Where did you grow up? See a photo of North Miami, Florida. Want to share yours with us?

[Radio_Lady]

After I was born in Pittsburgh, we moved to Miami Beach when I was three years old. We lived in the squalid Washington Avenue which has become the modern-day Art Deco area, but my hometown from the 1940s to the 1960s was North Miami.

I also lived in Opa Locka, Florida briefly from 1969-1972 with my ex-husband and our daughter who was born in NYC. Our son was born in Miami in 1969, but ultimately, their father and I divorced. I left Florida forever in May 1972, and have not returned there except for short visits.

Are any of you close by?

The photo is on the website of Scott Galvin. Scott is (or was in 2006) a city councilman. That's the position that my father, Leonard Kimball, held in the 1950s. Dad was a lawyer in the town, and also became the Vice Mayor of the town, and later, a judge.

I haven't been back to my hometown since I graduated college, worked briefly for Channel 10 in production, and then left to go to NYC to find fame and fortune in 1962. My parents ultimately sold their home and moved to a rental apartment in North Miami Beach, Florida. My husband and I visited through the years, and we ultimate saw Dad the year before he died in 1988. I still remember his soulful query if we would come to Florida We were there last in 1991, after Mother passed away. I am an only child and had to do my duty as the only heir. But I had to get a lawyer to untangle the mess. It's interesting that neither Dad nor Mom, who were very attractive and meticulous, never left a will for some reason. They died "intestate" -- and I will never know why.

Mommy, Daddy and me, their only child (1940s)
(Don't you just love that painted palm tree?)

[KG]

1. I call Falls Chuch, VA my hometown, although I lived in several other part of Northern VA growing up

this is The Falls Church, for which the area is named.

[Radio_Lady]

3. Thanks, KG. That's a great photo. What kind of a church is it? Does it have a steeple?

It's a beautiful Colonial building. My husband has a sister in Vienna, VA. We have been to Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Monticello. My husband used to make sales calls to the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville.

Thanks for your comments.

Cordially,

Radio Lady in Oregon

OT: Min-Pins are great dogs. I love that breed. Oh, let's admit it... I just love dogs. Big slurpy love...

[KG]

6. it looks like they added on to it after 200 years...

http://www.thefallschurch.org

[Skittles]

15. Skittles trivia, KG

I had to send mail to a coworker way back when and he gave me the address over the phone - I sent stuff to "False Church" for some time - it got there and no-one ever corrected me. :o

[Radio_Lady]

16. What a great story! Was that before ZIP codes came in?

Misspellings can get you into BIG trouble!

My biggest problem is mixing up my home and radio station addresses in some weird combination. It's hard to explain, but I sometimes use the wrong street address and ZIP. Someone at the post office really must have been frustrated, because I got a book that was clearly forwarded a couple of times. There was a BIG NOTE note hand-written on a bulk mailing of books. It said: PLEASE DON'T DO THIS... AGAIN!!!!

I see typos all over the place and sometimes explain to people that their phrasing could get them into a lot of trouble, especially foreign languages translated into unbelievable bad English.

OT: There are funny examples of lots this at: www.engrish.com

Not nice to laugh, but I've been told that Asians use our alphabetic characters as decorative art on much of their packaging. Some of it is really funny and a lot is inscrutable and even unknowingly sexual in nature (but funny.

One comedian wondered if Asians are as caught up in tattooing English words on their bodies. Gave a few funny examples. He wondered if every American who has a Chinese or Japanese word symbol -- what do they call their vivid and beautiful word patterns? -- knows what they mean. After all, it's not really a decoration to them; it actually says something.

At point in the 1980s, I was the founder and first national director of an organization for women called "Mothers Without Custody." When I did a big PR splash that landed me on the Phil Donahue show ans other radio and TV programs as a guest, I listed my post office box in Sudbury, Massachusetts which has the Revolutionary ZIP of 01776. (The town is next to the more famous Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

People wrote SUDSBURY -- SUBDURY -- SUTBURY -- SUDBERRY (What kind of a berry is that?) -- and my favorite SLUTBURY. (Pardon me, Madame, was that an insult or did you just make a mistake?

Thanks so much for your cheery post!

Cordially,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[Skittles]

18. naw, I had the correct zip code

I'm guessing that's why my mail always made it there.

I know the post office takes a lot of grief but they have always done right by me - my elderly aunts in England - sheesh, they never quite get my address correct (I have tried and tried to correct them)- they leave off the zip code or USA or SOMETHING - yet their letters always get to me. :)

[csziggy]

55. Try sending something to Greensboro - without the state

My sister once mailed a letter to an aunt in Greensboro but forgot to put the state on. She had the correct zip code. A month later she got the letter back. It had gone to at least six different states by the postal cancellations - but not the correct state. We never realized there were that many Greensboros in the South.

[Radio_Lady]

61. That's very funny -- but then, again, the South is very green!

How about Springfield? There are quite a few of them in the US.

Thanks so much for your post!

Cute and educational.

Use ZIP+4 for greater USPS accuracy.

[csziggy]

72. Use ZIP+4 for greater USPS accuracy.

I'll date myself - that was when zip codes were new and before zip+4 was invented. ;-)

And yes, there are a LOT of Springfield all over the country, not just in the South.

[Zavulon]

2. I'm not close by, but here are a couple of shots of where I grew up...

...Laval, Quebec...

