed to it anyway.

Ping Pong Story

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Growing up, we had a fold-up ping pong table we set up in the garage.  We really loved it!  Our remember our mother surprising us with it at Christmas, and it was one of the best gifts ever.  My brother Miles and I got to be pretty good!  Most of the time, we left it set up in the garage, simply because we played so much.  But there was a time when things went a bit away.  Miles and I were folding it to store it away.  Mother was nearby and watching.  As we did it, suddenly the table top got off-balance and the weight ended up badly bending the table legs.  We went from happiness to shock!  Looking back, we were in a rush and just were careless.  I remember Mother getting very upset.  She spent quite a bit of money on it, and just like that, the table was damaged.  Needless to say, we didn't get another one!  

Running Loose

 

Japanese Oak Tree

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Way back in the '70s, when I was a child, I remember one time looking out a living room window and seeing a white horse running loose through our yard.  It was passing under the big tree (Japanese Oak) and heading towards Main Street.  It seems like it was a little bit of stormy day - maybe not raining, but very windy with dark clouds.  I'm not sure whose horse it was or how it was ever captured.  It was a very surreal thing for see at that age.

Frontiers

Frontiers

Back in 1994, right after college, I got involved with Frontiers.  They were based in Arizona, and I went out there for training in Mesa for two weeks.  I was intending to go with this missions organization to Uzbekistan.  I was being recruited and mentored very heavily by the director at that time.  I'm not sure how I even heard of them.  It might have been through Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham.  Ultimately, I decided not to go with Frontiers, and instead chose the organization ESI (Educational Services International) out of California.  They were less serious about missions - at least, pushing you to be proactive.  I could teach English with ESI.

In time, I will share some of my activities while with Frontiers in Mesa.  For example, I had to get up in front of the participants and give my testimony.  I talked about Headland and my family.  I also remember my brother coming out there to see me.  We went to see the movie Schindler's List, which created a spark to learn more about the Holocaust and WW2.  Another thing I did was hang out at Dan Majerle's bar while my brother joined some friends at a Sun's game in Phoenix.  I didn't have a ticket to the game, unfortunately.

Click here to read about the founder of Frontiers.

Gayfers

Gayfers

This was one of my go-to department stores in Dothan.  My grandmother also loved Gayfers.  I recall going there with her many times.  And when Christmas rolled around, she would often buy our gifts (clothing) there.  When she got older, she would just give us a check and tell us to buy our own gifts.  I'm pretty we'd wrap them and put them under the tree to be opened in front of everybody on Christmas Eve.  That's what I remember anyway.

Before Google

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My grandparents had this set.  When my grandmother lived in Headland, I used these to do a research paper on Adolf Hitler for my high school freshman history class.  My grandmother actually assisted.  I think she typed some of it!  I had procrastinated.

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My parents upgraded.  I also enjoyed looking through these.  I loved to read.

Mercurochrome

 It was always in the Yellow Bathroom.