A recent advertisement for the Appalachian Summer Festival concert “Janis Ian and Karla Bonoff: Songs of a Generation” sparked my thoughts about our generation and music.  Although I certainly remember songs like “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian, I would also consider music by Journey and The Who as part of my own music mosaic.  In fact, if I was compiling a soundtrack to define myself, it would include music from Neil Diamond to Nelly, The Monkees to Maroon 5.

We’re a complex generation, one that has refused to allow age to define us, so why would music be any different?  Do you agree?  What would be in your Boomer music mosaic?

So what exactly were the candies I was expecting to see?  Well, my list goes something like this:

Squirrel Nut Chews	Wax Soda Pop	Bubblegum Cigars
Atomic FireBalls	Wax Lips	Mint Julep's

These particular candies bring back a sweet memory of hot summer days, walking to the corner store (usually barefoot to the dismay of my mother) and standing in front of the penny candy trying to decide just how to spend that nickle or dime that was burning a hole in my pocket.  After much deliberation, I’d pay the lady behind the counter and she would put those sweet treats into a small brown paper bag.  Then began the walk back home, paper bag clutched in my hand, as I tried to resist the temptation to indulge in just one piece before getting home.  Sometimes I would make it, but more often than not I’d pause in my trek and choose one of the sugary treasures to pop in my mouth long before I got there.

What about you? Do you remember penny candy? If so, what were your favorites? Share them here in the comment section or reminisce in the Boomer Voices section.

Still, with so much snow on the ground, and school cancellations in effect, I couldn’t help but recall the memories of my own childhood snow days.

A snow day was better than a holiday because it came unexpectedly, perhaps negating that spelling test or math quiz that we all were dreading. Those of us that had to be dragged out of bed on normal school mornings could be found sitting by the television or radio well before our alarms went off, listening intently to the listing of school districts, practically holding our breath in anticipation. It was music to our ears when the DJ or news anchor called out our school. Fist pumping, happy dances and shouts of joy were performed in celebration before rushing to the kitchen to grab breakfast.

Ah yes, the advent of a snow day turned even the most reluctant riser into an early bird. A bowl of cereal was quickly devoured and then we began the process of getting ready to head out into the snow. Long johns and sweaters, snow pants, scarves, mittens, hats, heavy wool socks, bread wrappers on each foot to make sure the snow that got into the snow boots didn’t make it to our feet. Last but not least, the winter jacket, which was more like a parka.

Yes, we probably did resemble the Stay-Puft marshmallow man.

We were ready to head out into the snow to build snow forts guarded by snow men, go sledding on the nearest snow bank, and have massive snow ball fights. We took breaks only for lunch and a bathroom break and then we were back outside. And by the time it began to get dark and our parents called us inside, we were covered in snow.

Our cheeks were rosy from the cold, but underneath all of that protective gear we were sweating. We dug into our dinner, ravenously hungry from all the activity and by the time bedtime rolled around there wasn’t the normal battle for five more minutes because our eyes were already drooping with exhaustion.

Do kids still spend their snow days that way? Do you have winter weather memories? If so, please leave a comment or share your own story in the Boomer Voices section.

Well, of course, there’s the animated cartoon “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, I’ve been watching that since I was a child and I always seem to find a way to watch it every year, usually with one or both of my children. Is there anyone out there that wasn’t scared by the Abominable Snow Monster when they were small?

Another animated classic that makes its way onto my television every year is the original “Grinch that Stole Christmas” not the live action re-make, the original complete with the creepy green Grinch and the Who’s down in Whoville singing “Welcome Christmas”.

When you talk about the non-animated Christmas favorites, “A Christmas Story” has to be at the very top. Now that TNT plays the classic for 24 hours starting Christmas Eve, we always wait until then to watch. Who can’t relate to “You’ll shoot your eye out kid.”?

That’s followed closely by “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Is there anyone that doesn’t love Clarence the angel getting his wings?

What about you?  What holiday movies and shows make your yearly ‘must see’ list?

Share them with us either in the comments section or via the Boomer Voices section of the blog

I remember the Mystery Date game. It was my aunt’s favorite game and I can remember playing it with her often. I also remember several gifts that I practically begged Santa to bring me for Christmas.

The first was the Barbie Camper Van. I was big into Barbie as a 7or 8 year old, and my own family had the neatest VW camper van, so it stood to reason I wanted my Barbies to have one too. I can remember not only sending a request on my letter to Santa, I also passed it along when I sat on Santa’s lap.

The second gift that I remember feeling was the most important thing in the world for me to have was a bicycle. But not just any bicycle, a pink bicycle with a banana seat. Remember those? I was on my very best behavior from October through December in the hopes that being good would convince Santa Claus that I should be the proud owner of that bike.

Luckily, I didn’t suffer the same fate as Laura and Neil in the movie, they didn’t get their special gifts and stopped believing in Santa. Santa came through for me. In fact, I can still remember the excitement of seeing that camper van, left unwrapped under the sparkling tree with a live action barbie to go with it. A few years later my banana seat bike stood reflecting the colored lights of the Christmas tree. That’s right, I still believe in Santa Claus.