[Radio_Lady]

4. Oui, monsieur... gorgeous photos. I honeymooned in Quebec City with my ex-husband.

It was December 21, 1963 when we flew in. A frozen city glazed with ice and so -- how do you say it?

Magnifique!

I could live there. In fact, I wish for snow and ice on hot summer days and always conjure up Canada. But I have to look up Laval, Quebec. I don't know where you are!

Do you ice skate? I always wondered how people did that on such a skinny blade! I loved roller skating where I grew up, but there wasn't enough ice (!) to practice on in Florida. Instead, I became a very good swimmer and ride horseback and loved biking.

Ice skating rinks? As far as I know, there were none.

Cordially,

Radio Lady Ellen

[Zavulon]

11. Yes, I ice skate.

The principle is not unlike bike riding. When you start, you fall constantly - and then one day, suddenly and without any warning or indication, you can skate with the best of them. It's strange, but it's not unlike riding a bike - once your leg muscles get into the idea, it's arguably easier than walking.

Do keep in mind, however, that the tumbles you'll take until you get to that point will leave bruises. :(

My father is German and my mother is Russian. Somehow, we would up in French-speaking Quebec. You'd think I'd be able to speak competent French by now, but my French skills are limited to survival tourism. I spent my childhood going to an English-language school and avoiding French because I was under the abysmally stupid impression that all French speakers were all snobs, plus I had two other languages to deal with at home. Now I'm trying to learn French, but it really isn't going well. My biggest regret. :(

[Radio_Lady]

42. Your family background is complicated, but interesting! Do they communicate with each other in...

English? Do either of them speak the other's language?

Yes, the tangle of Canada's languages is quite distressing. I love both English and French, but cannot understand the Canadian dialect in French. In Paris, I did pretty well with college French, but I am too self-conscious to speak any language because I'm uncomfortable making mistakes. I want everything to be perfect. Certainly understand your plight.

My former husband's parents spoke German and English in their home. Peter was only four when he came to the United States. George and Rosa were in their 30s when they arrived here from Gdansk Freistag, now part of Poland, during the Nazi occupation of their city.

My Jewish marriage ceremony was conducted in German and Hebrew. The only words I remember them asking me to say were "I do."

[Zavulon]

47. Both speak somewhat accented but otherwise perfect English, but it.

wasn't always that good. My parents got better by immersing themselves in TV and newspapers. I learned some German and Russian as a kid, far more Russian because mom was stay-at-home. If you were stuck in Germany with me I could get you around and help you shop or order food in restaurants, and I certainly know how to swear, but I couldn't discuss politics or sports any more effectively than a ten year-old. I can do much better in Russian. Nobody in Russia would mistake me for a native Russian speaker, but name a topic and I can discuss it like an adult if I know it well enough in English.

When I was younger I hit a point where my English was better than my parents', so there was sort of a mutual decision not to have me learn Quebec French because a.) my parents were starting to rely on me a little English-wise, and b.) I was a lazy little asshole who ran with any excuse to have one less thing to study. When I finally invent the time machine, I intend to go back about 35 years or so and slap the shit out of myself. I can barely order food in Montreal or Laval now.

My mother speaks flawless German, which is how they got along in their relationship before they moved to Canada and before I came along. They stepped up their English because they decided it was the most useful language for me to learn.

My father's spoken Russian is awful (can't get a grip on verbs of motion, for one thing), but he writes it well enough to sign mom's birthday cards in Russian, which she loves.

[Radio_Lady]

57. Mon ami, I must say you seem very close now... but do not be alarmed.

My parents were both born in Pittsburgh, PA. Their parents came from Russia and Eastern European backgrounds. Both of them spoke and wrote English immaculately and -- luckily for me -- I learned the English language with a Pennsylvania (acceptable on radio) accent. I was about 3 1/2 when we arrived in Florida and my speech has not changed.

However, when I am around "REAL" Southerners, I can put on that Southern accent if I wanted to. It was spectacularly demonstrated by my camping experiences. Because I hated the heat in Miami even when I was a sweaty little child, my parents sent me to South Carolina and western North Carolina for overnight camp at ages 8 and 13. While there, I did pick up the accent and can still drawl with the best of them. I don't eat that greasy fried chicken anymore, but I still eat grits (do you know what that is?) -- and hate okra, a local vegetable, in ANY FORM.

When I met my first boyfriend from Belgium, a fluent French and Hebrew speaker, it was his accent more than anything that drew him to me. I just thought he was charming -- I had just turned 15! We are still keeping in touch -- although a planned visit to Miami in December 2007 fell through for a number of reasons.

Here's a glamorous photo he took with his 35mm camera at the Venetian Pool, Coral Gables, Florida:



A year or so ago, I asked him how many languages he can speak. (Remember, this man barely got a GED before he went into the Army in 1957, and was shipped off to Ft. Jackson, SC and Germany.)

He told me that he was pretty fluent in SEVEN languages. He is now 72 years old, born on February 4, 1936. He had been in the retail camera business with his brother for fifty years. So, now I'm guessing because I can't talk to him right now -- that must be, in alphabetical order: English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Now, my background. I studied Spanish in high school (before I met my first boyfriend) and did pretty well, a "B" average. Then, I chose to study French conversation in college, which I passed with an "A". However, I have never mastered the ability to speak either language. I am too self-conscious of mistakes but might try to drop in some phrases, especially when I have a Berlitz book in my hand. Then I can dash something off with a pretty good accent. After that, it all falls apart. Usually, I muddle along for a few minutes. Then the other person realizes I am struggling and switches to English or hands me off to another English speaker.

