Garbage Pick Up

 It may seem strange to remember garbage pick up growing up but not when you compare to what is done today.

Our driveway was very long and our metal trash cans were behind the garage.  Our lot was 229 feet deep or roughly 76 yards.  The back of the garage was close to 45 yards from the street.  Growing up, the garbage truck would pull up on the gravel shoulder and a guy would hop off and go and grab the garbage can or cans.  He would then have to carry them to the truck and then carry them all the way back to behind the garage.  And then walk back to the truck!  That's a lot for one house.

Our dog Boots would get excited hearing the truck and the rattling metal cans and seeing someone in and out of our yard so many times.

The Burn Pile and Incinerator

I created two different posts on this subject and including them both below...

One of my favorite memories from childhood was starting fires with permission!  Burning was legal then and we had what we called the "burn pile" where we burned leaves and branches.  And next to it was the "incinerator"...a wire cage with a lid where we burned any trash that would burn.

The burn pile was fun for the size of the fires we could get going but to me the incinerator was where the action was.  Wax milk cartons would burn bluish-green and drip.  This is where I would use accelerants like bug spray on a paper towel to get things going.

We used a wheelbarrow to haul things to the burn pile.  I remember the neighbors behind coming up to check on us once because of the size fire got so big.  How nice to not have to bundle and tie wood and put to the curb.

Growing up we didn't have a "burn ban".  Fall was certainly a time when smoke was in the air and it's a smell I remember fondly.  Think of a campfire smell.  But we didn't just burn leaves in the fall (how handy to rake into a pile and haul to the burn pile).  Not only did we burn leaves and limbs, but we separated our trash and burned what we thought would burn.

Behind our garage, we had two different locations where items were burned.  One was referred to as the "burn pile" and the other the "incinerator".  The burn pile was a mound of ash with stones around the edge to create a circle.  You could see shale and other rock exposed on the ground and I was told that was part of a turnaround or part of the original driveway.  The incinerator was a metal "cage" with a lid about the size of a garbage can.  This is where the trash was burned.

Imagine being a young boy and you were told (and entrusted) to light matches and set things on fire...and then watch!

We got some pretty good piles going on the burn pile with leaves but also any limbs or sticks we picked up (picking up sticks was an actual chore we had).  Keep in mind this was behind our garage and right next to some bushes so flame management was key.

As far as burning trash, it was fun to see things burn different colors (like waxy containers).  My parents didn't know this but there were many times I added an accelerant like bug spray to jump start things.  Typically, I would roll a paper towel and stick it in a hole in the caging and that would be my fuse.

A separate but related chore usually handled by my dad was burning off some tall grass behind the garage.  You see this with crops or tall grasses where farmers do controlled burns.  This was not a big patch but was right next to the garage.  I had this task one year and I don't remember if I wasn't watching or generally goofing around but the neighbors behind came up and let us know about a fire and honestly I don't remember how close I was to burning down the garage.  Kids!

Sunday Drives

There was a time when people had to be encouraged to get out and drive for leisure.  Streets were actually designed with this in mind.  Parkways were an example of this.

By definition, a Sunday drive is an automobile trip taken for pleasure or leisure on a Sunday, usually in the afternoon. Typically there is no destination and no rush.

I remember going on Sunday drives after church.  This is when I was younger and we were still going to First Methodist Church (so (1968 or before).  Although I remember riding with my dad exploring things out of town after that so I know we still went once in a while but not as a family.  It seemed like it might have been just Dad, Dean and me but I'm not sure.

To me it way of seeing what was going on.  What was new.  What was being built.  Change in scenery.  To this day, I still enjoy riding around town and seeing what's going on and what is new.

Sunday Memories

I remember Dad would shine his shoes (or our shoes and his shoes) Saturday evening to be ready for church the next day.  I can picture the wooden box that held everything.  He would work on them in what we called the Laundry Room.  I don't shine my shoes as often but when I do, I think of him doing that and how his shoes would last.  Also, wanting to look appropriate for church.  I kept that box when we moved Mom out.  Not what was in it but just the box.

Speaking of shoes...when I was little, we had what we referred to as "Sunday shoes".  They were shoes purchased to wear primarily on Sunday.  I suppose kids are still getting these for Easter wear but this was typical for that time.  They were great for sliding on the ice or snow.  I remember sliding down a small hill on the playground at Windsor Elementary and another time on a hill on Cummins Pkwy north of University Ave.  We knew we shouldn't be sliding in them but they had the best soles for it.

Typically for me these shoes were purchased at Lazy M Shoes at Merle Hay Plaza.  Back when you stomped your feet and could hear a noise bouncing off the storefronts.  I recall a pair of olive wingtips probably 1st or 2nd grade.  The question after purchase was always "do you want to wear them out"?

Another memory is getting our hair right on Sunday morning. This would date back to 1968 or before and going to First Methodist Church.  Dad had Brylcreem or similar and we would slick back our hair and part it.  I remember Dean helping me part my hair.

Foraging for ourselves

Thankfully I had an older brother to show me a few things but I remember we had to forage for ourselves during the summer especially.  We learned (and were apparently trusted) to use the stove, mixer, etc to what we needed to do.

Random memories of what I/we managed to make (yes, this was before microwaves...or at least we didn't have one):

> Tomato soup (I like mine with butter)
> Bean soup (add ketchup)
> Fried egg sandwiches (also with ketchup)
> Grilled cheese (see tomato soup) with Nestle's Quik
> Fried bologna (a little butter in a pan and drop it in)
> Toll House cookies (if we made it past the dough)
> Homemade frosting using powdered sugar and 1/2 and 1/2.  Put on graham crackers and if desperate on saltines.  Sometimes adding some food coloring (check the date?)


Not related to foraging, I remember Mom would put packs of gum in the small Sugar bowl and there was a plastic coffee can lid covering it.  Wrigley's Spearmint, Juicy Fruit and Double Mint.  And yes...Dentyne!

Nelson's Field

I was talking with my brother recently about this place and how it had a name but not really.  This was an unofficial designation that everyone understood.  The Nelson family owned a large property which included a nice flat area that became our football field and a place to fly a kite.

They also had grapes growing and if you wanted to risk being seen, you could grab a few grapes.  I don't remember anyone ever coming out to complain and I also don't remember us ever asking permission (or even seeing anyone).

Family Food on Weekends

Weekend suppers as I recall were hamburgers on Saturday and pizza on Sunday.

My dad was involved on Saturday nights.  So his day was starting early on the pancakes/waffles/French toast...doing chores around the house and then Saturday evening fry cook.  We bought ground chuck as I recall and had a patty maker (some type of press).  Cheeseburgers were an option.  My family liked to warm up buns in bun warmer. This was before microwaves so it sat on a burner.  You'd put a little water in the bottom and steam the buns.  To be fancy, you could butter the bun and put it on the griddle and toast it.  I remember having chocolate milk with the burgers (actual chocolate milk but maybe with syrup or Quik at times).  And then watching The Jackie Gleason Show and then a local movie show called The Big Show.

Sunday was pizza and often pizza "boats" from Dahl's grocery.  And then it was Pepsi poured from a warm bottle over ice.  And wavy chips and chive AE dip.

Sunday lunch would be waiting for my mom to come home from church where she worked.  I remember having chipped beef on toast and pot pies were common as well.  What amazes is thinking back that we had to wait for the pot pies...45 minutes in the oven!