Friday, February 20, 2015

A Friday Chat ( about this & that )

Something I always wanted and never got
You have to be in your 50's to get it
You have to have been a comic book reader in the 70's to get it
You had to be a somewhat weird child to get it


They're the Who's of the " under water set "  and I contemplated ordering them every single time I saw them.
Look how dapper the MR looks - with his tail cleverly and strategically placed !
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I did however wear a shackle around my ankle ( aptly named  " Footsie :" ) and hopped on one foot feverishly for hours and hours.

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I can vividly remember one Easter - dressed in a little pink wool coat - with pale pink patent leather  Mary Janes - ( those shoes made the best clicking noises with a footsie ) and an  EASTER HAT - and as I was gaily hopping up and down on the pavement with that shackle, my hat fell off - which a mean boy jumped up and ran off with.
I tried to chase him but it's hard to run when you're in shackles - so I quickly took it off - and flung it in his direction where it promptly landed with a thwack across his forehead -

I was reprimanded for behaving in such an unladylike way - especially at Easter time -
but that mean boy kept his distance in the future.

You don't mess with a girl and her toys - unless you're a boy with numchucks -( nunchaku )
My Brother spent a good 2 years walking around the house swinging those harbingers of death around -
I was always terrified of it landing on my head...............but he stayed clear of me with them ( because of my footsie I presume )

Or maybe it was my :" clackers " that scared him off -

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These were every bit as dangerous as " numchucks " if you knew how to use them !
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I don't recall owning a " Flatsie "

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But I can still remember the commercial to this day -

Flatsy Flatsy 
They're Flat and that's that 

I hated it because my brother mercilessly tormented me with that little jingle ................referring to my underdeveloped chest.................which was the main reason I never wanted the doll to be honest with you.
He ruined it for me
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I DID however wear an imprisoned doll around my neck...................

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Only letting her out in the evening for a little fresh air.
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And I was a Barbie fanatic -
Clothes - furniture etc..................

One day I came in to find a Batman figurine laying on top of my Barbie doll !
In her bed !

I screamed - disgusted beyond belief - and whipped the Batman into the wall - breaking one of his arms off

( I obviously had an anger problem LOL )

My brother went crying to my Mother that Suzy had broken his Batman -
I cried back that Batman was laying on top of my Barbie

Batman and Barbie were punished - after my Mother fixed his arm - banished to God knows where for a week or two -

So were we. ( well not banished - but punished in that we couldn't play with our favorite toys )

My Brother kept telling me that wherever they were, they were surely kissing

In fact - THIS is what he sang to me the whole time

BATMAN AND BARBIE UP IN A TREE
K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

I realized I was fighting a losing battle - so when they came out of hiding I arranged a pretty wedding for the two of them - my brother agreed to it.

I had it all planned out - and they walked up a makeshift aisle - ( I think the JOKER was marrying them or maybe it was the PENGUIN - one of those diabolical men was the Priest anyway  )
and then - just when they were about to kiss - a sanctified legitimate kiss - Batman bonked her on the head.
Hard.
Really hard.

Holy Violent Bridegroom !!!

MOMMY  -  I screamed - Terry almost broke Barbie

My Mother threatened to take them off us forever - so somehow they managed to co - exist.

As did my Brother and I.

( but between you and I - Barbie was always the more sophisticated and mature of the two )

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My closest moments spent with my Brother ( before 2 more Brothers came along ) was climbing out of bed on Saturday mornings - making a bowl of Captain Crunch or Honey Combs - tiptoeing to the darkened living room and laying on the carpet with drapes drawn ( probably 6 inches away from the screen ) and watching cartoons - starting at 6 o'clock in the morning.
Our bonds were formed somewhere between The Jetson's and Tennessee Tuxedo.............

By 10 the drapes were flung open and we were enemies again - you can only lay beside someone on a carpet for so long before the torment starts.