On the other hand, I have read Albert Camus and Guy de Maupassant in the original French. Armed with a French/English dictionary, and a lot of time, I can pause and look up words and cogitate on phrases. If pressed, I can write a little bit, but frequently get words confused. Is that French? Or Spanish? I do love to learn the librettos from opera, and have a good time, especially with Madama Butterfly by Puccini in ITALIAN (I pretty much can sing along the whole way) and Carmen by Bizet (in French), my two favorites. I also can do "Frere Jacques" with little or no problem! Good enough for ages 1 - 4, I'd say. I love to sing songs and have learned much of Edit Piaf's songs, which I'm likely to sing in the car while driving. I do have perfect pitch and good rhythmic retention, but alas, not really professional music quality here. I wanted to be a conductor like Leonard Bernstein, from New York, whom I idolized when I was a young woman. Much of my life is spent as a passive musician, enjoying the work of others who are more talented than I am.

Oh, well. I have many other attributes and capabilities, like speaking and writing in English. It's just that foreign languages isn't one of them!

Peace, love and happiness,

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball in Portland

The Ages of Women

[The Straight Story]

5. Columbus, Ohio - and here is the only photo you need from there:

Woody Hayes, OSU Buckeye's coach :)

[Radio_Lady]

9. Woody Hayes! Here's what I know about him:

........ Nothing.......

But he does look like an uncle of mine.

I used to see the University of Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, but they didn't play Ohio State, did they?

Also went to a couple of UCLA games during the year I went to that school.

I'm a Hurricane Bruin... (Get it? It's a play on the phrase hurricane brewin'. That's when storms are sitting off the coast and getting stronger.

Ohio. My father used to go to Steubenville, Ohio when he was single in Pittsburgh. (Did they have some laxity in rules there? Alcohol? Women?) I've been to Cleveland and Cincinnati -- or one of the two -- fueling up while flying from somewhere to somewhere else.

I've never been to Akron, but a comedian told this joke to an audience... somewhere... sometime.

Here's how it went:

Person #1: You're lucky to live in Cleveland.

Person #2: Why?

Person #1: Because it's not Akron.


DISCLAIMER: No offense intended by this poster to anyone from Ohio, whatever city you're from.

[BrotherBuzz]

7. We lived close to the pointy tree to the right of the church spiral

[Radio_Lady]

19. Nice hometown. Unknown location. I have no idea where this is.

It's OK. I guess you wanted it that way.

One DUer gave me his latitude and longitude in a PM -- no pictures -- no name!

As far as I'm concerned, that's taking anonymity a little too far.

But maybe you're incognito in the town.

I appreciate the nice picture.

Looks like a pretty harbor in the temperate zone... USA? Somewhere!

Have a wonderful week!

Cordially,

Radio Lady in OR

[fishwax]

8. nestled up against the big horns in northern wyoming ...

Here's a picture of main street ...

[Radio_Lady]

21. Oh, that's beautiful. Does it look a little bit like Park City, Utah?

I've never been there for the Sundance Film Festival, but my son's mother-in-law drove me up to that town many years ago.

The west is gorgeous. I've dreamed of going to a dude ranch for a week -- just to ride horseback (and get stiff-legged, I hear). I have always wanted to visit Cheyenne, Wyoming -- just because of the name. Probably because I'm a cowgirl under the skin who was forced to toil in big cities and their offices and studios --

But that's all changing! Just 2.7 miles from my home, I have connected with Forward Stride, an organization that has "therapy horses" and I've just volunteered for this group last Saturday. I'm waiting for my first assignment -- perhaps this week.

www.forwardstride.org

I feel this will be an excellent fit with my capabilities and childhood interest in horses (and dogs). They sponsors a Cowgirl's Ball on the first in October, which falls on October 4th this year.

Look here: http://www.cowgirlball.com/

Thanks so much for sending us the photo of Main Street, Wyoming, USA.

Cordially,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[Whoa_Nelly]

10. Spent first five years of school going to this place

All Souls' Episcopal Church in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma City, OK
(when it housed Casady Lower School)


This is where I learned to swim



But spent every summer from age 4-15 up in the Minnesota woods near Nisswa

[fishwax]

12. hey, i know that church

never been in it, but driven past it a bunch of times on trips to/from/near Penn Square Mall or other points in OKC back when we lived in Norman :)

[Radio_Lady]

22. Sweet! I love the rooflines on that church. The pool looks wonderful!

What swimming strokes do you use? Is that a current picture of the pool?

The place I learned to swim was at Camp Jocassee, SC, when I was eight years old.

My mother only knew the sidestroke. Can't remember what Daddy did. I do the breaststroke and backstroke, as well as sidestroke. Rarely do the Australian crawl or whatever they call it, and I can't do the butterfly. Not strong enough, I guess.

Thank you for sharing.

Have a delightful week.

Cordially,

Radio Lady Ellen in OR

[Whoa_Nelly]

48. I just went swimming there

Learned to be drown-proof there at age 4, swam just for fun, nothing special.

that pool is at this place:
http://www.okcgcc.com/fw/main/default.asp



Meanwhile, I spent most of total swim time at the summer home on Gull Lake, MN near Dutchman's Bluff

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. Never really grew up...but spent many years in Hyattsville...

