Forego Iceberg - it isn’t good for our colons! It isn’t lettuce either, it’s a hybid, bred to pack and ship, and like wet tissue blocks the transfer of fluids across the colon membrane >>> a cause of cancer. But, like one great doctor I know, "Moderation in all things … including moderation." Pass the Thousand Island … no, Rouquefort, please (I have a wonder-FUL home recipe for the latter!).

Callie — and don’t forget "whatever" or "no problem" — two of my pet peeves.  Or "ya know".  And, of course, "he be" or "she be".  Good grammar is definitely on the way out.  And, with grammar came good writing and reading.  And, also, manners.  "Yes, sir", "Yes mam".  And that was said to your mom and dad - yeah your parents.  Somehow, I think all of us were much more respectful to our parents and to our elders. 

And, you talked to your parents - everyone ate dinner together - you talked about everything.  It was sometimes funny - there was teasing - there was a togetherness - a family.  And, in my house, you NEVER took a phone call during the dinner hour!  And, of course there was, thank heavens, no cell phones to disturb conversation and no texting. 

And no TV until I was 11 years old.  My first TV program was "Kukla, Fran and Ollie".  I thought it was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced.  And the whole family would sit and watch "Your Show of Shows" - Milton Berle, Red Skelton, The Ted Mack Amateur Hour.  I know there were others but those stand out in my memory.  Lord, that was the beginning of television.  Later there was Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Diana Shore, and, of course, Carol Burnett.

Does anyone remember when Elvis first appeared on television?  They only showed him down to the waist because they thought his hip swivel would offend the audience?  Boy, have we come a long way!  And, I’m not sure it’s a good way!

How about sock hops?  You didn’t go with a date - just your poodle skirt, your two sweaters, held together with a sweater guard and a good paid of socks.  Usually white (well, at least when the dancing started).  You danced with some guys who really were great and, of course, you hoped that the worst dancers would NEVER ask you to dance.  LOL

The senior proms — you actually wore a formal!  Lots of petticoats.  You wore lots of petticoats everywhere.  Your mother starched them until they could stand by themselves.  And, the waist cinchers - tiny waist and all those petticoats.  It was so much fun.  It seems I danced throughout my teen years.  And, there was a college in the town where I lived and if you were asked by a college guy to go to the ROTC ball - you were in heaven.  The big bands would come through - the Dorsey’s, Lionel Hampton, a revised Glenn Miller orchestra - and you danced until your feet were numb.  And, "Night Train" was one of my favorite songs to dance to.

Gee, I didn’t mean to go on and on, it’s just that this article has brought back so many pleasant, wonderful, endearing, never to be forgotten loves from my past.   

Oh Callio O … out where I live now every car is a VEE-HICK-EL, and this region’s worse error has spread to the NYT - "looking to go," "we are lookin to get … " "They’re lookin to … " anything, makes my teeth numb!

Can’t anyone see anymore?