Muscatine

Yeah, I do a lot of remembering too.

I remember some of the neighborhood business, places like, Druckers Shoe Repair, Schmeltzers Grocery, Polinas Candy and Gifts. I remember neighborhood baseball games at the RJ Dick/Barry Co. parking lot and when we were finished we would Go to Polinas for candy and Kool-aid. Other things we did were, Riding Bikes and motorcycles behind Weikerts Junk Yard and Morgans Trucking that was always fun. Some other places we rode bikes and motorcycles were, Heinz dump, Gillenwater trails and Pappoose creek and anywhere along the levy along mad creek. I remember going to Laws Phillips 66 station, on the corner of clay and park ave, and watching my dad and uncle working on cars and getting to help pump gas for people as they came through. We would go next door to sandys for lunch or over to Dog and Suds. Some of the other stores mom went to was Benners and Silberhorns and of course we went to Nietzels for a Phosphate from the soda fountain. On special occasions we would go in the car and head out to the New Era Store by Wild Cat Den for an ice cold glass bottle of Nesbitts and a candy.

Fond memories of childhood in Muscatine. Simple times for simple folks.

xmc is right.  Simple times.  Though I didn't grow up here, I have similar memories from when I was a little girl.  Remember when you were a kid and you walked EVERYWHERE?  You either walked, or you stayed home.  We played outside.  I remember as a kid walking up to the shopping center to buy cigarettes for my dad.  My folks would just write a note, and the guy at the store sold them to me.   That would never happen today.  My parents today would probably be jailed for even trying something like that.  Nobody ever worried about you getting kidnapped or anything because the whole neighborhood knew you, and kind of watched out for the kids.  They'd sure holler at you and send your butt home if they saw you doing something you weren't supposed to be doing.  Not to mention calling your parents. 

Entertainment for us then was riding our bikes, playing with the nieghbor kids (didn't matter what, we just made stuff up--we didn't necessarily play WITH something, we just played). 

No remote, no cell phones, no microwave, no video games. If I got my chores and homework done, I was allowed to watch one of the 3 channels on our black & white TV.  I would race home from school every day to watch Dark Shadows, Leave It To Beaver, Andy Griffith. 

Remember a teacher being able to hug and comfort you if you were hurt, sick, or just sad?  Can't happen now. 

And oh yea...Ice cold RC cola in a glass bottle from a vending machine for a nickel.  So cold the top was slushy. 

Heres a couple of places that i forgot about...especially spending the first 10 yrs of life in southend. I remember friday nights my parents taking us to "Paxtons" restaurant, the old imperial gas station, i dont know how many of you remember "Ernies" corner store...with all the penny candy u could think of....or that ancient pepsi machine....that looked like a chest freezer but had ice cold water in it to keep the pop cold.