Still - we always knew another Saturday was just around the corner ..................
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Oh the wonders that I find
In the playground in my mind
In a world that used to be
Close your eyes and follow me
Where the children laugh and the children play
And we sing a song all day


( kudo's if you remember that song ! ) 
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Ok enough about the past - let's talk about the future - does everyone know that Harper Lee has a new book coming out in July of this year?
It's called GO SET A WATCHMAN
For all of you that loved To Kill a Mockingbird - this one starts with Scout as an adult coming back from NYC and reminiscing with Atticus about the summer it all happened.
It was the original book she wrote - until the publishers ( at that time ) told her they were more interested in the summer she was remembering - hence To Kill a Mockingbird was born.

So it's a sequel that was originally a prequel LOL

I'm dying to read this ( TKAMB's one of my all time favorite reads )
It's available for preorder ( which I've done ) from AMAZON  ( affiliate link )
( one of the cheapest prices I've found on line actually - which is why I'm letting you know about it )

This is like discovering gold for me - very very excited !
I'll read TKAMB once again ( probably the 10th time ) just before I start the next one
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What else?  Oh yeah !  I'm working on a dresser ( that's been sitting in the porch since we moved in - 

John says - Thank God you're finally painting that

Suzan says - Why?  You don't usually care ?
John says - Well you can sell it and make room in the porch
Suzan says - I'm NOT selling it - I'm painting it for our bedroom 
John says - THERE'S NO ROOM IN THE BEDROOM FOR ANOTHER DRESSER !!!!!!!!!!!
Suzan says - Don't be silly - I'm taking the one that's in there out and replacing it with this one
John says - So you're going to sell the one in our bedroom? 
Suzan says - No - I'm going to use that one for the downstairs bathroom as a vanity
John says - BUT WE HAVEN'T STARTING RENOVATING THAT ONE YET - WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP IT ???????????????
Suzan says - In the porch, of course, there's room for it now that I've taken this one out of it.............

John promptly got up and left the room.


Which is best really - I like to be alone when I'm painting............................

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I asked John to make supper the other night - while I painted


John says ( in a panic ) Let's order in 
Suzan says - No John - we have too much food in the house to order in - c'mon - you never have to cook
John says - What'll I make ?
Suzan says - Surprise me 
John says - You didn't take anything out of the freezer
Suzan says - There's breaded fish in there - we'll just have that
John says - How do I make it 
Suzan says - Read the box !!!
John reads the box and says - THERE'S NO INSTRUCTIONS - JUST INGREDIENTS 
Suzan says - Turn the box around 
John says - What vegetables should I cook ?
Suzan says - Asparagus please
John says - I have no idea how to cook them 
Suzan says - You cut the stems down and put them in a pot
John says - How much do I cut them 
Suzan says - Never mind, I'll do the asparagus
And while I was in the kitchen I cut the potatoes for the fries ( fish and chips ) and put the fish in the oven.
Suzan says - PLEASE watch that the fish doesn't burn 

About 20 minutes later I heard him mumbling ( cursing? ) in the kitchen 

John says - It's impossible to get everything ready at the same time

I went into the kitchen and finished everything up.

As we were getting up from dinner

John says - You're welcome 
Suzan says - For what?
John says - Well I made supper

And he believes he did.........................

So he obviously lives in a playground in his mind too 
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Have a wonderful weekend everyone !
Love to all
Me

29 comments:

  1. So typically male of a certain age. The younger ones actually cook. That's why I love visiting my son-in-laws. And, I really followed your line of thinking about room for the dresser on the porch now.

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  2. Haha! John and my husband went to the very same cooking school! Enjoyed your flashback to childhood; yes I do remember everything you mentioned. I think the Flatsy doll song tortured many a girl back then!

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  3. Funny stories about the vintage toys. And the husband preparing the dinner story sounds too familiar. Who says women can't multi-task? Have a great weekend! Linda@Wetcreek Blog

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  4. I remember all of those and so wanted the sea monkeys....I had a friend who actually got some. I was so jealous! The doll in the locket I had but she only slept in hers. :) I also had the wheel thing that you put on a metal track and it went back and forth. Yikes, I can't remember what it was called. Loved the cardboard discs with designs you stuck on it. Made such pretty patterns as it swirled back and forth! And then there were the Johnny West horses and dolls. My favs. :)
    Well, good for John "making" supper. Lol.

