Book Review - Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond by Eve Plumb

 

My Review

Growing up, Friday night was my favorite TV night, with a lineup that included The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family.  I was the same age as the youngest Brady kids, so of course I found that show particularly interesting.  The Brady Bunch was an elementary school water cooler show -- we liked Jan and Marcia's groovy outfits, and debated whether Peter or Greg was cuter.

I love retro nostalgia, and have enjoyed reading previous Brady biographies by Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick, so of course I looked forward to Eve Plumb's book too.

This is a wonderful biography - a bit quieter and more introspective, but so thoughtful and well written.  I particularly enjoyed reading Eve's memories of The Brady Bunch.  They included passages like:

"In season 3 we were granted the go-ahead to increase the miles between the Stage 5 set and a remote location. The show was going to the Grand Canyon as the Brady family vacation. We were thrilled at the chance for a real adventure! It was my first time at the Grand Canyon. We arrived the evening before the first day of filming, and the dark abyss of the canyon at night, and the splay of brilliant stars like a dome from horizon to horizon, was both scary and breathtaking." (ebook location 1383).

Eve has a lifelong close friendship with Christopher Knight ("Peter"), the other Brady middle child.  She shares sweet memories of Florence Henderson (kind, bubbly, warm), Ann B. Davis (a consummate professional), and Robert Reed (who was like a second father to the Brady kids - even taking them all on a trip to London).

I didn't know much about Eve's personal background and found the stories about her parents interesting - especially her father's work in the music industry.  (He signed The Monkees as a recording act!)

There is no nightmare descent in this celebrity bio -- except for some typical teenage rebellion, Eve seems centered and happy ... especially focusing on her art.

I enjoyed Happiness Included and recommend this book to other readers who grew up with The Brady Bunch.  There were no photos included in the advanced reading copy, but I am assuming there must be pictures in the finished print/Kindle editions.

Dear Abby - Famous TV Dog: Tiger from The Brady Bunch

Dear Friends,

I have a famous TV dog this week who I think lots of you will remember.  Tiger the dog appeared on the first and second seasons of The Brady Bunch.  He was a friendly looking Sheepdog mix, and in the show's storyline, he belonged to Mike Brady's family before he married Carol.

Tiger only appeared in ten episodes, but they are memorable appearances on the show.

"The Honeymoon"
"Kitty Karry-All Is Missing"
"Katchoo"
"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
"54-40 and Fight"
"Every Boy Does It Once"
"Tiger! Tiger!"
"The Tattle-Tale"
"The Impractical Joker"
"What Goes Up..."

There is a sad story about why Tiger disappeared from the show after this short time.  The dog who played Tiger was killed by a delivery driver on the Paramount Studio lot.  He was replaced by another dog who was not a good match for the series, so Tiger was written out of the show.

Here is a short clip of a Tiger episode of The Brady Bunch:


Did you watch The Brady Bunch, and do you remember Tiger?  My Momma grew up watching this show and she says she always liked Tiger.   I would love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Thanks for reading, and wishing you a great weekend!

Love,
Abby

Dear Abby - Famous TV Dogs: Bullet the Wonder Dog from The Roy Rogers Show

Dear Friends,

Today I would love to introduce Bullet, the Wonder Dog from The Roy Rogers Show.  This western theme TV show ran from 1951 - 1957.   My Momma has never seen this show, so we are learning about it, and Bullet, together.  When we asked friends about favorite TV dogs, Bullet is a name that was mentioned often.

The Roy Rogers Show starred Roy Rogers, his wife Dale Evans, a Palomino horse named Trigger, and Bullet.  The famous theme song from the show was "Happy Trails," sung by Dale Evans.

Bullet was a brave German Shepherd who helped lead Roy and Dale to the bad guys, helped when they were outnumbered, and helped them escape as needed.

