• Are you on Mars?

Yes, We Are on Mars!

Yes, We Are on Mars!

Category Archives: New england

What Happened to Wooden Sidewalks?

04 Saturday Sep 2010

Posted by earthling in childhood, dover foxcroft, family memories, home, life, living, Maine, New england, Odd Thoughts

≈ 4 Comments

When I was a kid growing up in central Maine our town had wooden sidewalks or boardwalks. I can remember walking on the sidewalks and my shoes making that clicking hollow wood sound they make when walking on the sidewalks. I can even remember thinking as a small child how it would be awful if the sidewalks disappeared. Well, sure enough, they disappeared when I was still very young and I miss them. They still have them in Portland, Maine on a small street in the harbor which I see whenever I go home for a visit but its such a small place.

Today I was watching an old western and saw the wooden sidewalks in the film. I was wondering why they got rid of them.  They were cheap, functional and environmentally friendly not to mention a natural atmosphere. Maybe we should bring them back but then, there’s probably some kind of law saying you can’t. Seems like anything simple has a law against it. Are there any towns that still have them? I’d like to know.

Advertisements

Have I Told You Lately That I Loved You?

24 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by earthling in family memories, Maine, Music, My Marcian Family, New england

≈ 1 Comment

When I was little my mom use to sing ‘Have I Told You Lately That I Loved You’.  She didn’t sing it in front of people or anything but around the house to wake us up in the morning or when we came down stairs for breakfast then she would sing  just the chorus bit have I told you lately that I loved you.

Jump to years later and I would do the same thing. When the kids came downstairs to eat breakfast or if I was rousting them out of bed I would sing, have I told you lately that I loved you but I never really heard the original song. I knew it was some kind of country song but I don’t recall hearing it. It is typically a song the local radio station would play…WDME in Dover-Foxcroft…but I don’t remember it.

This afternoon my daughter was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework and I found myself singing it just to say I loved her. It got me thinking so I searched for it on youtube. I found lots of versions of it. I gave my mom a call and we had a talk. She said her mother loved Gene Autry and thought his voice was wonderful. She would play Have I Told You Lately That  I Loved You on the piano and they would all sing the song. I guess the chorus part stuck in my mom’s head and years later she would sing the song to us. I couldn’t find the Gene Autry version on youtube but here’s a Jim Reeves version which is in the same style. I was surprised to see that there were a few versions done by young people giving the song a more modern twist. Guess its a classic. I’ll have to have my kids listen to it some day and then they will know that I didn’t just make it up but its a real song.

Fellow friendly Marcians

  • Andalucy
  • Beijing Huan Ying Ni!
  • Dickon's Sanctum
  • Dwelling in Possibility
  • JackOLantern
  • Now in Maine
  • River Road Stories
  • The Life and Tides of Me
  • The thinks…
  • Where the Sun also Rises
  • witless ways or thoughtful days
  • Would You like some Coffee

Archives

  • July 2016
  • February 2014
  • June 2012
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • June 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
April 2018
M T W T F S S
« Jul    
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.com
Advertisements

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.