How about you, can you remember a gift or gifts you just knew Santa would bring you?

I myself feel sad to have our own children in different states this Thanksgiving, but am grateful that they are independent enough to be at a distance, and love watching their lives unfold in new ways.

Any readers who are interested in more holiday thoughts for parents of young adults, please visit the Parenting Twenty-Somethings blog at http://parenting20-somethings.blogspot.com. Your stories and comments are welcome!

Thanksgiving? When did that happen?

Of course that started my thoughts on a trip down memory lane.

Thanksgiving was a pretty important holiday when I was a child. I remember my grandmother baking pies for what seemed like a full week before. My entire extended family, consisting of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and assorted cousins were always in attendance.

At some point during the week before, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving would air on TV, adding to the anticipation. Cartoon specials were always a big deal back then, after all we didn’t have cable or a 24 hour cartoon network. Cartoons were purely Saturday morning fare until the holidays rolled around. It never got old watching Snoopy making toast and popcorn with Woodstock.

Thanksgiving morning I’d wake up to the smell of turkey roasting. In the wee hours of the morning, my Mom would have gotten up and prepared it, as we would have to have it cooked and ready to travel to my grandmothers (across the street) in time for the meal.

My Dad and I would sit together in the living room and watch the start of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade for awhile before the lure of Gram’s house got too powerful to resist. Then I’d sneak over so that my cousins and I could sample all of the yummy snack items that the family had prepared.

From the fancy dishes of pickles and cheeses to the homemade fudge and stuffed dates, we felt the need to sample them all. It was definitely the reason we weren’t so hungry by the time the meal time arrived. And the reason several of us had belly aches by the end of the day.

The amazing smells of roasted turkey, potatoes, squash and whatever else was on the menu combined to create an aroma that just was Thanksgiving. The women bustled in the kitchen and after catching Santa Claus at the end of the parade my cousins and I would either retreat to the porch to plan some sort of musical presentation for after the meal or grab the Sears Wish Book in preparation for our favorite Thanksgiving Day activity.

The drafting of the Christmas list.

Back then, the Wish Book was the first sign of Christmas you saw. The decorations and television ads didn’t start until after Thanksgiving. The Christmas specials didn’t air on TV until December. But the Wish Book was released before.

We turned the pages picking out everything we wanted Santa to bring us and after the meal (it always had to be after we ate) we would write our letter to Santa Claus and ask him for half the Wish Book toy section.

It seems odd now that Thanksgiving was such a big holiday to us. Now Wal-Mart has the Christmas items on display alongside the Halloween decorations. It’s almost like it’s simply become something to ‘get over’ before we can move on to Christmas. I know that my own children probably never have seen it as being the big deal that I did.

How about you, what are your Thanksgiving memories? Please share them either in the comments section here or by using the Boomer Voices section.

And Happy Thanksgiving!

One of my first black & white impressions is of Soupy Sales. The news of his recent passing had me searching my memories for him. I must have been very young, because I can’t remember specifics, just a fuzzy image of him, speaking to puppets, getting a pie in the face and making me, then a small child, laugh. My mother tells stories of watching Dark Shadows (the original vampire television event?) as I hid behind the a chair, scared, but still peeking to watch Barnabas or Quentin Collins transform.

Once I started thinking about these early television memories, more came flooding back, Lassie, Gentle Ben, Flipper, The Lone Ranger and The Andy Griffith Show. All of them a bit fuzzy, but warm memories just the same.

It’s fun to remember those early television shows isn’t it?

What are your earliest memories of television? Share them here in the comments section or in the Your Boomer Voices section of this website.

The woman in front of me smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me and said, “I loved him when I was a teenager.”

I smiled back,” Me too”, I admitted.

And suddenly an instant kinship was born with a perfect stranger. We giggled like school girls recounting our infatuation for a former teen heartthrob turned middle aged producer.  Then the cashier rang up my new friend’s sale and she was gone.

But the warm, fuzzy feeling of connection lingers with me even now, weeks later.

There’s just something about making connections with someone who shares your experiences that makes you feel good inside.

I want to welcome you to My Boomer Community, and the official blog for the new magazine, Baby Boomer News.

It’s a magazine for us, the Baby Boomer Generation, that will not only allow us to fondly reminisce about things like teen idols, television shows and fads (remember Pet Rocks?), but it will also address those things that are important in our lives now.

Many of us have struck out independently and started our own businesses. Our concerns range from our financial futures to caring for our children as well as our aging parents.  We’re trying to stay active and healthy and we enjoy things like travelling, eating out and getting involved in our communities.

Baby Boomers are looking to ‘go green’ and understand the need to preserve our local and global ecology. We’re a generation aware of how our actions will affect the generations to come.  We’re reading our news online instead from the paper over morning coffee and we’re more likely to be carrying a Blackberry and laptop than a briefcase these days.

And now we have a place to connect with one another about all of these things; a connection that won’t end when a cashier finishes the sale.

I encourage you to visit the Baby Boomer News website and look around, kick off your shoes and stay awhile.