Bullet was born in 1949.  He made his movie debut in 1951 in the Roy Rogers movie Spoilers of the Plains.  I have not been able to find out a lot about his life, or how long he lived.  However, after he died he was preserved, along with Trigger, and they were displayed at the Roy Rogers Museum.  They were sold in 2010 to RFD-TV.

Like most other retro TV dogs, Bullet inspired a number of products for children, including children's books:

Comic books:

And a toy by Hartland toys:

Bullet even appeared in commercials for dog food!


Do you remember Bullet, or The Roy Rogers Show?   I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Wishing you a great weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Famous TV Dogs: Scooby Doo

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week!  

Today I would love to chat about one of my favorite TV dogs -- Scooby Doo.  Scooby Doo was a Great Dane who appeared in the Scooby Doo cartoon series as well as several movies.  The cartoons first ran on CBS (1969 - 1975):  Scooby Doo, Where Are You? and The New Scooby Doo Movies.  Later there were a number of Scooby Doo cartoons on ABC (1976 - 1991).  The original cartoons were created by Hanna-Barbera.

Scooby Doo helped his teenage friends solve mysteries.  The human members of Mystery, Inc. were Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne.  Scooby spoke - and he sounded a lot like Astro from The Jetsons.  That is not a coincidence -- Scooby Doo and Astro were both voiced by actor Don Messick.  Scooby is often hungry and gets scared easily - just like his human buddy, Shaggy.

Of course, Scooby inspired lots of merchandise, like lunch boxes:

Comic books:

Toys, like this View-Master reel:

A few fun tidbits of Scooby Doo trivia:

• When the show was in the planning stages, the dog was originally a Sheepdog named Too Much.
• Scooby Doo's full name is Scoobert "Scooby" Doo.
• Scooby Doo's nickname came from a line in the Frank Sinatra song "Strangers in the Night."
• Scooby's catch phrase is "Scooby Dooby Doo!"
• Scooby has a nephew named Scrappy Doo.

Scrappy Doo

Here is the opening of the Scooby Doo cartoon (1970).

Do you remember Scooby Doo?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Love,
Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Famous TV Dogs: Rin Tin Tin

Dear Friends,

When I asked my Facebook friends for favorite TV dogs, several people answered Rin Tin Tin.  My Momma and I have heard of this dog, and knew he was a handsome German Shepherd, but neither of us have seen the old TV show.  So it was fun to learn more!

Rin Tin Tin was a German Shepherd dog.  Much like Lassie, Rin Tin Tin originally starred in a series of movies (1922 - 1947).  And, also like Lassie, Rin Tin Tin was played by a series of different dogs.

The TV series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin was a children's series on ABC, and it aired from 1954 - 1959.  It was the story of a little boy named Rusty who lived on a U.S. Calvary post called Fort Apache.  (The series was filmed on the set of the John Ford movie Fort Apache.)  Rusty had a special friend named Rin Tin Tin.  He was initially played by a dog named Rin Tin Tin IV (a descendent of the movie star dog), and later by a German Shepherd named Flame, Jr.

Rin Tin Tin was later mentioned in the novel Sunnyside by Glen David Gold and Rin Tin Tin: The Life and Legend by Susan Orlean.

Anne Frank wrote in her diary that she wished she had a dog like Rin Tin Tin (June 14, 1942).

Like Lassie, Rin Tin Tin was popular in toys and books for children.  A few examples include this comic book:

This Marx toys Fort Apache playset (note little Rin Tin Tin figure):

... and even a toy gun:

Here is a short video with the opening and closing credits for The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin:



Thank you for visiting today!  I hope you enjoyed reading about Rin Tin Tin.  Have you seen this TV show before?

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Famous TV Dogs: Lassie

Dear Friends,

I am excited to introduce a new blog series.  I will be profiling some famous TV dogs (both retro and more recent) here.   I think this will be a lot of fun!

