1974 came upon us, just as expected, and my family kicked off the New Year, our first one in our Beavercreek home on Echo Hill Lane. Life continued as normal after the Christmas tree came down and the toys were put away into my relatively new room. Mom was still working full-time with Connelly and Company, which means that I was still going to my Grandma Murphy’s house during the day…at least for the first month or two of the year.
Wearing my favorite blanket and my Mom’s wig. As far as I know, this was my first example of cross-dressing. Note the 1974 calender, ready to be hung.
Things changed a bit in our routine around February or March when my Dad lost his job at Miami Litho. They went out of business about nine months after he had begun work there and was subsequently hired to work for another printing company called Brown & Kroger. Like he had been forced to do when his previous job at Associated Business Aids ended when they went out of business, Dad had to file a court claim to get his final paycheck from Miami Litho. The job at Brown & Kroger would carry Dad through 1974 and he wouldn’t leave until January 1975 when he got his much more long-term job at Central Printing.
But the big change for me was that Dad was now working second shift, which meant that Mom didn’t have to drop me off at my Grandma Murphy’s early every morning. I’d spend the morning with Dad at home and then he’d take me over to Grandma’s in the early afternoon. This gave me the chance to hit him in the ankle with a hammer right after he sprained it, and for other such mischief. Something had to keep me occupied until I was old enough to enjoy watching The Uncle Al Show.
Dad and me playing in our family room
Hanging out on my bike next to the trash cans on the side of the house in early Spring
More fun on the bike on our front sidewalk
The only presumed trip that we took in the Spring months of 1974 would be a family camping trip to Imes Park which, judging from the attire worn in the photos that I have (either long pants or short pants, probably depending on what time of day), occurred around early May. Imes was located in Lewisburg, Ohio, about midway between Dayton and Indiana state border. It was just one out of several parks where we would pitch a tent along with Bill & Dottie and their kids. I have no memory of this location.
Mom preparing lunch roadside at Imes Park
Robby and Lora heading out for some fun in the lake, leaving me behind
Robby and me at the top of some mountain, Imes Park 1974
Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to tell about the first five months or so of 1974. Until Summer vacation, I am not aware of any other milestones in our family life that would have merited chroncling. Being a two-year old living in Beavercreek, I obviously have no recollection as to what was going on.
1974 will continue with our first out-of-state traveling for the year…
I understand that ‘Uncle Al’ Lewis passed away last Saturday…another childhood hero rides off into the sunset, I’m sad to say.
Dave Chasteen
March 3rd, 2009
And like Bob May before him, he received a mention on the Catsafterme just before I found out about his death. Could this website be the Cousin Oliver of the internet? Should I get into some ‘dead pools’?
Brad
March 3rd, 2009
It may have been fortuitous that you weren’t able to make the Hollywood Collector’s Show last month. You most certainly would have met Robbie Rist…and he might have put the hoodoo on you! BEWARE of Tiki’s!!!
Dave Chasteen
March 3rd, 2009