Maryland. :hi:

[Radio_Lady]

23. Hyattsville, Maryland... I've been to Baltimore, MD just after they re-did the harbor area.

Audio Al lived in Silver Spring, MD with his former wife.

Is that anywhere nearby?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. I lived in Baltimore before they redid the harbor...

Silver Spring is just a few miles from Hyattsville. :hi:

[Radio_Lady]

36. Are they still serving spicy crabs? Those things make my mouth water RIGHT NOW!

I never drank so much beer in my life until I ate them on our Baltimore-Washington excursion! We should really go back some time and see how the place has changed. Problem is... MD is hot in the summertime, when Portland is beautiful, and cold in the wintertime when Portland is wet but warmer. Maybe one of the "shoulder seasons" spring or fall. So.... what are you doing tonight and how's the weather????????

Thanks for your comments. You ARE the Goddess link!

:hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

53. Just got back from rehearsal a little while ago...

It's quite cool tonight, and will probably go down to the mid-30s overnight. But it's going to warm up over the next few days. Wednesday promises to be perfect weather for our field trip to the zoo. :-)

Sadly, spring and fall do not last long around here. Late April through mid-May are pretty good times to visit, as are late September through early November. Still, there's no guarantee that those times won't be unseasonably warm or cool.

[Radio_Lady]

62. Yes, I know about your weather. It was 102 degrees one July day in Washington in the 1960s.

My father-in-law had some business to do, so we drove to Washington, DC for one overnight. This must have been 1964 or 1965 with my second husband, now deceased, and myself. We rented a cheap motel room for the night, with two double beds. Papa George was in one, Peter and me in the other.

I slept in the BATHTUB because George snored so loudly I couldn't rest. Peter never snored, but my "current and last" husband does.............

Now, I sleep with my mp3 player in my ears, or use a sound source machine to drown him out. We've tried everything else, except divorce.

Thanks for the weather report. The East Coast weather was so different every year, we couldn't really plan on anything -- the fog and rain ruined many vacations on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends. Other years, the weather was perfect.

Want to take a guess on what we'll find in Boston next month? We're going to be there 5/22 to 6/1 -- I have no idea what to pack!! But I'll do what we always do, even in Europe. Layer up and take an umbrella wherever you go!

Peace, love and happiness,

Radio Lady Ellen in Portland, Oregon

[GoddessOfGuinness]

65. I'll be visiting the Berkshires area then...

I've been told it will still be spring, and 65-75F range during the day; so I'm guessing Boston will be more in the 70-80F...but I'm no expert. Let me know if my prediction is right. :-)

[cemaphonic]

74. From a fellow Pacific Northwesterner

who used to live in the DC area, go in October. The weather is warm enough, with just a hint of cool crispness, and the trees are spectacular. Plus, in Seattle anyway, that is about when the winter gloom is just starting to set in.

[Awsi Dooger]

14. Southwest Miami

I'm in my late 40s so that's the reference point. I'm too lazy and tired to upload a photo of my own but here's a link to a great site with old photos of Miami and South Florida. Many of them were particularly valuable and interesting to me, notably the ones showing the southwest section when it was so barren at the point my grandfather bought 10 acres and built his own home in the late '40s. SW 97th Avenue is not really considered the western section of town anymore, but at that point it was called East Glades Road.

http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/memories&view=slideshow

[Radio_Lady]

24. Awsi Dooger, I've seen parts of this collection before, but glad you brought it up.

Looking at it brings back mixed memories, both pleasurable and painful. One of the pleasant ones was on Biscayne Boulevard, can't remember the name of the place, but met someone there who was an important part of my life:

It was the Mayflower Doughnut Shop at the crick in the road (can't remember the actual street, but I think they were near the old Lindsey Hopkins Vocational School. The Mayflower had a bright sign of a baker and a little child:

As you ramble on through life, brother
Whatever be your goal
Keep your eye upon the doughnut
And not upon the hole.

(Of course, this before the invention of "donut holes" made into an actual delicacy -- also, it's been years since I had a doughnut.)

[Patsy Stone]

52. That's a great collection of pictures.

Bill Haast. LOL. Excellent.

[Radio_Lady]

59. Bill Haast used to bring his snakes to WTVJ, Ch. 4, where we did a kid's show.

[Inchworm]

70. Thanks for the pics

Sooo familiar.

I have many.. well, have had many pics from my mom and dad that were taken in many of those places.

We went to Hialeah race track every Sat when we were there. Dad raced pre-me.

:applause:

[NMDemDist2]

17. I went to 14 schools in 11 years

can you narrow it down a bit for me?

[Radio_Lady]

26. Parents in the military service? Or on the run from the law? Which did you like best?

You probably remember one place more than the rest, or?

We worked it out for my stepson once. He went to five schools, counting through high school, but you beat his record by a mile.

How did that affect you? Did you have any siblings to ease the transitions?

Thanks for contributing, AZDemDist6... CU@theDU

RL

[NMDemDist2]

31. no, just a very unstable parent.

I think my favorite place was at the base of Mt. Rose outside Reno NV.

