All through the Summer of 1974, my parents had been working on a couple of projects in our back yard. The first was a barn to store our lawnmowers, garden tools, and other items that wouldn’t fit in our (then) single-car garage. He enlisted the aid of his cousin Irene’s husband Virgil Davidson to assist in the construction, with my Uncle Ed helping to put in the flooring. Dad an Virgil worked on this during the day before heading off to work at Brown and Kroger in the evening. No telling how much assistance I lent to the project. When it was done, we had a nice looking white barn that still sits on the property today.
The finished barn
The other project that my parents began was a rather expansive garden in the back yard. The Summer of 1974 was the first one that attempted, but they continued the practice for the next two or three years. We grew quite an array of vegetables that we gave away and ate. Among them pumpkins, tomatoes, corn, green beans, onions, radishes, lettuce, and cucumbers. The only good that photos I could find of it from any of the years were from 1974. Proud of their accomplishment, Dad took some nice slides of it.
The garden
From the other angle
Rear of the house
Completely unrelated, but from the same time period. A visit to Fantasy Farm and the world’s worst Mickey Mouse
Life didn’t change much as we moved into Fall that year. The barrage of holidays kicked off with my third birthday on October 2. As the photos indicate, we had a party and cake at our house. The pictures do not show who attended but I suspect it was just family rather than friends. My birthday fell on a Wednesday this year, so I would guess that the party came the following weekend.
Obviously excited about my cake
Digging into the gifts
My cousin Rob’s birthday came 13 days later, as he turned six years old. The good thing about having a birthday close to his was that I got to share in his party usually with somewhat of a second party. This one was likely held on Sunday, October 13. Sundays were generally the days that we would visit with Bill & Dottie and Lora and Robby. I received a Mr. Potato Head.
Very tempted to ‘assist’ with the candles
Robby blows out his candles
I could go for some of that cake
Opening up some View Master slides
Lora is in her own world as I tackle my gifts
Heading off to tell everyone about my new Mr. Potato Head
Playing with our new toys
A fabulous picture of Rob
Halloween fell on Thursday the 31st in 1974 and I went trick or treating for the second time – this time dressed up as an Indian, or as they would say nowadays (but certainly wouldn’t have said in 1974), a Native American. Looks like Darlene joined us with one of her friends.
Think I’ll be an Indian Brave…
Darlene and a friend, as well as our neighbor and my babsitter Megan Long, join me for Trick or Treat. Perhaps Darlene can help identify…
A maniac with the candy
There doesn’t appear to be any photos of Thanksgiving, so I can only speculate that it took place at Arline and Carl’s on my Dad’s side, and probably at Grandma and Grandpa’s new house on Kruss on my Mom’s side. Below are some parting shots that were taken during the Fall of 1974 of Mom and me, individually and relaxing with our cat Laddy.
Blurry and apparently bitter Mom
One jovial tot
Mom and I relax with Laddy as we head toward the holiday season
1974 will continue…
I remember that garden very well. I also remember that was the year your mom taught me how to can pickles using the cucumbers from that garden. Those were the best pickles I ever ate.
Seeing the picture of the jovial tot, makes me think of Megan’s beautiful blue eyes. Maybe she takes after you! But I don’t remember you ever having freckles.
Bev
February 19th, 2010
I have no recollection of that costume or who the friend was. I vaguely remember a year that a lot of cities held their beggars night on a Sunday afternoon because that was when there was the big scare of poisening the candy. I know I trick or treated with you that year because Beavercreek did it in the afternoon and Kettering did it some evening, so I got to double dip. The only friend I can think of that would have come along might have been Karen King. Especially since you mentioned the new house on Kruss. She was my nieghborhood friend there and I know she would come with me to babysit for you at your house. She was a year or 2 older than me and pretty tall as I recall.
Darlene
February 21st, 2010
The neighbor is indeed Megan Long. She was your babysitter and maybe she went out with you guys. I remember the garden well and all the canning I did back then. I was super-mom, working, taking care of you kids and canning all the vegetables from our garden. I don’t think I would have the energy now!
Mom
February 21st, 2010