When you mention TV dogs, most people think of Lassie first.   Lassie was a long running TV series that ran from 1954 - 1973.   Lassie the dog was a beautiful collie.  She lived with the Miller family (with their son Jeff), and then the Martin family, and was great friends to a boy named Timmy.   Lassie had many adventures in the farm community where she lived.

Lassie with actors Jon Provost and June Lockhart

Before the TV series there was a children's book called Lassie Comes Home (Eric Knight) and a series of MGM movies.  The popularity of the Lassie character was perfect for the early days of television.

Several different dogs played Lassie over the years.  They were from the same family:  Lassie, Lassie Jr., Spook, Baby, and Mire.  All but one of these dogs lived to be at least 17 years old!

Lassie was so popular that there were all types of Lassie items in stores - even a Halloween costume!   Other Lassie items included:

Books, like Hooray for Lassie.  (My Momma wrote a blog post about this book here -- there is a Dachshund in it!)

Coloring books:

Comic books:

Lunch boxes:

Games:

Here's a little fun trivia about Lassie:

• The first boy to appear in the Lassie TV show, Tommy Rettig ("Jeff") was allergic to dogs.
• Chloris Leachman of The Mary Tyler Moore Show briefly played Timmy's mother on the show.
• Lassie appeared in Keep America Beautiful posters in the 1960's with Lady Bird Johnson.
• Lassie had dog friends including two miniature poodles, Buttons and Bows, and a Jack Russell Terrier named Mel.
• Lassie's trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, was the uncle of Ken Weatherwax (Pugsley on The Addams Family).
• Lassie was always played by a boy dog on TV.

I enjoyed learning about Lassie, and hope you had fun reading this too!   Have you ever seen this show?  Are you a collie fan?  Do you have a favorite TV dog?  I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo 

Did You Know Tuesday - Otter Pops

It's the first week of Summer! Yay! I love the slow, leisurely pace of the Summer months. I will confess to a love of frozen fruit flavored treats, too. 

Last week I saw a reference to Otter Pops online and it took me back to my childhood. I loved Otter Pops and the similar Fla-Vor-Ice pops. 

Otter Pops were originally marketed in 1970 by National Pax. They are still made and sold today (I saw a huge box at Wal-Mart last week and it took all my will power not to buy!) These pops have 40 calories and come in flavors including: 

Alexander the Grape 
Sir Isaac Lime 
Little Orphan Orange 
Rip Van Lemon 
Louie-Bloo Raspberry 
Poncho Punch 
Strawberry Short Kook 

In 1995 the company tried to replace Sir Isaac Lime with Scarlett O'Cherry, but a well organized protest by fourth graders stopped this change. (Too bad -- the cherry frozen fruit pops sound delicious!) 

Do you remember Otter Pops or Fla-Vor-Ice from your childhood? Are you still a fan of these frozen treats? They are part of summer nostalgia for me, and always fun (and delicious!). I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Did You Know Tuesday: Fun Facts About Twister

Twister was a big hit at parties during my childhood.  It is a silly, fast paced game.  You have a vinyl mat on the floor with big colorful spots.  Players use the spinner (as seen below) and then put their hand or foot on the corresponding spot.  This is easy the first spin, and gets more difficult with each additional spin as you reach across the mat for the other colorful spots -- especially with other players on the vinyl mat as well.

Twister was created by Reyn Winsor Guyer, who had a family company that made store displays for Fortune 500 companies.  Guyer envisioned the game as a Back to School display for Johnson's shoe polish.  Johnson's turned the idea down.  He then created "Kings Footsie" and showed it to 3M, who rejected the board game.  Guyer then collaborated with Charles Foley, a salesman, and Chuck Rabens, an artist, to work on the game further. It eventually became Pretzel.

The game evolved and was produced as Twister by Milton Bradley.  It became instantly popular when introduced on The Tonight Show by Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor in 1966. 