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  5. LOL all the way through your post. Your brother and you sound a lot like me and my brother all those years ago. I do miss him so.....but you know that. Anyway, I ALWAYS wanted some of those SEA MONKEYS and BEGGED for them. My mother SAID she sent for them (they never came-I think she lied). lol

    Playgrounds of your mind....I know the tune and remember this part:
    My girl is Cindy
    When we get married, we're gonna have a baby or two
    We're gonna let them visit their grandma
    That's what we're gonna do.

    Your husband cooks like mine....awful....it is easier just to do it myself then try to "instruct" him...and still have a mess....a HUGE mess.

    Have a great weekend, SuzyQ! xo Diana

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  6. ps. I can't WAIT for that sequel/prequel to come out. I hear that she is not happy it is being published?

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  7. I had one of those footsies and I STILL have my doll-in-the-bubble necklace AND my klackers! Those were the days.
    On another note, I have an old bathroom sink and vanity in my bedroom because we have no where else to put it right now. Tell John that you are not the only ones with extra stuff in the house!

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  8. I had Kiddles in big lockets, in tiny lockets, in fake perfume bottles. I had a Footsie dragging from my right foot a lot of the time. I had a finger damaged in a terrible Clackers incident (didn't everybody?). My brothers had James Bond related plastic spy guns that shot real pellets - one looked like a finger ("Six Finger") and one looked like a pipe. Our dog had a propensity to pick up the pipe in his mouth, which rendered him hilarious and dangerous at the same time.

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  9. OMG Suzan this post brought me back. I wanted those sea monkeys too and I had a footsie that I loved. My barbie has a love affair with GI Joe we did not have Batman but my brothers had GI Joe's so Barbie had hunkie military guys in her life. Oh the sweet memories.
    Have a great week end my friend.
    Kris

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  10. OMG - the footsie and that damn clacker glass balls! They hurt like hell when they hit your wrist. Dave's cooking usually involves Kraft Dinner, one of three varietes, take your pick. BBQ's here are the same, thanks for cooking the meat Dave, good boy! Hilarious! xo Patty

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  11. My hubby and your John would get along great cause they are just alike. My husband needs a written recipe on how to boil water. I cook he isn't.
    One day my dear husband asked if we had any Campbell's Sirloin Burger soup and I told him to check the pantry. Low and behold he actually found a can. Then he says; "how do I fix it?" Read the instructions on the label I said. "Do I need to add water? Well, what does it say. After about a half hour going back and forth he finally got the soup in the pan. Him:...." how high do I turn the burner up to?" Me, being Sarcastic. You eat it cold.
    After sometime later he had his soup heated up. Where are the bowls? Where are the crackers? Before he asked, I told him the soup spoons are in the silverware drawer.
    Poor guy, don't know what he would do without me.
    Oh, anyone remember those so called pop beads? Believe it or not I still have mine that I had when I was younger...........much, much younger
    Some men are so helpless at times.

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  12. This post is such a skip down memory lane. I had the sea monkeys - they actually looked like mosquito larvae and they followed a beam of light. They were a big disappointment - I really expected them to look like the picture in the comic book. I also had the footsie and the clacker - loved them both. I even sent away for the x-ray glasses and the Learn Ventriloquism book - again, disappointed. Every time I saved up enough, I always sent for something advertised on the back page of the comic book - never learned my lesson, now it's infomercials that come on at two in the morning!

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  13. Another hilarious post! Love all the toys and song from our childhood. Clackers were banned from our school :( I didn't like Flatsies for the same reason... who thinks of these things! lol!

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    1. And yet.....................I can't remember where I put my glasses from one moment to the next ( even though I keep 3 pairs in different rooms LMAO )
      BUT...................I can tell you what I wore to the first day of school in grade one.
      Thanks for visiting Carol !
      xox

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  14. Thanks so much for the trip down memory lane (my mom took away my clackers for fear I'd split open my head...or my siblings, lol!)...perfect way to start the weekend. Keep warm! oxoxo

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    1. I think I had bruises on my wrists the whole time I owned them lol !
      Hope you're having a great weekend too!
      xoxo

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  15. Those were such cute stories of you and your brother, thanks for sharing. Was the dinner John made you good?lol Have a good day.