I had a horse and rode her to school in the winter. it only had 6 class rooms and the janitor cleared out a place in the maintenance shed for her to get out of the weather.

no siblings, but it made me able to speak to all kinds of people from all walks of life and gave me an ear for accents.

[Radio_Lady]

33. Sorry to hear that. But I'm was in the same boat...or rather, riding the horse behind you bareback.

I've never been to Reno and I have never heard of Mt. Rose. I guess you were seeking solitude. Also, I think that being "The One and Only" the name of a book on this subject) is both a blessing and a curse. I do like to talk and have a keen ear for accents. But the loneliness of it all hits when both parents are gone.

Skip to the details -- I was an only child, born in 1939. I don't remember much love, but have forgiven them because they had financial problems, my father was ill-suited for his legal profession, and was probably an undiagnosed and untreated manic depressive. My mother married at 18 and then promptly got pregnant with me.

Mom used to tell the neighbors in an uproarious voice, "I'm Estelle. I married Leonard in April and Ellen was born in May...(LONG SILENCE) of the following year. People used to get a big chuckle out of that one. My birthdate is May 31, 1939. While I would have liked siblings for sure, they never had any more. But it was wartime, and things were difficult enough. Besides, I had my two imaginary friends: Peekie and Killie. I sucked my thumb until I was 7 years old.

My frustrated mother, who wanted to finish college become a journalist but didn't -- used to blurt out some difficult stuff that I'd just as soon forget. "I wish I could shove you up and make you over!" was one of the best. It's so painful to remember the things your parents said. My mother had a hard time showing me love. I was an excellent student, but always fell down in the behavior area. Often, the teacher checked off a "U" for "unsatisfactory" in the Self-Control area.

I don't remember Mom and Dad's actual anniversary, because they eloped to Chevy Chase, MD. My maternal grandfather did not like my father AT ALL. But Dad was a dashingly handsome guy and Mom fell for him in a big way. After they eloped, there was a big party and the couple was "welcomed back with open arms." That was the quote in the Pittsburgh newspaper that ran the story. Mom kept a copy of the yellowed newspaper for years.

So, they went off to their legal office every day. Dad, the lawyer and Mom, his secretary. Her typing was meticulous; her Gregg shorthand excellent. I rode my bike to elementary school, six blocks away. When I came home from school, I listened to radio, but mostly played outside with my dog, Bambi, an unregistered male Boston Terrier. He was struck by a telephone repair truck when he was four years old. I can remember it like it was yesterday. The repairman brought his lifeless body to our door and told me that he couldn't do anything to stop -- the dog had just run under his wheels. Later, we went to see Al Schindler and bought Dolly, a registered Boston Terrier who lived for 12 years, and became pretty good at obedience work. She gained her C.D. degree, Companion Dog, and I bred her to a champion of the breed Ch. Regardless in the 1950s. Although the male dog was gray at the muzzle, the breeding took quite well. Dolly free-whelped -- no Caesarean drvyion required for this square headed breed - seven male puppies, which must have been something of a record. I went on to show one of them "Danny" (Dark Dancer Regardless) for a while. We ended up being featured in the Boston Terrier book for that era. We also had a cat, Cleopatra.

Mom hired a white woman, "Aunt Bessie" to do cooking and housework. Bessie watched me and taught me to play a little piano music. Mother played some songs on the piano, but while I have excellent pitch and rhyme memory, I had no gift for that instrument, and never tried another. Eventually, Bessie Yost got too old to work. Mom hired a series of "colored" women to do housework and ironing for our little family.

I whiled away the afternoons with the radio (tuned to soap operas or baseball games), my dogs and cats, and my friends. Often Mother hired a "colored" maid to do ironing and other household tasks.

One day, a man named Jerry Minas who lived with his white-haired wife on a rural property near our home, asked if I could help with his mare and stallion. They were Prince and Princess. I don't recall which one I rode bareback, but it was wonderful fun. Horses and dogs filled my days until, at age 14, I met a young Belgian immigrant who spoke French...

Thanks for your comments. I feel the community with you as I begin my new volunteering effort with Forward Stride, providing therapy recreation for many disabled and handicapped people in Oregon. Their 60-acre property, with 27 horses to care for and schedule rides for -- just happened to move just 2.7 miles away from my home last winter break.

Read more about them at:

www.forwardstride.org

[driver8]

44. Sounds like me -- my father was career military.

Not quite 14 schools in 11 years...but quite a few!

[pokerfan]

20. Here's a picture

[Radio_Lady]

27. LOL! Universally speaking, you're absolutely correct!

:rofl:

Reminds me of a joke I remember from childhood.

Alien #1 -- (IN A VERY NASAL VOICE) "Hello. I'm Tan from the Sun..."

Child #1 -- "Nice to meet you. I'm Ellen from the Earth."

[Reverend_Smitty]

25. I grew up in Trenton, NJ

A couple of typical houses from my childhood neighborhood (I don't have a photo of my house on the computer)


a picture of the park 2 blocks away from my childhood home


Unfortunately a good portion of the city looks like this

It's hard to believe that this place is in the same country as my childhood home let alone just 4 miles away

but to leave my post on a positive note here's a picture of one of the bridges going into the city from Pennsylvania

[Radio_Lady]

28. It was Secaucus that had a very bad odor. I've never been to Trenton.

We had company meetings in Summit, NJ.

My first cousin Lissy lives in Haworth, NJ.

