It's February 28th. Hooray for the end of February! It's also Friday, the end of the week. During our school days in the valley, Friday was an early dismissal day. Maybe we had big plans for the weekend, or maybe there were no plans at all. When it was basketball season, Friday nights would have been game night. On Saturday mornings or afternoons, there might have been a trip to town with a stop at a local eatery on the way back home. Saturday night was movie night, and a special person might have come knocking at the door. You could have been the one doing the knocking. Those weekend days live in the mist of memory: They were so long ago and so far away.
Long Ago and Far Away was sung by Rita Hayworth to Gene Kelly in the 1944 movie Cover Girl. It became a hit song for several artists that year. There have been many, many recordings of Long Ago and Far Away. The Four Lads recorded it in 1958.
If you're curious, this is the original - the movie version:
Chills run up and down my spine, Aladdin's lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you
A FAST ONE:
Little Richard - Keep A Knockin'
Recorded in 1957
Little Richard has been inducted
into the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame.
(Listening to Little Richard
and Keep a Knockin'
will make your blood flow a little faster.) A rock song doesn't have to make sense if it's loud, fast and you can dance (like a maniac) to it. What do you think?
Woooooooo! You said you love me and you can't come in, Come back tomorrow night and try it again...
This morning, a mild wind is stirring and some snowflakes are flitting about. With a 17° temperature reading that will only make it's way to 21°, today, it's hardly time to get out the mower and barbecue. Winter's grip has tightened, this week, not wanting to turn us loose. But turn us loose! Turn us loose, we say!
In 1958, we would have turned twelve or were almost ready to turn twelve years old. We had one year of the preteen years left before we became teenagers. Our interest in popular music of the fifties was probably growing and got peaked by teenagers we knew who listened to it. American Bandstand might have been the first program turned to when teenage family members came through the door, after a day at school. Was there disappointment at not being able to watch that cowboy show on the other channel? With only one television in the household, the most powerful wrist in the room won the twist of the knob.
Do you remember this haunting tune?
Endless Sleep, by Jody Reynolds, who wrote and recorded the song, is said to be the first of the teen tragedy songs (or "death rock ballads"). While later tragedy songs ended in someone's death, the victim in Endless Sleep is rescued. In the original written version, the victim dies, but, in 1958, the record company insisted on a happy ending.
I
don't remember if I knew who Hank Williams, Jr. was, in 1964, but he
recorded Endless Sleep and sang it on the television program Shindig.
I do remember trying to watch Shindig on a fuzzy TV screen with sound that hissed and scratched. Maybe that's how I missed Hank Williams, Jr.
Hank Williams Jr - Endless Sleep (Shindig 1964)
ENDLESS SLEEP by HANK WILLIAMS JR. reached #46 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in 1964
Wednesday is our Poll Day!
So, which version of Endless Sleep would you rather listen to. You'll find the poll in the sidebar, to the right.
Snow is back on the roof, this morning, and the temperature stands at 22°. We could go as high as 29° before the day is over. We're looking forward to 32°, on Friday. Still cold, but we'll be a few days closer to spring.
On cold days at home, in the fifties, as little girls we might have taken out a book of paper dolls and snipped away an afternoon or evening. Remember the frustration when the snip wasn't as straight as you wanted it, and you cut into the paper doll or it's paper clothing. Remember the disappointment at snipping off a tag that held the paper fashion to the paper doll but still trying to make it work? At one place or another, it would be hanging too loosely for satisfaction. Even when the snipping turned out perfectly, the tags on the paper clothing hardly ever kept the paper fashions in place - unlike the magnetic dolls with clothing that were in my granddaughter's toy box, years later.
Betsy McCall Paper Dolls Early Fifties
a free paper doll toy published in McCall Magazine beginning in the Fifties
This week begins with a morning temperature of 24°, and we're expected to climb all the way to 30°, today. The rest of the week looks much the same in our neck of the woods. For Tuesday and Wednesday, snowflakes are pictured on the desktop weather forecast. Last week's warmer temperatures were just a teaser. Winter isn't finished with us, yet.
Would we have still been in basketball season in those long ago February days, in the valley? Do you remember "Tygarts Valley Bulldogs, Fight, Fight, Fight!" Every game was a big event. The bleachers would be full. The band would be playing, and the crowd would be cheering the team to victory.
Do you remember the bulldog mascot that gave us all such pride to wear? What happened to that bulldog?
When did he become a menacing beast with fierce fangs for teeth?
When did the spiked collar appear on his neck?
How long has his tongue hung from his mouth like a crazed animal ready to devour it's prey, to lap up all flesh from the bone until there's nothing left - but bone.
When did evil creep into his eyes with a crimped angry brow half hiding them?
Where has our tough, but amiable bulldog gone? A quick search found only a couple that might be a loose comparison in appearance to the bulldogs from the fifties and early sixties, at TVHS. One is clipart, and the other belongs to a basketball program in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
CLIPART
CEDAR RAPIDS BASKETBALL
As a last resort, take matters into your own hands and learn to draw your own.
