5/29/15

Carrie Lee was so happy to be out on the putt-putt course at Lake Rachnid that it never once dawned on her that the spider and web which was planted on this hole were actually real and that it would take two resourceful and heroic caddies to free her before she was sucked dry by the oversized eight-legger!

Even though Florence and Ralph no longer experienced the change of seasons in Tampa Bay that they once had back in New Rochelle, she still liked to break out her autumn-tinged knit ensembles as the page for September was ripped off the calendar to reveal yet another October...

Always years ahead of anyone else when it came to trends, Darnell tried to convince Anthony to wear his pants with the waistline just below the buttocks, but Anthony was far too conservative to go for such a look in 1964.

Sharnella was all smiles when she finally got to hold her little grandbaby Juleann, though deep inside she couldn't quite suppress the fear that the little tyke might not grow up to produce the kind of hair she could fix up and spray to her own liking!

All the citizens of Crossville knew when it was laundry day for Bernard because he ceaselessly would run through all his slacks, jeans and overalls to the point where he had to wear one of his late wife Cathy Rae's pinafores until everything was properly line-dried...

Meadow and Ephraim were determined to hold their vow renewal ceremony outdoors even with the threat of rain. It all worked out okay in the end, though some of the trail mix party favors were blown to the ground and one bottle of dandelion wine was broken when a gust knocked it off the bench it had been resting on.

Their commanding officer, Sgt. Gathers, said that Billy, Lew and Brock were welcome to canvas the beach and keep anything they happened to find for themselves, which is how Movita wound up as part of the gang!

5/27/15

Ilse was proud of and very close to her great uncle Karl, for not only did he help raise her and teach her how to swim, but he was also good at passing along modeling tips which she put to good use in East German magazines like Prodya and Sploosh!

Nanette campaigned for and won the title of Miss Trial Size Coty Perfume and, while her coworkers down at Happenstance Savings & Loan were proud of her, they felt she took the notoriety a bit far when it came to dressing for work and decorating her cubicle...

Terry Bear and Mickey not only didn't like sleeping with Troy, but also abhorred smiling for pre-bedtime photos, yet felt compelled to follow his rules, especially in the wake of his violence towards Charlie McCarthy, who'd let his opinion be known the week before...

From the moment she opened the front door, Jennifer thought that Conrad was just a mite underdressed for their first date, but it all seemed to make sense once she realized that the locale of their first get together was actually the Route 72 Pay-n-Stay Motor Lodge & Turquoise Outlet.

It was more than clear to Nancy, as she saw Clinton slough through the door in a terrible mood, that she'd selected the entirely wrong wig and clothing ensemble for the evening, but a quick dash to the bedroom would allow her to re-emerge momentarily in a get-up that would lift his spirits for the rest of the night!

It would be years before Bonnie got over the shock of her boyfriend Judd leaving her for her older sister Clarette that summer at Cadaver Springs, but in time they mended their fences and could stand to be around one another during holiday occasions. (It helped that Bonnie met a handsome lifeguard later that month, who eventually became her husband.)

5/22/15

One of Gladys Slingenbach's secret tips for enjoying leftover ribs was to eat to your heart's content, never once bothering to clean your hands or face, and then when finished, simply take a slice (or, two, if you'd been especially messy) of Giant Wonder Bread to magically sop up and wipe clean all the mess. Then, folded in two, this made for an extra after dinner treat!

Georgeann was elated to have been invited to the Rosselli Family New Year's Eve Bash at the Montevecchia Heights Country Club, but, much to her surprise, she found the fusilli pasta to be the toughest and most rubbery that she'd ever encountered!

Angela Fay, long one of Dry Ridge's most popular dance hall attractions, had refused for years to give in to the crooked sheriff's advances and finally, when she'd gotten just one too many citations for double parking her buggy outside the Brass Buffalo Inn, he got his revenge...

Undoubtedly, one of Chad's favorite people to invite over for an afternoon of swimming was fellow loan officer Harry Grover, even though it usually meant having to strenuously empty and rinse out the pool filter basket every hour on the hour...

Always one of the top requests on any birthday was a serenade from Terry, often "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" or "Good Morning to You," but unfortunately, these recitals were sometimes spoiled when Chris felt the need to chime in and harmonize...

Initially, Fern was hesitant to allow the IGA bag boys to use plastic ones rather than the traditional paper bags, but once she discovered that they provided great double-duty as hair coverings during either rainy days or when she had her curlers in, she was sold on the idea of them!

5/20/15

And so, even at this early age, Stevie happily embarked on a lifetime of mowing, landscaping and groundskeeping, not only establishing a fine reputation, but also sporting the greatest tan ever seen by mankind!

Great Aunt Tillie was not in any way fooled by Richie's hand-behind-the-back pose and knew good and well that the little stinker was trying to make off with her prized matador statuette!

Contrary to the way most folks believe, that first year that The Bradys lived together was not all sunshine and harmony. Greg, in fact, couldn't stand the other five kids and had a lengthy sour phase that didn't lift until daddy Mike's new position at the architectural firm meant that he could get nicer trousers.

Miss Crabapple had taught many students over the decades, but the unsettling presence of little Lucy Furr was the one that finally caused her to pack it in and begin withdrawing her retirement payments...

Ramona was hard at work the morning of the Pepsi-Cola Company's annual awards banquet, making sure this year's trophy for Highest Net Sales was ready to go in time for the big night.

