And Then It Is Winter

As heard on the Good Stuff with Jim Thompson

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.

I know that I lived them all...

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well...seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like... But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will..I just fall asleep where I sit! And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over...its over....Yes , I have regrets.

There are things I wish I hadn't done ,,,,,things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime....So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!!Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!'Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.

Things to Ponder

1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. It could be a right number.
13. No one ever says 'It's only a game.' when their team is winning.
14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)
18. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.
19. After 50, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!!
20. Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.

Recapture the magic of the 60s.

Only 54 Years Ago

Many baby boomers remember the 50s. Many of us wereonly been kids. We probably heard our parents or grandparents make these remarks but these are actual facts in these statements from the year 1955, only 54 years ago. How time does fly!

'I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they
are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries
for $20.00.

'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year?
It won't belong before $2,000.00 will only buy a used one.

'If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit.
A quarter a pack is ridiculous.

'Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a
dime just to mail a letter.

'If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will
be able to hire outside help at the store.

'When I first started driving, who would have thought
gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon. Guess we'd
be better off leaving the car in the garage.

'I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more.
Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying
DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND, it seems every
new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it.

'I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's
possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the
century. They even have some fellows they call
astronauts preparing for it down in Texas.

'Did you see where some baseball player just signed
a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball?
It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making
more than the President.

'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen
appliances would be electric.
They are even making electric typewriters now.

'It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see
where a few married women are having to work to
make ends meet.

'It won't be long before young couples are going to
have to hire someone to watch their kids so they
can both work.

'I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open
the door to a whole lot of foreign business.

'Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the
Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes
wonder if we are electing the best people to congress.

'The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather,
but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.

'There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for
a weekend, it costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel.

'No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $35.00 a day
in the hospital it's too rich for my blood.'

'If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a hair cut, forget it.'

Visit me at 60s Official Site and my new site that just launched, 70s Official Site.

How Old Is Grandma?

Baby boomers are persons born between the years 1946-1964. More progress in our culture has occurred as a result of baby boomers than any time in world history. As we continue to grow older we will continue to look back and review all our accomplishments and the possibilities we missed. One thing for sure, we the baby boomer generation through hard work, faith and perseverance has made this country the most productive, wealthiest, and generous nation in the world. Although the economy is going through a troubling stage, I am confident we will rebound with more vitality than ever before. So before I start a little game of how old is grandma, I want to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very Happy New Year.

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. The Grandma replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born, before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill. There was no radar, credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon. Your Grandfather and I got married first-and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, 'Sir'- and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir.' We were before gay-rights,computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started. Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios. And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk. The term "making out" referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5 & 10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. Gas was 11 cents a gallon. In my day, "grass" was mowed,"coke" was a cold drink, "pot" was something your mother cooked in, and"rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby. "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,"chip" meant a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store, and "software" wasn't even a word. And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.

No wonder people call us "old and confused"and say there is a generation gap..... and how old do you think I am??? I bet you have this old lady in mind... you are in for a shock! Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.

This woman would be only 58 years old!

Baby Boomers visit me at The 60s Official Site, the largest 60s site on the web.

Also, launch of 70s Official Site will be today. Check it out. Programmed to be the largest 70s site on the web.

How In The World Did We Survive?

I just finishing reading an interesting article about childhood obesity. In the article it was stated for the first time we may have a generation that will not live as long as the baby boomer generation which now has a life expectancy of 78. Statistically life expectancy has increased year after year but now it may decline. Amazing isn't it? Why do children today face this possibility of dying younger than their parents and grandparents? Illnesses from lack of exercise and overeating. One disease is Diabetes II, which was once common only in adults over the age of 40, now is being discovered in children younger than 12. The reason for this is obesity and lack of exercise. We baby boomers faced many difficulties ourselves but lack of exercise wasn't one of them. We didn't have the luxuries that today's kids have when we were growing up. How did we survive without these now "can't do without items" and all the you can't do that because it's not good for you.

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Play Station's, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

Unless we as parents and grandparents take it upon ourselves to insure our children of today become more active in sports or outdoor activities and not lying around the house on the computer or TV we may find many of us outliving our children. What a sad consequence that would be. They should be moving around doing something at a minimum of 60 minutes a day.

We survived but will our children survive on the road that many are on now?

Babyboomers site

Baby Boomer Summers

I have been negligent posting to my blog and I should be ashamed by allowing my hectic schedule to interfere with my blog entries. With summer rapidly approaching I thought I would write a few lines about my favorite time of the year.

As I write this, I am putting the finishing touches on my Memorial Day weekend pool party which will include great food, friends, family, music of all types but especially the oldies from the baby boomer generation. A great party always needs a great mix of music and of course food. I will be preparing a BBQ brisket, Texas style with all the trimmings.

As I was planning this event, my mind wandered back to my childhood days of summers past. I remember long before there were DVDs, CDs, cellphones and so on how we spent our summers, especially the evenings. I recall how we chased and caught fireflies (lightning bugs, as we called them in Ohio) and filled a jar with them. I also can still hear the crickets chirping after dusk as we hid in our favorite hiding spot while playing hide and seek with our neighborhood friends. We would get tons of mosquito and jigger bites but that was part being outdoors. We also played Red Rover. Do you remember that game? Tag "you're it" was a big thing then also. As we look back, our childhood friends may have been our most memorable ones.

