Excited about this! Such a fun idea Cori :). Thank you for asking me to do this! We learned a bit about each other and also some more Substack skills! ha ha! Take us back to the 70's NOW! ox
We didn’t have a station wagon, but our neighbours did! Once a month or so my brother and I got to pile into the back with their three kids and go on an adventure.
We also rode our bikes miles away from home, no supervision. We spent all of our time running around outside playing.
Thank you Tim for reading and leaving us this comment! It's so funny how we got to ride our bikes everywhere and came in when it was getting dark! ha ha! And, as an immigrant, my dad was pretty protective, but they trusted me. The station wagon trips I didn't even mention but pretty funny!
Lovely collaboration by teonof mybfavorite Substackians! We had a station wagon too! I grew up in one! My parents told us around town and all of the California on vacation. On long trips, we will all sit in the back and read comic books and play games. But that was all back in 60’s, Lol! Thank you guys! ✨💖🤗
Awe, thank you Charlotte! It was so much fun and I wish I had included some of our funny station wagon adventures! I loved these days! Thank you for reading! We love you!! ox
Not sure if that was the station wagon with the seats facing each other in the "way back" but I do remember the freedom of feeling like I was in another world in the "way back" no matter who I was with.
Yesss! We flew all over that big back area! My parents put my brother's car seat thingy back there! ha ha! I was the far-back babysitter :) Thank you for reading!!
Beautiful and freshly evocative of that world as we both knew it. Mine was in a small town in Michigan, but we enjoyed the same freedoms and tactile connection to nature. Our whole world was small, but incredibly close and it was ours to explore. Now we’ve inverted that. We have the world in our hands, but it’s been shrunk to fit a flat and sterile little screen. I prefer the world where girls crawl on the roof to scuff up the seat of their Levi’s — but I’m still here making the most of this one. Thanks, Cori, for the vivid flashbacks …
Thank you Tom for such a great comment! Cori and I had fun with this! We really miss those days. I'm watching my young grandchildren explore nature with their parents, and they are spending days creating vs. watching too much t.v. I think the days are over for being allowed outside for endless hours to ride bikes and explore. I don't think the world was any less safe back in our day, but the bad stuff is just so much more publicized now with the use of internet and social media -- leaving parents far more cautious. Living carefree is something to search for in this world. We were the lucky ones.
Spot on, Deborah, about the Stranger Danger. Child abductions and crimes against children are no less common than in 70s. They’re just hyper-publicized.
Also, I have a sister Debra ‘74 H.S. graduate. She and her friends went swimming in new jeans, then laid in the sun until they dried on them like a second skin. They’d also lay in the sun for hours — slathered with baby oil. That stuff was like SPF zero. You were there to roast like a Thanksgiving turkey, not fend off the rays! (I believe they also ironed their hair to straighten it.)
You two sound wonderful, like so many of the good and kind Midwestern girls in my class of ‘77. All that Boones Farm wine, Miller High Life and drag racing on dark country roads never killed us. My guardian angel and Mom’s prayers must have seen to that. Thanks for taking the time to write this down. We can’t go back but we can honor how we got here.
Many people connected through this. It had the tone of grandparents reminiscing so maybe some are missing their grandparents. Thanks for joining the conversation
Oh this was fun to read as someone from the UK. Between you both, so many of the words and phrases used that for me encapsulate Americana - Kool Aid, Drive Ins, Brady Bunch, road trips…..and some precious photos too.
Hey my dear Brit friend! Cori's life was definitely the life I was missing back home and wanting a bit of in America - but we stuck together and I didn't know much different, except that our "relatives" were British friends. lol. I also just found a picture of me and a British friend's daughter with "Greg" from the Brady Bunch! I'll have to post it! Can't even remember what we were doing. Probably a fan event! Thank you for reading! oxox
I loved the collectible soaps in different shapes. Avon was something else back then. I loved leafing through the catalogue and trying out the samples!
Us too! We had an "Avon cupboard" in the hallway! EVERYONE got Avon for birthday, Christmas! Those soaps especially! That's what started mum's "gift cupboard," which was a great idea! Thank you for reading this Trudi! ox
ha ha! Trudi! Weren't they fun? We had sooooo many! I used to play with the Avon boxes! (That was in the 60's!) Mum would give them to me and pieces of an old towel (for beds!) and I'd take them and spread them around like a house for my Barbie. Dad had all the car cologne bottles! lol
I remembered things that I haven’t thought of in years. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to read again. I can feel those Levi’s that would stand up in the corner when you took them off. I can hear the Bluegrass playing at the Boat House of the Lake where we camped every Summer. I can smell the Hay Bales as we loaded them on the trailer in the 95 degree heat. The roller skating. Laugh out loud. Now that was the Social event of the Summer. Disco Ball and all.