Bobby Rydell - Wild One
(an older Bobby Rydell singing Wild One) MALT SHOP MEMORIES
Bobby Rydell "The Wild One" PBS
Released in 1960 and charted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100,
number ten on the R&B chart
I
have had playmates, I have had companions; In my days of childhood, in
my joyful school days - All, all are gone, the old familiar faces.
Charles Lamb
In school, I could hear the leaves rustle and go on a journey.
OnSaturday, February 22, 2014, a meeting was held at the Valley Head Community Center, in Valley Head, WV, to discuss plans for the TVHS Class of 1964's 50th Class Reunion. The decision was made to hold the event at the Dailey Fire Hall. Reasons for this decision were accessibility for less mobile attendees, the maneuverability of the large space inside the building, proximity to local motels and eating establishments, and the fact that it's location is in the vicinity served by Tygarts Valley High School. The committee will meet again at 3:00 PM, Saturday, March 1, 2014, at C&J's, in Valley Bend, WV. Editing and approval of the outgoing registration letter to all 1964 graduates informing them of the Class of 1964's 50th Class Reunion plans is the purpose of the meeting. Anybody interested in helping plan the Class of 1964's 50th Class Reunion is welcome to attend.
Attending the meeting, in Valley Head, were Judy (Ware) Primavera, Bob Tacy, George Coussoule, Janet (Kittle) McCloud, Gary and Carolyn (Corley) Channell, and Fred and Patricia (McCauley) Ware.
Our guest writer is back this morning but with a name, this time. Three of you guessed correctly (please let us know if you would care to have your name published so your classmates will know who you are) and will receive a special gift from the writer at 1964's 50th Class Reunion. He's happy to be visiting with all of you, here, but hopes to greet you personally, in early August.
I Was Born by Larry See
I was born October 24,1945, at
home in my parents’ bedroom. When Mom discovered that she was pregnant with me, a world war was raging in
Europe and the Pacific with no end in sight. There were shortages of many
consumer goods and rationing of many staples.
The Great Depression had not
eased on West Virginia small farms so money was in very short supply. It didn’t
seem like a good time to bring a baby into the world.It was a tough year on the
farm. A late freeze destroyed much of the garden and crops. Two brood sows died
along with their litters of pigs - food for the family and a small amount of
cash income. It was frightening and discouraging. I was a change-of-life baby, a
surprise. My siblings were 18, 16, and 13 years older than me. I am blessed.
Many change-of-life babies are resented by their parents. I was loved by them
all, probably too much as I was badly spoiled.
Snowy Cabin - Vicky Wade
During her pregnancy, Mom’s
biggest concern was baby clothes for me. She hadn’t expected to need them again
so she had given all her baby clothes away. It was a problem - a new born baby,
going into winter in a house with no insulation and leaky doors and windows,
the “central” heat a wood burning stove
in the living room, and a very windy, cold winter coming. There was no fabric
in the stores to make the clothes, and no money to buy it if it had been
available.
George Bellows
Aunt Fanny (Old Lady in Black) 1920
Aunt Maud, Dad’s older sister,
somehow found 2 or 3 yards of outing, a cotton flannel. She traded it to Mom
for a couple of butchered chickens. My guess is that Aunt Maud got the fabric
on the black market.
Mother and Child by the Hearth
Theodore Robinson
I heard Mom tell that story at
least 10 times. It was that important to her. With a world war raging on two
fronts, with farm losses making it possible that the family would run out of
food that winter, with her pregnant at 38 years of age, and with another mouth
to feed and a new baby to care for, her biggest concern was clothes to keep me
warm. God picked a great time, place, and family for my entrance into this
world. I was born rich!
THE CARTER FAMILY lyrics
"Will The Circle Be Unbroken"
I was standing by my window On one cold and cloudy day And I saw the hearse come rolling For to carry my mother away Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky Oh, I told the undertaker Undertaker, please drive slow For this body you are hauling How I hate to see her go Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky I followed close beside her Tried to hold up and be brave But I could not hide my sorrow When they laid her in the grave Can the circle be unbroken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky
We'll be publishing Aunt Maud's (Black Market Maud)
candy recipe, soon. If you have a favorite family recipe, from years
gone by, pass it along in an email you'll find in the sidebar, to the
right. Let us know the origin and history of your recipe. We hope to
receive lots of fine old recipes!
It's 1951, and we're growing like weeds! We're already four years old or soon will be. Daddy's Little Girls or Daddy's Little Men are riding tricycles or pulling wagons.
We might have traveled to the beach or the big city or at least to Grandma's house. We like to swing. We like ice cream. We like dolls and cars that go zoom!
We venture outside without Mother and give her a scare more than once. We like playing with the big kids, but they don't like it much.
Maybe we know our colors. Maybe we can count to ten. Maybe we know the capital of the United States of America. Some of us might even have been there.