There was a controversy because Twister was accused of being "sex in a box," but it was marketed as a fun, family game (as I remember it from childhood).  Over 3 million games sold the first year.  In 1967 Twister was awarded the title of Game of the Year.  There was a lawsuit between the three creators of the game (Foley and Rabens vs. Guyer), but it was settled out of court.

In 1985 Hasbro merged with Milton Bradley, and the game is now produced by Hasbro.   There were a number of Twister variations produced since 2000, including Twister Moves, Twister Dance, Twister Scram, Twister Hopscotch, Twister Hoopla, Twister Dance Rave (promoted by Britney Spears), and Twister Rave Skip-It.

A few fun facts about Twister:

Reyn Winsor Guyer went on to create the Nerf Ball in 1969.

The biggest ever Twister board was 171 ft 1 in x 140 ft 1 in in the Netherlands in 2011.

Twister instructions are available for color blind players.  There is also a version available for blind players.   

65 million people have played Twister over the years.

Here is the original 1966 Twister commercial:



Do you remember Twister?  I'd love to read your memories in the comments section, below.

Did You Know Tuesday - Conversation Hearts Candy

Do you remember conversation hearts candy?  I always loved this as a little girl.  I can still remember the sweet, slightly chalky taste, and the pretty pastel colors.  Each of these candy hearts has a short message, like "Be Mine" or "Kiss Me."

This candy was invented in 1847 by Oliver R. Chase.  These candy lozenges were originally unmarked.   Oliver Chase's brother, Daniel, began putting sayings on the candy hearts in 1866.  

Sweethearts, the most popular conversation hearts, are made by Necco (New England Confectionery Company).   More than 8 billion candy hearts are made by this company yearly.

In 2010, Sweethearts were modernized with mottos like "email me" and "tweet me."   They also went all natural.  However, the all natural candy didn't taste the same, and the company announced in 2011 that they were going back to the original recipe.

Sweethearts now come in many varieties, including Dazzled, En Espanol, Sugar Free, and Chocolate. 

Unfortunately, this candy isn't vegetarian (it contains gelatin), so I haven't had it in many years!   If anyone knows of another brand that is in fact vegetarian, I would love to hear from you.

Do you remember these cute conversation hearts from childhood?   What were your favorite sayings?

Throwback Thursday - The Late, Great Shopping Mall

When I was a little girl, going to the shopping mall was fun.  My favorite was North DeKalb Mall in Atlanta (Decatur area).  This mall was built in 1965, and it was enclosed.  It was a smaller mall, with all the shops on one level.  North Dekalb featured a Rich's department store, a wonderful Woolworth dime store, and other fun, like a Dipper Dan ice cream parlor and a Milton Bradley toy store.  

Rich's was special.  This Atlanta department store chain was a beloved institution.  (See my earlier blog post about Rich's here:  Return to Rich's, an exhibit at the Breman Museum.   I fondly remember shopping at Rich's, North DeKalb Mall for school clothes, Easter dresses, party dresses, books, and records.  (My first record album came from this store.)  There was a tea room upstairs, and I went to a few fashion shows with my Mom there.  I remember buying "Buffy dresses" (marketed to look like the clothes worn by Anissa Jones as "Buffy" on the 1960's television show Family Affair) after one of the fashion shows that featured children's clothes.   There was also a snack bar, and an amazing bakery (coconut cake, cupcakes, and more).

In high school I worked part-time in the Juniors Department, which I loved (cute clothes!).  Later, in college, I worked part-time one Christmas in housewares, which I also loved (I love kitchen gadgets and cookware).

Through the 1980's, this mall was still thriving, with a food court, a movie theater, and shops like The Gap, Old Navy, Hallmark, Casual Corner, The Limited, a bookstore, a music store, etc.  

At some point, Woolworth closed.  Then Rich's was bought by Federated, changed to Rich's-Macy's, and eventually evolved into Macy's.  It was still a nice store, and usually referred to as Rich's by people who grew up in the area.  

