“Cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey.”
I turned off the air conditioner just to refresh the house, but that’s not going to happen. The air is thick with humidity, and there is no breeze to stir it. There are clouds where there is supposed to be sun. It will be 77˚ at the highest and in the mid-60’s tonight.
Movie night was fun, and the appetizers were delicious. We noshed on a feta dip with pita chips, cold cuts in baguettes, delicious cheeses and honeyed figs. Gunga Din was as wonderful an old movie as I remembered. It was one of those movies with a cast of thousands. The night was humid and hot but cooled down as we watched. I have neighbors on one side and renters on the other. I always wonder if they’re a bit jealous of us watching movies outside in the summer, such a wonderful way to spend a warm evening.
Summer had its own set of rules when I was a kid. The street lights no longer controlled our play time. We stayed out after dark. Bedtime was when we went to bed. Meals were usually catch as catch can except for supper which my mother cooked for all of us. Mostly it was cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. We’d make our own. Bologna with hot peppers was my favorite sandwich. The peppers were round so I had to cut them, but they were still thick. The bologna came in a roll so I had to cut slices which were never even; they were thin on one side and thick on the other. My sandwiches were messy. White bread was just too soft and easily prone to holes. For dessert we’d grab Oreos, but they quick to disappear. The week days were ours to do as we wanted. My mother would ask where we were going, but most times we didn’t know. Riding our bikes or going to the playground were our usual answers. At least one weekend day was family day when we were stuck together in the hot car going to the beach on Sunday or to a drive-in movie theater Saturday night.
As we got older, we spent less and less time with the family and more time with our friends. I had drill two nights a week and competitions on the weekends. I slept late every day. My bicycle stayed in the cellar. My friends picked me up with their cars. Sometimes we did nothing but ride around. Other times we hung at one house or another just talking and laughing. That was pretty much the end of family time, but it reappeared when I was older, living away and teaching. I’d spend a weekend at my parents’ house. I even remember the three of us going to a drive-in together. The movie was A New Leaf with Walter Matthau and Elaine May. We laughed a lot. I had a wonderful evening with my parents.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: 77˚, appetizers, Beach, bologna, cereal, Cheese, cloudy, drive-in movie, family day, feta dip, Gunga Din, hot peppers, humid, movie night, oreos, still, street lights, summer rules, white bread
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
July 17, 2017 at 1:41 pm
Very windy here today but lots of sunshine, don’t think we reached 68F. I worked slightly less than a half day so now my vacation has started.I’ve spent a lot of this day sleeping in front of the tv 🙂 🙂
It would have been fun to have a kite today 🙂 (or a dragon as we call them). I dfo remember how I used to build them myself and how fun it was to try and make them fly. The results varied a lot depending on how complicated they were to build 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
July 17, 2017 at 1:51 pm
Christer,
It is still cloudy and thick. I haven’t needed my air conditioner yet so for that I’m glad.
How wonderful to be starting your vacation. All those days stretch out in front of you to do what you want including watching TV.
I haven’t flown a kite in years. I used to go to the beach in the off-season to fly one. The wind would take it so very high.
Have a great first day of vacation!!!
July 17, 2017 at 5:30 pm
I don’t think that I ever saw Gunga Din, I had to look it up.
School holidays started today and summer is back. Up to sunny 30°C / 86°F on Wednesday and I’m thinking about a bicycle day trip along water. What shall I choose, our local river, the big river (Rhine) or the canal?
July 17, 2017 at 6:52 pm
Birgit,
This is so late in the summer (or seems that way) for school to be out for the summer. Here that happens all during June and schools go back some starting in August and many in early September.
I would choose the local river with the canal a close second.
July 17, 2017 at 7:52 pm
Was that version of Gunga Din with Sam Jaffe? He was a wonderful character actor playing the high Lama in Lost Horizon and the professor in The Day the Earth Stood Still. I think his last part was the senior doctor in the TV series Ben Casey.
Bologna sandwichs on white Wonder bread were kid staples for lunch. Have you ever had a baked bologna? It’s a southern dish baked like a ham.
What do you think our weather was today? Just like yesterday, hot 96 with clear shies. It’s Texas in the summer.
July 17, 2017 at 8:10 pm
Bob,
It was Sam as Gunga Din. I do remember him from Ben Casey.
What I didn’t know was the movie was remade in 1961 as Sergeants 3, starring the Rat Pack and many elements of the 1939 film were also incorporated into Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
I’ve had fried bologna but haven’t ever heard of baked bologna. I’m not sure I’d like it. Do you use cloves or anything like that?
It stayed damp and humid all day. We will have summer weather starting Wednesday. Boston has reached 90˚ once so far but may reach it again this week.
July 19, 2017 at 6:51 pm
I saw ‘A New Leaf’ recently, it’s fun! Walter Matthau is always great though. Love your post title, is it a quote?
July 19, 2017 at 9:17 pm
Alex,
It is a quote. All my titles are.
The comment under the photo has the name of the person I’m quoting.
Walter Matthau was always great. I agree!