We were so much in love with life and the outdoors back then. We climbed trees, got scrapes, bumps and bruises but we survived. Our typical fun for a hot summer day may only have been running through the sprinklers and throwing water balloons but we learned to laugh until our stomachs ached. The only guns we fired at each other were squirt guns. Our only violence at that age was an occasional fist-of-cuffs with our best friend and the next day, all was forgotten and we were pals again. It seemed so much simpler back then. Was it just because we were just kids? I think not. The values and importance of hard work (which for us was taking out the garbage, mowing the lawn, washing the car or doing the dishes) and playing hard made us happy and carefree.

Air conditioning was a luxury back then and I remember most homes did not have A/C. I recall the long hot summer days and the hot summer nights and the times we didn't do anything but lay back in the green grass and gaze at the shapes of clouds and used our imagination of what they seemed to look like. We played into the night until we were tired. Our parents didn't have a cell phone or pager then, so when it was time to come inside they just yelled or whistled from the front or back porch. At night we slept with the windows open and a fan either in the window or on a stand blowing through the bedroom.

We of course matured and grew up into our teens but the summer days and nights were all memorable. Remembering your first kiss and your first date, even your first drive-in movie date brings a smile of fond memories. Cruising, laughing with our friends, spending the day at the pool and the evenings at the teen center was time not to be forgotten. These memories are as vivid as if they had just happened yesterday. What a great period of time to have grown up.

To all my readers: Count your many blessings and let your troubles go by taking some time this summer to lay in the green grass and gaze at the clouds and close your eyes for a moment and slow down, even becoming a child one more time by chasing fireflies with your kids or grandkids. At any rate do take time to love this great life God has given us. Keep in mind how much fun and simpler life was back then. Recapture your youth even if it is for just a short period of time.

Revisit your youth of the baby boomer generation.

Play The 60s Official Site top summer songs of the baby boomer 60s.

Old Fashion Family Christmas Gathering

Yesterday was a great day and a reminder of Christmases of the past. All you baby boomers know of the the kind I am referring to. Christmas where the family gets together for a decorating party which gets one another in the Christmas spirit.

Actually it wasn't a planned event but occurred when my oldest grandson suggested to his dad, my son, that they should come over to our house and decorate the Christmas tree and put up the lights outside since his grandmother is on crutches after a recent surgery. My grandson knows I am not into the decorating Christmas trees scene. I do help with the lights, though.

My daughter and my granddaughter dropped in as well so we had everybody together. The only person missing was my other daughter who lives in Phoenix. What put the icing on the cake (with no pun intended) was it was also my wife's birthday so it was a pleasant surprise and a very nice day for her. With the Christmas music playing and the laughter and fun, it was a reminder of Christmases of the past when I was young and when my children were young. Also of the Christmases we had when my children were in elementary school. As all children of baby boomers grow older and have their own families, it seems we older generation are forgotten and not because we are not loved but because they have their own families and priorities now. My wife and I have the same fault in regards to her mother who lives in Florida. Since my father-in-law's death in 1992, she has lived alone there but it is her choice to spend Christmas there.

On the phone just early yesterday morning, my wife's mother said how much she wanted to have the entire family together including her two daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren for Christmas. My mother-in-law is 82 and she keeps saying she doesn't have too many more Christmases left. I know this gathering won't happen this year but I sure would like to make it happen for her next Christmas. I believe nobody should be alone for Christmas. I have tried to get her to come here but she won't leave the warmth of Florida for the moderate weather of Texas which really isn't too bad for this time of year.

I pray that we can make it happen. Please don't forget our older family members this Christmas and if you have an older generation neighbor please visit them this holiday season because they may not have anybody.

On the subject of traditions; our tradition for Christmas is a Christmas Eve dinner after church with our family and then exchange one gift. On Christmas Day we have the traditional Christmas dinner with the family and more gift exchanges. Although Christmas is not about gifts, it is just one thing added to a holiday which is my most loved and I am sure that of most children. I still enjoy watching the gleam in the eyes of the little ones on Christmas morning. Walking through mall my eyes wander through the crowds watching the smiles and the excitement of the little ones. It so much reminds me of when my kids were small and of the excitement that I once experienced so many years ago.

This tradition I just described as now gone by the wayside. None of the family seems interested in doing them any longer. The Christmas Eve dinner disappeared and now the family Christmas dinner happens occasionally. I guess this baby boomer is getting too old to continue to make more memories of the this beloved season for his children.

Merry Christmas!

The Baby Boomers' Choice Site

Baby Boomers How Many Saturday Mornings Do You Have?

All of the baby boomers are now at least 42 years old considering the fact that baby boomers were born between 1946-1964.

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Even though I am home and just work on line as an Internet marketer, there is something about a Saturday morning. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work on my computer although, I rise very early and do a little each day. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. Why I mention that is that I want to share this story with you that I heard and found once again on the Internet.

A years ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's "dance recital" he continued. "Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays." "I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear."

"Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.

There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.

By my calulation and based on living to the age of 75 my marble bank now has 839 marbles remaining. Have you checked your marble bank? How many Saturdays are you wasting and how many do you have left?

Baby boomers revisit the 6os once again. The 60s Official Site.