The Bedroom State for many New Yorkers -- but, really, the Garden State.

New Jersey used to get a lot of giggles and blasts from Johnny Carson and his "Tonight" show guests. I worked for NBC and the director of the show was Dick Carson, Johnny's brother who served as the director.

Yes, I've seen places like that in Boston, New York, and other big cities. Guess what... there were places like that in many metropolitan areas. We have a couple of places in Portland which are really scuzzy, but looks like "in fill" is jump starting some buildings. However, several of the big condo buildings that went up last year are hurting for buyers.

"Trenton Makes -- The World Takes" -- Great trivia! I don't think I've ever seen that bridge.

Welcome to my world. Thanks for your comments and have a great week!

Cordially,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[RebelOne]

29. Our lives in Miami are similar.

My parents moved from Philadelphia to Miami Beach when I was 4 years old right after the start of WWII. We lived on Washington Avenue on Miami Beach for a few years. Then, my mother divorced my father, remarried and moved to Miami where we lived for a couple of years. Finally, my mother and stepfather bought a house in Miami Springs, where I lived until I was married at the tender age of 16. After my divorce, I lived in Opa-locka for about 1-1/2 years and then moved to North Miami Beach for about 3 years and then back to Miami Springs. In 1989, I moved up here to the Atlanta, GA metro area. Since that time, I have only been back to Florida twice to see my daughter who lives in Hollywood. I have no desire to ever move back to the Miami area that I call the "hell hole of the South."

[Radio_Lady]

35. Wow, Rebel One. Two of my first cousins live in Philadelphia, but we are all originally from

Pittsburgh, PA.

Washington Avenue! We must have been neighbors! I was born in 1939; and you?? I don't know the number on the street where we lived. There are a whole lot of memories that are missing because we never thought to talk about it, and no other kids to ask about my background. All I remember is a bleak little room with a double bed for my parents and a little cot tucked in a little alcove. I used to hear a lot of that bed squeaking, and didn't know why...

I remember going to kindergarten on Miami Beach (was it Biscayne Elementary), but then we moved to North Miami and a small house on N.E. 131st Street which was "the end of the world" -- all rural out there. Frogs and snakes and large stretches of wilderness and a whole lot of rural living in those tiny homes with no airconditioning. What year did the 163rd Street Shopping Center open?

I began first grade at William Jennings Bryan Elementary, 12th Avenue and 125th Street, in North Miami. Junior high school and high school at Edward L. Constance, later changed to North Miami High School. We had out 50th HS reunion held in Orlando in 2006.

Summertime at the Venetian Pool, Coral Gables, FL


I think we moved to Ixora Circle in Keystone Point, off Biscayne Boulevard in 1952. I saw the home advertised for 1.6 million dollars on www.zillow.com. It was on a tidewater canal and had a front room "as big as the Dade County Auditorium." Don't know wht my father paid for it, but I can attest that after the sale, they went into a rental property on N.E. 191st Street in North Miami Beach. He must have spent all of it, because my mother had about $4,000 to her name when she died in 1991. She never told us the true story of her financial situation. At age 71, when she died one night, sitting upright at the kitchen table, she was still trying to support herself by typing legal documents.

I hope her death was quick because I have a lot of guilt about not suggesting she move in with us in the Boston area. She once told me she was jealous of me because of the opportunities that came my way and put me in a place where I could become a minor celebrity in TV and radio.

Did you ever see "Popeye Playhouse" during your Dade and Broward County days? It's was a kid's show that was on Channel 4 WTVJ from 1957 -- when I started the program with announcer Chuck Zink. My TV days on "Popeye Playhouse" with "Skipper Chuck" and "First Mate Ellen" (1957-58) I was only on that show for the first year and 1/2 during my college days. I was at the University of Miami, then transfered to UCLA (my grandmother lived in LA) but got my degree at the U of M in 1962.





The show continued to run with Chuck at the helm until 1979. He also was the local host of the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day telethon, and did commentary on the Orange Bowl Parade and the Miss Universe pageant. At age 80, Chuck had a massive stroke. He died in 2006, just one month shy of his 81st birthday. I adored him early and he was an important part of my growing up for many years. He had no children and was married his wife on August 2, 1945, so that must have been sixty years of marriage to the same long-suffering woman.

Here's his sweet face as a young man:


Yes, for me Miami represents the yin and yang of my life. So much pain amid so much beauty. But I eventually launched myself into a couple of temperate zones where I can breath more freely -- first NYC, then Boston, and now Portland, Oregon. Ironically, my husband Audio Al at the DU was born in Boston and hated the winter weather. But he could easily live in Miami -- no problem with the heat and humidity, loves flowers, gardens and warm weather. How DO we find each other?

I've been to Atlanta once for a sales training class. We did get a bus tour, but it was very brief and we never got out of the bus. Tried one February to meet up with Atlanta author Barbara LeBey, who is a lawyer, and author of the book "Family Estrangements" -- but your city was all icy that particular day and we were re-routed through Cincinnati.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this tome.

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball in Oregon

[RebelOne]

66. You have brought back many memories.

Yes, I was also born in 1939. And I went to kindergarten on Miami Beach, too. I don't remember the name of the school, but it was within walking distance of home. Maybe we were classmates.

As far as I can remember, the 163rd St. Shopping Center opened sometime in the '60s. I shopped there quite often when I lived in North Miami Beach.