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    1. It was alright LOL - frozen fish is not my favorite - it's more like emergency food ( the emergency being when I don't feel like cooking ! )
      xoxoxo

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  16. I think sea monkeys were around longer than you think. LOL I remember them. I also remember one could order eye glasses that allowed you to see through walls. I always wondered if they worked. I had a Mitzi doll instead of a Barbie. And only one. I also had the authentic Barbie wardrobe carry case to carry my Mitzi doll in. :) We had hoola hoops, skipping ropes, the very dangerous India Rubber balls along with the traditional red, white and blue one, marbles and the old roller skates with a key. "I've got a brand new pair of roller skates". Remember that song? I have not ever read "Too Kill a Mockingbird" but think I'll find a copy of it and read it before the new sequel comes out. Have a great weekend! Pam

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  17. Oh my gosh, I remember so many of these toys! I was an ace with those clackers. LOL!

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  18. Thanks so much for the head's up on the Harper Lee book. To Kill a Mockingbird has long been one of my favorites & I hadn't heard the background info. Very interesting stuff!

    I'm still chuckling about the dinner. Has John been introduced to Ramen noodles? When my nephew cooks, that's generally what we get. Too funny!

    Such fun to remember some of these things from the past! Had the clackers & always wanted the sea monkeys and x-ray specs. My Barbie had an unfortunate experience when my cousin's GI Joe flashed her. Saturdays included Shari Lewis & Lambchop, Roy Rogers, Rin Tin Tin, Fury and The Lone Ranger. Batman & Robin were on the channel that faded in & out and was full of snow, back in the days when there were three channels & only two came in clearly with the third showing up if the weather was just right. Good times. :-)

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    1. John eat Ramen noodles?
      LMHO !!!
      Nevah !
      Saturday nights - Bugs Bunny / Road Runner show !!! We watched Batman everyday after school - along with Dark Shadows - both shows had me biting my nails down to the quick LMHO !!!
      xoxo

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  19. I desperately wanted those sea monkeys! They would be my friends and we would have such good times together. I would polish their crowns and get them little bathing suits. Unfortunately, I had no understanding of how the postal system worked and my mom must have messed up sending in my order. They never arrived. sigh

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  20. Please don't unfriend me when I tell you I've never read TKAMB! I have always wanted to though so now I must order it and read it before the new book comes out! Thanks for the motivation...:) I loved the Batman and Barbie saga...I was a Barbie fanatic too, but only had one sister who loved them too, so no Batman in the picture. Just Ken with his gorgeous head of molded plastic blonde hair...lol! Did your Barbie talk in a high, shrill voice like I made mine talk? LOL...oh the memories! Have a blessed Sunday.

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  21. I remember most of those toys. I had clackers, and footsies, and flatseys... on my. lol. I don't remember the sea monkeys, but I loved barbies. We made up elaborate story lines and mysteries. It was so much fun. Sadly I gave mine all away to a girl that I babysat when I was a teenager. But she loved them and was so happy to have them, so that felt good. I do sometimes wish I had them now though. TKAMB is one on my faves too.

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  22. oh my gosh, we must be close in age, I think I'm a bit older ( 58 ) I remember those toys, I had a few of them,

    you always make my day, you truly do!

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  23. That's how my husband cooks too. And he thinks he cooks. Must be a gender thing. ;)

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  24. What a cool blast from the past showing the actual toys we all played with! Of course at my elementary school, someone's clacker broke off and became airborne then they were banned....imagine... did you also have a 'little Kiddle'? loved those, too! and a crazy straw. :-) what great memories tonight...

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    1. They were banned from our school too !
      So were numchucks
      I don't remember having a crazy straw !
      Thanks so much xoxoxo

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
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xoxo