Thank you for this! I had forgotten baling hay when we were in our teens. My dad pimped our labor out to the farmer who rented the house to us, I assume for discounted rent. That smell is indescribable and so is the itch. lol it was and still us the number one crop grown in PA.
The itch is why we were all in long sleeve Flannel shirts out there. lol. I worked in PA in construction for a while. Some of the most beautiful country I’ve seen in the states. I grew up in and still live in very rural Georgia. It sounds like we have very similar stories of growing up in that Awesome 70’s decade.
Excited about this! Such a fun idea Cori :). Thank you for asking me to do this! We learned a bit about each other and also some more Substack skills! ha ha! Take us back to the 70's NOW! ox
What a fun ride. I grew up in the 70s too. I miss the simpler times.
I think nostalgia is a reminder of brighter times, to keep hope strong in all seasons of our lives.
It's so fun to look back! I loved these days! Definitely simpler times! Thank you for reading :)
Boy you brought back memories!
We didn’t have a station wagon, but our neighbours did! Once a month or so my brother and I got to pile into the back with their three kids and go on an adventure.
We also rode our bikes miles away from home, no supervision. We spent all of our time running around outside playing.
It was cathartic to write with so many happy memories.
Thank you Tim for reading and leaving us this comment! It's so funny how we got to ride our bikes everywhere and came in when it was getting dark! ha ha! And, as an immigrant, my dad was pretty protective, but they trusted me. The station wagon trips I didn't even mention but pretty funny!
Lovely collaboration by teonof mybfavorite Substackians! We had a station wagon too! I grew up in one! My parents told us around town and all of the California on vacation. On long trips, we will all sit in the back and read comic books and play games. But that was all back in 60’s, Lol! Thank you guys! ✨💖🤗
Thank you Charlotte. Sounds like everyone had a station wagon experience
Awe, thank you Charlotte! It was so much fun and I wish I had included some of our funny station wagon adventures! I loved these days! Thank you for reading! We love you!! ox
I relate! 🤗
Not sure if that was the station wagon with the seats facing each other in the "way back" but I do remember the freedom of feeling like I was in another world in the "way back" no matter who I was with.
Me too that was my favorite spot
Yesss! We flew all over that big back area! My parents put my brother's car seat thingy back there! ha ha! I was the far-back babysitter :) Thank you for reading!!
Beautiful and freshly evocative of that world as we both knew it. Mine was in a small town in Michigan, but we enjoyed the same freedoms and tactile connection to nature. Our whole world was small, but incredibly close and it was ours to explore. Now we’ve inverted that. We have the world in our hands, but it’s been shrunk to fit a flat and sterile little screen. I prefer the world where girls crawl on the roof to scuff up the seat of their Levi’s — but I’m still here making the most of this one. Thanks, Cori, for the vivid flashbacks …
Thank you for your thoughtful and beautiful words. Deborah Hewitt and I collaborated on this and nostalgia was wonderful.
Thank you Tom for such a great comment! Cori and I had fun with this! We really miss those days. I'm watching my young grandchildren explore nature with their parents, and they are spending days creating vs. watching too much t.v. I think the days are over for being allowed outside for endless hours to ride bikes and explore. I don't think the world was any less safe back in our day, but the bad stuff is just so much more publicized now with the use of internet and social media -- leaving parents far more cautious. Living carefree is something to search for in this world. We were the lucky ones.
Spot on, Deborah, about the Stranger Danger. Child abductions and crimes against children are no less common than in 70s. They’re just hyper-publicized.
Also, I have a sister Debra ‘74 H.S. graduate. She and her friends went swimming in new jeans, then laid in the sun until they dried on them like a second skin. They’d also lay in the sun for hours — slathered with baby oil. That stuff was like SPF zero. You were there to roast like a Thanksgiving turkey, not fend off the rays! (I believe they also ironed their hair to straighten it.)
You two sound wonderful, like so many of the good and kind Midwestern girls in my class of ‘77. All that Boones Farm wine, Miller High Life and drag racing on dark country roads never killed us. My guardian angel and Mom’s prayers must have seen to that. Thanks for taking the time to write this down. We can’t go back but we can honor how we got here.