Wow, Keystone Point was a pretty ritzy neighborhood if I remember correctly. That must have been some big house.

I do remember Popeye Playhouse well. Gosh, First Mate Ellen, that was you? One year (not sure when), I was working during Xmas at Burdine's in downtown Miami in the men's department. Chuck Zink came in and I sold him a pair of socks. I was so thrilled to actually meet a local celebrity. When my son was young, he watched Popeye Playhouse faithfully every day. Do you remember Romper Room with Iris Maxwell? She was in a little theater group with me in Miami Springs.

I worked at Miami Magazine in the '70s and '80s as typesetter and editorial assistant. I don't know if it was in publication when you lived in South Florida. The publisher was Sylvan Meyer. He used to own a newspaper here in Atlanta. His wife, Anne Meyer was sometimes on Channel 2, the public TV station in Miami.

I love it here in Atlanta. I hated the heat, humidity and big bugs (not to mention all the crime) in South Florida, so I packed up and moved here to the Atlanta area in 1989. I had no one to worry about but myself, as my kids were grown and married, and I had been divorced for many, many years.

I am still working full-time as a copy editor for hunting and fishing publications distributed throughout the USA. I'll probably retire within the next year or so just as soon as I rack up some more money in my 401K and IRA.

Thanks for sharing your experiences in Miami.

Nancy

[jobycom]

32. Mississippi Gulf Coast. Here's the first house I lived in, Bay St. Louis

(this was taken after Katrina. The house is shorter than when I lived there)



Then my father bought a Gulf station (Batey's Gulf) on the corner of Hwy 90 and Nicholson Avenue. We were there when Camille hit--I was four. The house and station survived, but soon after my father sold it, and it eventually became this Exxon station. (Also taken after Katrina).



I don't live near it now, but I get back about once a month to visit my parents. I'd love to move back, but my kids are anchored in Austin, and I don't want to do that to them. Just so you'll know it doesn't always look like a hurricane just hit...

[Radio_Lady]

38. Oh, my dear... how sad for you. I know Camille did a lot of damage... what year?

It must be painful for you to see the home and gas station in that condition.

But you are in a good place now -- we love Austin, Texas! We were there a couple of years ago and we went to an Antique Jewelry show (we don't usually frequent those) and had some wonderful ribs.

Earlier, my husband was interviewed in Austin by Crystal Semiconductor company -- looking for a software person. They flew us both down from Boston, sent me out with a real estate agent to see homes by the Colorado River. There were some wonderful places, but hubby didn't get that job...

Take care -- hurricane season is almost upon the country and perhaps we will be spared all of that agony this year, too. What is the prediction beginning June 1st? They were totally wrong last year, weren't they?

Peace, love and happiness,

RL in OR

[nomorenomore08]

34. El Sobrante, CA. Pretty boring place, but at least the scenery is nice.

[Radio_Lady]

39. Northern California or south? Not familiar with it at all -- very green and pretty.

What does El Sobrante mean? Did you grow up in a rural environment or suburban?

Thanks for the pretty picture.

Have a wonderful evening and a good day tomorrow...

Cordially,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[CreekDog]

45. El Sobrante is in the East Bay Area along the East Bay Hills

Between Richmond and Oakland.

[JTG of the PRB]

37. Boulder, Colorado

I work there right now, and in two weeks, I'll actually be living there again. Huzzah!

[Radio_Lady]

40. Sounds good! Good luck with the move! Guess you were living out of state for awhile???

We're coming to Breckenridge, CO in August. Never been to Colorado...

YOU guys are supposed to be a "red" state..

Isn't that what it means in Spanish?

But red is "rojo" -- darn it all, my Spanish is overlayed by my French.

Thanks for your comments.

Cordially,

Radio Lady Ellen

[JTG of the PRB]

43. No, I'm still living here. I live in Longmont, about 15 miles from Boulder.

I've lived in Boulder County here all my life, but I love living in the actual city of Boulder.

We are usually a red state, but we've shifted to blue over the last couple of election cycles - 4 out of 7 Congresspersons are Dems, one of our Senators (soon to be both) is a Democrat, the Dems hold both houses of the state Congress or the first time in almost 60 years, and we elected a Democratic governor in 2006. I'm hoping we'll be a blue state on those big Election Day maps in November, but that would REALLY be a turn around.

Colorado is named after "rojo" because of all the red soil the Spanish found when they were exploring this region. I'm not sure how "rojo" became "-rado," but that's how it goes sometimes!

[Radio_Lady]

46. Thanks for clearing that up. What is the altitude there?

The west is fascinating. We love the different climates, attitudes, and recreational opportunities we didn't have in the east.

But there are still so many Western cities I know nothing about:

Wyoming, Idaho, eastern Washington, even parts of California

It will take us the rest of our lives to enjoy it all.





Here's the little fantasy cowboy I NEVER had.

[JTG of the PRB]

49. I'm not sure of the exact altirude, but we're over a mile above sea level.

Boulder is about 5360 feet above, and towns in the mountains are quite a bit higher. The air is thin up there, but the views are more than worth it!

[bicentennial_baby]

41. Leyden MA and then Greenfield MA:

I couldn't find any pics of Leyden online...It's a town of under 1000 people. I was born in and grew up on my grandparents' farm there.

Greenfield:







I miss home....sigh.