On farms in the valley, in the little towns up and down the river, we're running barefoot in the summer and building snowmen in winter snow.
We know so many things, already, and learn more and more things everyday. We're naughty. We're nice. We're copycats. We're inventive. The valley is "growing us up".
TELEVISION 1951 Most Popular TV shows: 1. Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (CBS)
2. Texaco Star Theater (NBC)
3. I Love Lucy (CBS)
4. The Red Skelton Show (NBC)
5. The Colgate Comedy Hour (NBC)
6. Arthur Godfrey and his Friends (CBS)
7. Fireside Theater (NBC)
8. Your Show of Shows (NBC)
9. The Jack Benny Show (CBS)
10. You Bet Your Life (NBC)
1 Nat King Cole Too Young 2 Tony Bennett Because Of You 3 Les Paul and Mary Ford How High The Moon 4 Rosemary Clooney Come On-a My House 5 Mario Lanza Be My Love 6 Weavers On Top Of Old Smoky 7 Tony Bennett Cold, Cold Heart 8 Perry Como If 9 Mario Lanza Loveliest Night Of The Year 10 Patti Page Tennessee Waltz 11 Frankie Laine Jezebel 12 Tony Martin I Get Ideas 13 Les Paul and Mary Ford Mockin' Bird Hill 14 Patti Page Mockin' Bird Hill 15 Guy Mitchell and Mitch Miller My Heart Cries For You 16 Eddy Howard (It's No) Sin 17 Vaughn Monroe Sound Off 18 Dinah Shore Sweet Violets 19 Les Paul and Mary Ford The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise 20 Guy Mitchell and Mitch Miller My Truly, Truly Fair 21 Four Aces and Al Alberta (It's No) Sin 22 Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter Aba Daba Honeymoon 23 Frankie Laine Rose, Rose I Love You 24 Del Wood Down Yonder 25 Billy Eckstine I Apologize 26 Patti Page Would I Love You 27 Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters You're Just In Love 28 Ames Brothers and Les Brown Undecided 29 Phil Harris The Thing 30 Les Baxter Because Of You
Number one hits(As certified by Billboard magazine)
January 6 - "I Love You a Thousand Ways" - Lefty Frizzell January 6 - "The Golden Rocket" - Hank Snow and His Rainbow Ranch Boys January 13 - "The Shotgun Boogie" - Tennessee Ernie Ford February 10 - "There's Been a Change in Me" - Eddy Arnold March 31 - "The Rhumba Boogie" - Hank Snow and His Rainbow Ranch Boys May 12 - "Cold Cold Heart" - Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys May 19 - "Kentucky Waltz" - Eddy Arnold May 26 - "I Want to Be With You Always" - Lefty Frizzell July 14 - "I Wanna Play House With You" - Eddy Arnold August 11 - "Hey, Good Lookin'" - Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys September 1 - "Always Late with Your Kisses" - Lefty Frizzell November 3 - "Slow Poke" - Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys (feat. Redd Stewart) December 22 - "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way" - Carl Smith
This recipe was found in a Remembrance Magazine Ad.
Cook time: 1 Hr 5 Min Prep time: 10 Min
Ingredients
1 square bakers chocolate (unsweetened) and melted.
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 c sifted cake flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 egg.....unbeaten
1 c minus 2 tablespoons of milk..
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
1. Combine melted chocolate,1 Tab. sugar,water and baking soda. Blend. Set aside and cool.
Sift flour add baking powder and salt...sift 3 times. Set aside.
Cream shortening add sugar gradually,
cream together..till fluffy.
Add egg and blend thoroughly..
2. Add flour alternately with milk,a little bit at a time, beating in..to the shortening mixture,till smooth.
Add vanilla and mix.
Add 1/3 of this mixture to the chocolate mixture...mix throughly.
3. Use a 10x5x3 inch loaf pan, which has been lined on the bottom with paper.(A baking paper)
Put large spoonfulls of batter into baking pan.
Alternating.. the chocolate and white batter.
4. WITH A KNIFE.
Cut through the batter once in a wide zig zag pattern.
Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven...1hour & 5 min.
Or till done.
Spread with chocolate frosting...if you like.
Recipe for melting chocolate and frosting is on the Bakers Chocolate package.
NOTE: I used semi-sweet Bakers Chocolate.
And sprinkled with powdered sugar when cake was turned out and cooled, on top only.
“Remember, the important thing on this job is always to get the right address.” December 15, 1951
It's February 28th. Hooray for the end of February! It's also Friday, the end of the week. During our school days in the valley, Friday was an early dismissal day. Maybe we had big plans for the weekend, or maybe there were no plans at all. When it was basketball season, Friday nights would have been game night. On Saturday mornings or afternoons, there might have been a trip to town with a stop at a local eatery on the way back home. 
Saturday night was movie night, and a special person might have come knocking at the door. You could have been the one doing the knocking. Those weekend days live in the mist of memory: They were so long ago and so far away.
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