Though he usually had no qualms about following his owner Laurette's orders, this time Chugger was doubtful that he could actually head out into the surf and successfully retrieve the diamond tennis bracelet that had slipped off her wrist during a morning dip!

Trevor had often taken a lot of guff from his coworkers down at the cardboard box plant, many of them nastily accusing him of having a "pussy in his pants, " but as it turned out, they were actually correct all along!

5/18/15

Millicent's mom Fanny never liked to drive home from the beach in her damp, itchy bathing suit, so she usually posted her daughter at sentry duty while she shook out the sand and put her sun dress back on. 

Because every pre-date fashion photo that Carole had ever attempted to have taken was photo-bombed (long before the term was even invented) by her little brother Dennis, her mom placed a chair in the doorway to prevent the little jerk from popping in this time!

In those long-ago days before DNA testing, folks like camp counselor Valerie had to wait nine long months and look the baby over real good to determine whether brunette Chuck or blond Richie was more likely to be the father!

Easily one of the most fortuitous days of Gordy Hackle's life was the day the back doors of a Radio Shack truck fell open outside his house, littering the street with electronics and allowing him to then open up a scratch & dent shop, which operated out of his two-car garage.

Surely one of the worst things about Grover and Annalee's visits to Grandma Ivy's was sitting through her rambling, overly-detailed stories about having worked part-time in a soda shop until it was blessedly time to turn on the TV and watch "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom."

Yes, they seemed to all go their separate ways for most of the rest of the year, but at least each Memorial Day weekend The Hemplewhites made it a point to come together for a long weekend of good times, much to Carl and Jenelle's delight.

5/15/15

It wasn't until Randall suddenly sacked out on the sofa in mid-sentence, following three helpings of her cherries jubilee, that Melody realized she'd neglected to light the celebrated dessert on fire in order to burn off the alcohol!

Myrna had to skip her last class every day at Seedy Pine High School in order to make it up to the lumber camp in time for the woodworker's dinner break, but the trek was always worth it, for she was quite the attention-getter amongst the female-starved men.

Marilyn loved her weekend visit with Grandpa Clem until bedtime when the nearsighted old coot put her Shirley Temple doll into the twin bed and crammed her into the box the doll had come in, shutting the lid and all!

Edna and Clyde Sternly were more than happy to pay for their daughter Trish's wedding and sit-down dinner reception, but nevertheless felt the need to stand guard against any unwanted, uninvited townspeople who might creep in the back of the church and scarf down one of the $5.38 meals they'd paid for!

Reggie had been instructed by the foreman at The Double-B Ranch to head out to the barn and clear out all the trash, but Sue Ann was surprised at how literally Reggie interpreted those instructions!

Having spent her day of shore leave in Acapulco shopping like a madwoman, Charlotte couldn't wait to get back to the cocktail reception in the Lido Lounge and show Clinton and the others her native-made fertility artifacts.

5/13/15

Edgar Japetto had perfected the art of ventriloquist dummy manufacturing and was proud to pass the tradition along to his grandson Charlie. So lifelike were the mannequins that it wasn't unusual for folks to pass by the act in progress and mistake it for four real gentlemen conversing!

Virginia was bound and determined to soak in as much of the rapidly diminishing afternoon sun as she could prior to the big dance that night, but as the shadows encroached upon her further and further, she eventually had no choice but to stand splayed across the back door stoop and hope that her calves were still in range.

Bev enjoyed her visit to The Wings of Waco butterfly exhibit and, oddly enough, a little part of it stayed with her long after she departed, for several of the monarch butterflies had gotten tangled in the back of her bouffant and weren't able to break free!

Overcrowded conditions at Fort Stickney not only led to several of the gobs being housed out in the grounds, but also resulted in each gent getting only one slim rail on which to bunk! Fortunately, with a little teamwork, these five were able to create a comfortable sleeping environment.

Roxanne the cat had gotten her latest litter off to a good start and so she soon began leaving the kittens with their owner Cris in order to go out on the prowl for a new Tom to paw around with...

Of all the "uncles" that his mother Lori brought home, Steve was Jimmy's favorite because he was laden with fun Christmas presents and could even traipse to the bathroom in the middle of the night without turning on any lights or waking Jimmy up with a lot of racket......

5/11/15

It was in the water-logged moments just after this shot that Chet (on the left) wished he'd worn his slip-resistant boots instead of the casual loafers he'd opted for that afternoon...

And so the Von Trapp children, having already worn through their first set of play clothes since Maria's departure from their home, bundled up and carted all the rest of the drapes from the estate down to the abbey, hoping she'd come out of seclusion long enough to whip them up a few more skirts, shirts and lederhosen... 

Reena knew from the upscale artwork in this client's apartment that she'd finally hit the big time and intended to tack on an additional $15 to her regular fee.

While Flossie was eagerly anticipating the succulent, sizzling, if unusual, steaks that Bert was grilling, she couldn't help but find it odd that it was the very first time they'd ever cooked out that Chief, the German Shepherd from next door, wasn't viciously barking and salivating up against their privacy fence...

Jeanine, proprietor of her own mobile handcrafted accessory business called "Leather Go!," was so determined to give Sid his receipt after purchasing a fringed knife sheath from her that she wheeled after him for a block and a half!

As it was Nicole's birthday, Jesse decided to share a small portion of her chair with her, even though it made for some unenjoyably cramped conditions.