[Patsy Stone]

50. Beautiful Miami Beach!

:hi:, Radio Lady!

[Radio_Lady]

60. Is that the front of... an auditorium? Looks very familiar, but can't place it exactly.

Tell me if you can because I'm hanging here...

:hi:

We're on our way to Boston in May.

Back home for hubby Audio Al.

Make it a good one tomorrow!

[Patsy Stone]

64. It's the Fontainebleau Hotel

And, as is the habit here, it's undergoing renovation, and they've added a HUGE condo right next to it as part of the "next phase".

My friend's parents used to have a cabana there and we'd go ice skating in the tiny, round rink they had in the mezzanine.

You can see it in all its 1964 glory in the beginning of the James Bond movie, Goldfinger.

Have a safe trip and enjoy the delightful NE weather!

[bixente]

51. Two neighbouring suburbs

Both south of Melbourne, both standing directly alongside the Port Phillip Bay. I'm thankful for this, not as I'm a beach person (although I do enjoy it when there's few people), but because it's cooler here than up north in the city. On the other hand, I love the city and to be more within reach of it would be something.

[Arugula Latte]

54. Mostly here:

It's green in late winter/spring and then golden brown most of the year. That is Mt. Diablo.

My childhood was filled with horses and swimming pools ... Not bad. It has gotten WAY more crowded and upscale since the 70s, though.

To me, though, the best thing about the Creek is its proximity to this Magical Land called Berkeley :loveya: :



(View of campus International House and Campanile with S.F. Bay and Marin's Mt. Tamalpais in background)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

56. Radio_Lady,,,, I was basically a River Rat --

[Radio_Lady]

63. Is that river water skiing? On a single ski? Neat!

OT: Thanks for the beautiful PM. The music was touching and I cried when I heard it.

I've been so busy with everything going on here I've lost track of you.

You might enjoy this link... Forwardstride.org photos from their yearly Cowgirl Ball. I signed up with the group on Saturday. They are just 2.7 miles from my home.

They have 27 horses and 60 acres. It's just beautiful. I did some "sidewalking" and we learned about the different volunteering we can do to help the riders with their "therapy recreation". My husband can help, too, with photography for their website and possibly some computer work.

We get mentored all the way. We learned about emergency dismounts. They'll teach us about tack, the different items I've always had other people put on a horse. The morning crew (7AM) mix the horses' feed, and even pitch hay, although I've been warned that hay is heavy. I'm living my dream! You could knock me over with a feather!

http://www.cowgirlball.com/
Saturday, October 4, 2008. I'll be helping them publicize it.

"See you in the barn."

http://www.cowgirlball.com/2005_slideshow/source/90880022.html

[Tuesday Afternoon]

67. Thanks for the links --

I am glad that you "enjoyed" the music. I think those songs transcend their genre.:hug:
It is a good thing you do with Forward Stride :yourock:

on edit: Yes, that is riverwater ski-ing...on one ski, slalom. I practically lived on the river every week-end. Now, it has been over developed with gated communities and mansions not, McManisons, real honest to goodness mansions with movie stars and the like. I was very athletic, back in the day, softball, volleyball, running, water and snow ski-ing and scuba. I have had some hard knocks in my day but, I have had some good times, too. ;)

:hi:

[SeattleGirl]

58. Born in Tacoma, WA

Spent some time in Newark, AR (this was my uncle's dairy farm):


Spent a lot of years in Springfield, OR (one of the few google images I found):


Also spent some years in Eugene, OR:


And now I live in Seattle:

[auntAgonist]

68. Edinburgh, Scotland. n/t

[mainegreen]

69. South Paris, Maine

Market square still looks a lot like this, minus the tree:



The old railroad station and courthouse are still the same as well:


The french restaurant my father started and I was a wee one in:

[Inchworm]

71. I grew up all over the east coast..but

Lansing, NC is where I call home. I got there just as the train stopped coming through. "Town" is in the smoke of the picture.



:hi:

[Aristus]

73. I grew up on Army posts across the nation, as my father was a career Army officer.

Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where I was born:



Fort Huachuca, Arizona:



Fort Knox, KY (with the world-famous "Gold Vault):



Fort Lewis, Washington:



We loved Washington so much, we stayed after Dad retired. I'm a confirmed Washingtonian now. B-)

[Chan790]

75. Burlington, CT

"Burlington: We've got shitty weather, trees, barns, and churches." It could be the town motto.

[rockymountaindem]

76. Colorado Springs, CO

[limit18]

77. Pontotoc Texas

This is where I grew up.The following story came from a family "passing thru".

Back in the Summer of 2001, my family and I were on a trip and stopped in Pontotoc. We had recently moved to San Angelo and were in route to Austin . In that part of Texas, there are few towns between the cities so when we saw a sign for Pontotoc, we decided to stop and find a store. The town looked just like the pictures you have posted and to our surprise, there actually was a little store, so to speak.

Having 3 small children, invariably somebody had to go to the bathroom and everybody wanted a drink. We went into the store but found nobody there. Assuming somebody would show up, we waited for about10 minutes but nobody appeared. I happened to notice that on the counter there was a note pad where people had put their names and what they had purchased. After 10 minutes alone in the store, we decided to write down what we were purchasing, we noted how much each item cost (guessed if the price was not on the item) and left a suitable amount of money to cover the tab. We merrily left the store realizing what a unique town Pontotoc is.