Memories from Alice

One of my vivid memories of growing up is watching our LITTLE TV on Sunday evenings.  It was in the knotty pine room.  We always watched the Ed Sullivan Show and What's my line.  I remember that one time Arlene Francis (show regular) wore a dress that must have been a bit low cut or something...I don't remember the exact problem.  Dad and Mom kept commenting on how inappropriate it was.  I can't imagine what they would say if they watched TV today!  The one constant with watching TV on Sunday was having popcorn in the shallow plastic popcorn bowls.  I don't think we used them for anything but popcorn.  I think we had four or five and they were each a different color.  Dad loved the "old maids"!   The other TV shows that I remember watching were Howdy Doody and a local SLC kids show.  I can't remember the name.  I just remember being so confused that I couldn't watch these shows whenever I wanted.  Mom had to explain to me time and time again that they only came on at certain times and we had to watch them then......not just when we wanted to.  Where was Tevo when I needed it?  I believe we were watching TV when John set the bed on fire in Gar and Tad's room.  When that happened, I remember John came into the room and crawled up on Dad's lap and started to cry and no one knew why.....until we smelled the smoke.

I don't remember having birthday parties with friends when I grew up.  Did we have them?  I do remember I got to have a Valentine's party one year....I must have been 7 or so.  It was in the dining room and I got to decorate with red doilies.  Mom made a cake with really fluffy white frosting and then put red construction paper hearts all around it.  I have a picture of the party that I will find and post.  That is the only party I remember having.

I remember one year when I was quite young that Grandma Norman came for Christmas.  She took the train from Canyon City and it didn't arrive until Christmas morning.  Dad didn't want us to go into the living room until she got there so he put furniture in front of the doorways.....it was piled up so we couldn't even look in.  I don't remember much about her visit, but I do remember that she made us terrycloth bathrobes.  Anyone have memories of that?  Our Christmas' weren't all that extravagant.  Every year we had an orange in the toe of our stockings.  I think we usually got one or two things.  As I got older, Mom just gave me $ to use at the after Christmas sales.  I do remember that Mom and Dad always went to a holiday party with their "Study group".  Maybe it was a New Year party.  I just remember that Mom would wear her fanciest dress.   I am pretty sure I cried the whole time they were gone,  just like I did each time they were gone.  It didn't help that my older brothers always told me they had heard that a brown Pontiac had been in a car wreck and everyone had died!  Whenever they were gone I remember looking out the front window for them and watching the cars turn down Atwood Blvd.  I was always disappointed until I saw the car with the glowing indian head in front.  I also remember that Paige Simper's mom and dad always decorated their house....inside and out for Christmas and I was pretty jealous because us just put up a Christmas tree and got out Mom's Santa mugs and bowl.

I loved school and I loved that all the teachers knew my older brothers.  I also loved that I could stop at the library on my way home from school.  I children's library was in the basement.  I think I read every series they had.....Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sue Barton Student Nurse.  My favorites were horse stories.  I wanted a horse so bad!  I don't know who owned them, but my friends and I use to go down to the "pasture" and get on the horses and ride them bareback with just a rope around the neck.  I am pretty sure we didn't have permission to do this, but we never got in trouble.   I believe the pasture was between Mountain View Circle and the river.