I love the Starlite name and will most probably use it in my alternate history universe. Sounds too good to be left forgotten!
What an awesome tribute. Can’t wait to see it ‘in lights’ again!
In this case, they will be holo-lights :D
Love this. I was there too. :) But IN canada and NZ.
Many people connected through this. It had the tone of grandparents reminiscing so maybe some are missing their grandparents. Thanks for joining the conversation
Thank you so much for reading it! ox
that "rumble" seat reminds me of discovering the art of "mooning" !
Def a 70s thing
ha ha!! I believe you’re right Greg!
Ahhhh.... a wonderful walk down memory lane! Thank you ladies!
Thank you. We had a blast writing it.
Thank you so much Bob! You are truly the best! We need to hear about your childhood! ox
So fun; and what wonderful memories. Seems much simpler, easier, freer. Thanks for sharing your beautiful childhoods !
Thank you for reading Jenn! We had so much fun and I think both Cori and I could have written a ton more!
It was really peaceful to read, honestly ❤️
Thank you so much. I’m glad you liked it!!
It was really fun to look back and imagine what life was like ❤️
I grew up in the 80’s. We had a station wagon. I used to sit in the back back, facing backwards, you could fit as many kids as you could squeeze in.
80’s we’re my adolescent years so I love them too. Be on the lookout cause Nurse Kristen and Trudi Nicola are about to show the 80’s some love.
It was a dream for us when Aunt Judy fired it up.
That back area was so much fun!! How did we survive? ha ha!!
Great post! Great memories, roller skating, drive ins, camping, hiking and station wagon road trips. Thanks for sharing
Thank you. I’m happy it’s relatable to so many here. ☺️
Thank you so much for reading! Glad it brought back some good memories! I think we could have written a book on it!
Oh this was fun to read as someone from the UK. Between you both, so many of the words and phrases used that for me encapsulate Americana - Kool Aid, Drive Ins, Brady Bunch, road trips…..and some precious photos too.
Joyous, and lots of funny moments too.
Thanks for bringing a smile :)
We're so, so happy you liked this. It was truly eye and heart opening to us as we put it to paper so to speak.
Hey my dear Brit friend! Cori's life was definitely the life I was missing back home and wanting a bit of in America - but we stuck together and I didn't know much different, except that our "relatives" were British friends. lol. I also just found a picture of me and a British friend's daughter with "Greg" from the Brady Bunch! I'll have to post it! Can't even remember what we were doing. Probably a fan event! Thank you for reading! oxox
Old photos are the best aren’t they? I really enjoyed yours, keep sharing xx
Thank you friend. ox
I loved reading these! The Avon collectibles 😂 I had lots of those.
We did too at our house. Me and my sisters actually sold Avon door to door starting around age 9-10. It was def a different time.
I loved the collectible soaps in different shapes. Avon was something else back then. I loved leafing through the catalogue and trying out the samples!
Me too!!
Us too! We had an "Avon cupboard" in the hallway! EVERYONE got Avon for birthday, Christmas! Those soaps especially! That's what started mum's "gift cupboard," which was a great idea! Thank you for reading this Trudi! ox
ha ha! Trudi! Weren't they fun? We had sooooo many! I used to play with the Avon boxes! (That was in the 60's!) Mum would give them to me and pieces of an old towel (for beds!) and I'd take them and spread them around like a house for my Barbie. Dad had all the car cologne bottles! lol
Oh my word my dad had the cars too!
I thought it was so funny! Dad's chest of drawers was loaded with them!
I remembered things that I haven’t thought of in years. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to read again. I can feel those Levi’s that would stand up in the corner when you took them off. I can hear the Bluegrass playing at the Boat House of the Lake where we camped every Summer. I can smell the Hay Bales as we loaded them on the trailer in the 95 degree heat. The roller skating. Laugh out loud. Now that was the Social event of the Summer. Disco Ball and all.
Thanks again.
Small wold I’ve got lots of family south of the Mason Dixon line.
Thank you for this! I had forgotten baling hay when we were in our teens. My dad pimped our labor out to the farmer who rented the house to us, I assume for discounted rent. That smell is indescribable and so is the itch. lol it was and still us the number one crop grown in PA.
The itch is why we were all in long sleeve Flannel shirts out there. lol. I worked in PA in construction for a while. Some of the most beautiful country I’ve seen in the states. I grew up in and still live in very rural Georgia. It sounds like we have very similar stories of growing up in that Awesome 70’s decade.