My parents had a radio very much like this one when I was a child. I remember it well. It had been placed in a corner of the living room next to the sofa where my Dad sat. His favorite spot. He would sit there reading his newspaper and listening to the radio.
On the other side of the radio, next to the radiators that heated our home, was an old hassock. When there was a program that I wanted to listen to in the evening, you would find me hunched over the hassock as close as I could get to that radio so I wouldn't miss anything being said or played.
I was not allowed to touch the knobs of this radio...apparently I was considered too young to master all the intricacies of locating stations, etc. The radio had several bands, including a shortwave band; and since it was wartime (1940's), I remember my Dad listening for news of the conflict from wherever he could find information. I still remember one time hearing the fanatical and screeching voice of Adolf Hitler, though I couldn't understand a word he said.
My Dad listened to boxing during this time. I remember the fights with Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott and Billy Conn, because I was right there, hunched over the hassock listening.
On Saturday afternoons, my Dad would turn on the Metropolitan Opera program. I wasn't too interested in that music, mainly because I couldn't understand what was being sung, but I remember it in the background of whatever I was doing in the house that day.
Of course, there were lots of other programs that we listened to... I recall Amos and Andy, George Burns and Gracie Allen, The Great Gildersleeve, Ellery Queen, The FBI in Peace and War, Baby Snooks, Gangbusters, Dr. Christian and soooo many others. You can look here for a long listing of some of those 1940's programs.
The old radio finally gave out and my brother, who had begun working at Miller and Rhoads or Thalhimers (don't remember which) gave my parents a new console radio/record player for Christmas in the late 1940's. He was so proud of himself that Christmas. I don't think we had a record player before that time, though I vaguely remember a child's record player in the house at one time; but I think that was later in my early teens.
It's amazing how a photograph can bring back so many memories.
Remember these card catalogs? I surely do. Of course, anything remotely having to do with books is going to be on my agenda!
If you were in school before the computer age, you knew about card catalogs. Every library had them. How else would you know what books the library had in its collection. Did it have books on the subject you had selected or been given to write about? Was the book located in the main body of the library? Or did you have to ask someone to go to the Stacks to get the book you needed.
Each card contained all the pertinent information about a particular book. Title, author, ISBN number, etc. How many times did you have to copy this info down, so that you could complete a footnote or a reference paper for your assignment? You had to copy it down just right too.
The card also provided you with the information about where the book was located in the library. Which section... which shelf. You had to know the basics of the Dewey Decimal system while you were at it. Each book had a magical signature consisting of letters and numbers. If you followed directions that the letters and numbers gave, you soon found your book; or discovered that someone else had beaten you to it. Then you would have to wait for the book to be returned or find out from the librarian if a branch library had a copy.
Nowadays, of course, with the advent of the computer, all this has changed. Locating a book is probably faster now, but we may have lost something by it. Life has sped up... There's no more lingering in the card catalog to discover a book that you hadn't even been looking for; but that would lead to another avenue for a reading adventure.
Ya'll remember that now.... !
Headline: Nervous calm grips Fallujah as residents return (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/11/14)
Here are excerpts from the article...
- residents trickling back...
- a tense calm...
- Iraqi troops have taken up positions...
- other ant-government gunmen, their faces hidden by scarves...
- Markets have begun to open...
- situation remains tense...
- health care facilities running short on supplies...
This article really struck me and made me wonder how we would react to conditions of war right here in the United States. Of course, we have the Civil War to look back on as a war fought on our own continental soil, and much has been written about that period in our history, but that war occurred 150 years ago. There are no longer any survivors to lend an immediacy to our lives today.
It's tragic to think of ourselves having to flee our homes, seeing them destroyed, losing family members, going hungry, having to rely on others to take care of us, and so on...
We surely need to pray for these unfortunate people (men, women and children) who have so much to endure in so many countries around the world. We need to thank God for all that has been given to us: for our lives, our work, our worship, each other. And we need to work for peaceful solutions to problems, rather than having to read headlines like the one above.
After all, we are brothers and sisters. We all bleed the same color. We all have hopes and dreams for ourselves and our families. We may call our God by different names or by none at all, but He knows our needs and cares for us even when we think that no one's there...
Our God relies on us to be His workers in the world... to continue to bring about His Kingdom... Looks like we're falling down on the job, don't-cha think?
~ Image - Salon.com
Last year I made a New Year's resolution to fill an empty jar with notes reminding myself of the good things that happened to me. I was checking out the jar today and here are some of the events that were special.
~ I have been placed in a prayer note on the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem by C.
~ K called to let us know that Ricky's $5000-plus hospital bill has been cancelled!
~ Ricky has been walking without his cane or brace today.
~ A sent papers for me to correct.
~ I fell in the street at church but didn't break anything!
~ Wonderful trip to see the grandkids.
~ I sold over $130 worth of jewelry to one customer today!
~ I found the church keys! Whew!
~ David survived a serious low blood sugar event. Thank you Lord.
~ Someone complimented me AGAIN about how well organized my book shop is!
~ Ricky got his disability approved! Thank you Lord.
These constituted about 6 months worth of notes. I didn't finish the year as I had hoped but will begin again this year. You should try it! All you need is an empty jar, placed where you can see it as a reminder to write a little note to yourself.
I saw this cartoon on Facebook the other day and I knew I had to put it on my blog. I guess this is one way to entice kids to start reading again. Notice I said "again"... this is rather hopeful, I guess.
I doubt if it's news to anyone reading this blog that I love to read. Another year has gone by and my list of books reached 45 books for the year; not quite as good as my all-time high as an adult, of 61 books the previous year. But no matter, the important thing is to keep reading.
At my age, I'm not too hung up on the fact that I forget most of the books I read, since I read just for the pleasure of the moment. What my reading does, is to keep my mind active; and believe me, at 77 I can use a clear brain! Not in the sense of a brain that is drained; but a brain that still functions for most of the things that I need to know and want to do. Hey, I run a vintage and collectible shop! I at least have to remember how to add and subtract; without using a calculator either! I don't make too many mistakes since I'm still in business after 11 or 12 years!
Actually, I do more than read books. I also read our daily newspaper and work the crossword puzzle. I also read a lot online... and I still "tsk, tsk" to myself about all the misspellings I see there... One of the things I have enjoyed over the years is to proofread other people's writings for publication or for important mailings. It's very interesting to do and I catch a lot of grammar or spelling errors that need correcting. We all make mistakes at times but if something is going out to the world, one hopes it will be right!
What do you think about reading books, newspapers and periodicals online? For my own sake, I need to have these things in my hands... to feel the paper and turn the pages... To put the book down when I feel like it... take it up again wherever I am. I can't imagine taking a laptop, Kindle or other contraption to bed with me. It's gotta be a BOOK!
