What was on TV November 28th through December 4th, 1970

We're dipping back into the old stock with this issue from 1970.  Writing about these older issues is a challenge, because they're just prior to my earliest memories of TV, so it's a little like exploring a foreign world.

Fifteen Minutes

Back in October, I was contacted by the associate producer of a History Channel special being aired this month called "Christmas through the Decades".  She had seen a home movie I had posted on Youtube of my family on Christmas Eve of 1976 featuring my mom and I playing with the Stretch Armstrong I'd received that evening (we always opened our presents on Christmas Eve).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Trot 1939

Last year, I picked up a number of home movies from the 1930's and '40's at an estate sale. They were in very poor condition and suffered from extreme "vinegar syndrome". "Vinegar syndrome" is the degradation of acetate film. Cellulose acetate plastic replaced the highly flammable nitrate-based film stock used prior to the 1930's. An unfortunate consequence was these films are vanishing at a high rate due to this degradation. Once the process begins, there's no stopping it. The films become brittle, cupped, and the film will actually peel away from the acetate base.

When I first got the film, it was actually stuck together. I soaked it in Filmrenew for two weeks. That allowed me to separate the film from itself. The film is still very brittle and warped, but I was able to get a transfer done of the first reel.

Sliding into Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving upon us, I thought I'd share some more pictures from the Baby Endangerment family.  I'm not sure this is Thanksgiving since I don't see a turkey, but I see stuffing, so that's good enough for me.

I love their blue kitchen.

What was on TV November 14th through 20th, 1970

We're reaching way back this week, maybe farther back than some of our readers.  It's 1970.  Dig it, man.

Family Circle November 15th, 1977

This week's issue of Family Circle comes from 1977 and presents lots of blech-tacular food and fashion. Enjoy!

Uncanny Finds: Pringle's Can(dle)

I've mentioned this before, but we were a thrifty household when I was growing up and my parents weren't much into anything newfangled. "Newfangled" typically meant more money and if the old reliable met the need, newfangled need not apply.

Peanuts In-Depth

When I first saw stills from the newly-released Peanuts CGI movie, I was reminded of the Viewmaster slides I bought this past summer.

What was on TV November 14th through 20th, 1981

It's time for more retro TV. Loretta Lynn graces our cover from November 14th through 20th, 1981. 

Chimpanzoo

St. Louis boasts one of the best public zoos in the country, consistently earning a place in the Top 10, and it's free (the $20 parking fee notwithstanding).  That alone should be enough, but at one time, you could also see a chimp ride a high-wheeled bicycle.

Dexter Modern Home Laundering

Baby Endangerment

We did a lot of things in the past that when looked upon with today's viewpoint seem negligent or even outright dangerous: riding in the back of pickup trucks, jumping off of rooftops (speaking from experience here), or, Heaven forbid, walking to the park alone.  You know, the kind of things you always find on those lists that begin with, "You were a child of the (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's) if..."

I bought a box of slides at a sale a couple weekends ago and was struck by a few images.  50 years ago, there wouldn't have been a second thought about these.  They say ignorance is bliss.  Sometimes, it sure seems that way.

Baby in proximity to alcohol.

What was on TV November 6th through 12th, 1976

Welcome once again to What was on TV.  The major television event of this week in 1976 was the first network airing of "Gone with the Wind". I remember my mother being very excited about this.

Missouri Standard 1956

Beauty of Housework

From 1955, this handout details ways you can improve the efficiency of your household chores and improve your figure while you're at it.  I couldn't find any information on the artist, Lali, however, Mary Sue Miller appears to have been a syndicated newpaper columnist along the lines of "Heloise".

Halloween Post-mortem and Why I Blog

Well, another Halloween has come and passed and my second year of participation in the Countdown to Halloween has concluded.  And while I gained a few followers (I thank all 3 of you) and set an a new personal record of monthly viewings for my blog at nearly 7,500 hits (a paltry sum compared to other blogs, I’m certain), I sometimes wonder if it’s worth the effort.  I put a lot of effort and time into scanning, researching, and coming up with a readable post.  Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t an announcement that I’m quitting the blogging business, although it seems a lot of others have, moving to the bluer pastures of Facebook. I’ve toyed with the idea of a Garage Sales FB page, but it would simply be a redirect back to my blog and frankly, I have enough trouble keeping up with the blog. I’d like to think other people enjoy what I write about, but I’ll admit, my blog covers a wide range of topics and items whose only common theme is that I found them at an estate or  garage sale and I like them. Like my banner says, "Profiling garage sale treasures and sometimes trash".  Looking at my stats, the vast majority of people stumble onto my blog searching Google.