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| FROM EAST NEW YORK TO NORTH MASSAPEQUA. (CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE.) |
In 1956, housing developments were popping up all over Long Island's rural landscape. So, my parents decided to move the four of us from East New York to North Massapequa on suburban Long Island. The Kid Brother was born a few years after we moved. Thanks to him, my father traded in the 1950-something Chrysler DeSoto (a really cool car) for a brand new 1960 Rambler Station Wagon (not very cool but plenty of fun), which Dale immediately christened Old Betsy.
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| THE SUBURBS. |
My Mother The Dowager Duchess signed Dale up for the Brownies and The Duchess herself became a Girl Scout leader. I was young enough at the time to be taken along to meetings.
When I was of age, I joined the Cub Scouts. In Brooklyn years later, my father decided to be the first scout master of a new Boy Scout troop. So I had to join up.
I definitely preferred the Girl Scouts...
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| WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO CHILD LABOR LAWS? |
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| I LOOK PRETTY DAPPER FOR A FOUR-YEAR-OLD. (DALE LOOKS PRETTY FRUMPY FOR SEVEN.) |
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| WITH OSCAR DINGLEHOFFER, OUR PET PARAKEET NAMED BY OUR FATHER. (FOLLOWED MUCH TOO CLOSELY BY OSCAR DINGLEHOFFER THE SECOND.) |
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| A FEW YEARS LATER... AND BABY MAKES FIVE. IN BACKGROUND IS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF THE "PRE-SUBURB" HOMES. |
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| THE KID BROTHER BEING TOSSED TO THE CURB BY THE DOWAGER DUCHESS. (I'M GOING TO GET IT FOR THAT.) |
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| AS THEY SAY IN NORWAY... UFF DA! |
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| CUTE KID ... BROTHER. |
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| DON'T ASK ME; MY FATHER POSED US. (AND THE DOWAGER DUCHESS DRESSED US!) |
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| RIGHT AFTER THE PHOTO WAS SNAPPED, THE KID BROTHER THREW MY METAL CAP GUN AT ME AND GAVE ME A FAT LIP. |
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| A MORE RECENT SHOT FROM GOOGLE MAPS. |
The year we moved, Elvis sang about the hotel San Geraldo and I would open more than 40 years later...
Mitchell lovely photos and memories from childhood. Childhood is the best period in life but it lasts to short.....Lovely song
ReplyDeleteGosia:
DeleteChildhood is not the best for everyone. Even with the struggles I've had, I prefer adulthood.
Ahhhhhh, love those pedal pushers with the twisted rope belt! We had some kind of version of those, and Walt showed a picture of him with some like that, sometime this past year... his picture was in Florida :)
ReplyDeleteSo... your family moved back into the city eventually? How long were you out on Long Island?
Judy:
DeleteI called those clam-diggers. But that was simply because of the nautical look. I never did know the difference between the two. We lived on Long Island from 1956 to 1964.
Pedal pushers in Jersey too!
DeleteLeslie: I had pedal pushers AND clam diggers. Some people seem to think there's a difference but the more I read the more I wonder. And now there's Capri pants. But I don't wear those (or pedal pushers or clam diggers anymore).
DeleteI enjoyed this Mitchell. Looks like you had a very enjoyable childhood. I'm with you on the Girl Guides (Canadian version of Girl Scouts, I guess). I lasted one day in Scouts...thought they were all a little too 'different' from me!! lol
ReplyDeleteProbably would have fit in with the Guides much better.
Jim:
DeleteChildhood had some good moments... and memories, but I don't know if I'd describe it as enjoyable.
When our co-op was starting up its Boy Scout troop, my father and my friend's father went to the first meeting. I told my father that he shouldn't volunteer for anything because I was NOT joining the Boy Scouts. He came back as Scout Master. So, there I was. It was actually fun. He was a great scout master and was very popular, but he lasted less than a year because he didn't have the time. My friend's father took over and was awful. No authority and no respect. I went on one more over-nighter, which was a free-for-all, and I then quit, too.
It is great that you have some really good photos of yourself and your family when you were young. Most of those taken of us are poor quality, black and white and more often than not featuring my mother's thumb or finger
ReplyDeleteAndrew:
DeleteI inherited my father's 35mm slides. There were about 400, which I culled to 190 and then had them digitized. Some blurry ones and any that my mother shot are completely crooked (thumb photos were thrown out). Also, my parents' had dozens of photo albums. My mother gave me some and I scan from hers whenever I visit.
What is uff da?
ReplyDeleteSpo:
DeleteIn Norway it was used as a reaction to something lamentable (like my gold blazer). It's commonly used now like that very American expression, "Oy vey."
Groovy !
DeleteIt's great that you have these wonderful pictures of your childhood. My parents didn't take pictures so I have to reconstruct my memories.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteMy father left a great collection of memories for us. Jerry and I have done alright, but I wish I had kept a photographic record of the years the way my father did. (He even labeled the backs of all the prints.)
I think your sister's little suit is perfectly adorable and a reminder of another time for this Jersey gal.
ReplyDeleteI had always known my parents had many slides. When I had to clean out their house after my father passed in 2010 I found 4 cartons of slides.
I have friends from Brooklyn whose families moved to the Island. Was there ever a time the Belt Parkway wasn't a flooded pothole mess...LOL.
Leslie:
DeleteThey've actually been making MAJOR improvements to that flooded mess in recent years. They've been widening the road, removing the drawbridges and building high overpasses. It would be great if it weren't one huge construction site. And, the stretch between Sheepshead Bay and Flatbush Avenue is still under water at the slightest rain.
The clothes are fantastic, and the faces are adorable! Old photos are the best.
ReplyDeleteMichelle:
DeleteThe photos tell great stories... and cover up so much!
What great photos! you were quite the little style maven at 4!
ReplyDeleteKnatolee:
DeleteMy mother clearly enjoyed dressing us up.