Then something happened.  National chain stores started closing and being replaced by discount stores and little local shops.  There was a high turnover rate for stores, and it seemed constantly in flux, with some blank spaces where shops had been.  Chain restaurants at the mall started moving out.  The mall changed.  It was no longer what I remembered from childhood.

The Macy's (former Rich's) at this mall held on.  It was a small but nice store.  I shopped there for linens, for birthday gifts, for Christmas ornaments.  I was very surprised to read the announcement last year that this lovely little department store would close.  It had been around most of my life and was such a childhood institution.  

Shopping malls are different now.  They aren't the destination they were when I was growing up.  The only thriving mall I can think of in this area is Lenox Square, an upscale mall in Buckhead (Atlanta).  The others have all changed, to varying extents, with closed stores, little local businesses taking over chain boutiques, high turnover, downsized food courts.   

So of course, I rarely visit the mall.  I shop online, I run to Target, I find other ways to shop.   And I miss the old fashioned malls from my childhood and teen years.

What are your shopping mall memories?  Have you seen the same trajectory with shopping malls in your area?   Are there any malls that still thrive?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below. 

Did You Know Tuesday: Hula Hoops

What?  Don't you hula hoop while vacuuming?  It's my favorite way to exercise while doing housework!   (Not really, but it does look like fun.)

Hula hoops - I think we all played with them as kids.  They are such a simple toy, but lots of fun, especially outdoors in summer.  

I was surprised to learn that hula hoops have been around since ancient times in Greece.  In the 1300s they came to Great Britain.  Later when British sailors travelled to the Hawaiian Islands, they saw hula dancers, and invented the phrase "hula hoop" for this toy.

The hula hoop toy as we know it was invented in 1958 by Arthur K. "Spud" Melin and Richard Knerr.  Hula hoops were a tremendous hit with children and teens, and over twenty million hula hoops sold in just six months. They were made by Wham-O toys and originally sold for just $1.98.

Shoop Shoop hula hoops, introduced in 1965, made noise when you played with them.  Originally this came from little walnut shell pieces, which were later replaced with BBs.  I loved Shoop Shoop hula hoops as a little girl!  Below, you'll find a vintage ad for this toy:

I've often thought that it would be fun to have a hula hoop again for exercise.  I wonder if I would still be able to hula hoop.  How about you -- do you remember this toy?  Any memories to share?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Throwback Thursday - Records, Cassettes, 8-Tracks, or CDs: What Did You Grow Up With?

Music has been a big part of my life since childhood.   My parents felt the same way, and I grew up with music as a source of real happiness.  It still is for me.

Did you grow up with vinyl records (45's and LPs)?  I had records as a child - both kiddie records (Disney music, etc.) and 45's of favorite songs.  I played them on a little portable record player in my bedroom and in our basement while I rollerskated.  My parents also had a hi-fi stereo with a fabulous record collection.  They loved jazz (including big band), classic pop, the Rat Pack, Broadway musicals, and Christmas music.  This is all music from my childhood, and I love it to this day.

Did you have 8-tracks?  I never had an 8-track player, although I remember them in friends' cars!

Or did you grow up with cassettes (both the purchased ones and, of course, mixtapes too)?   I loved cassettes, and especially making mixtapes.  I went to an urban university and listened to a Sony Walkman on the subway and as I walked downtown to classes.  Cassettes remind me of my college years.

If you are young, maybe you grew up with CDs?   Even in this age of digital music, I still love CDs and have a bunch of them.  Of course, I especially love retro music on CDs!

How about you?  What are your music memories?   I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Did You Know Tuesday - Candy Corn

Anyone else love candy corn?  I have loved this Halloween candy since childhood ... and I still do.  (I do now read the packaging, because some of it contains gelatin, which is not vegetarian ... but I somehow always seem to find some candy corn out there without gelatin!)

Candy corn was invented in the 1880's by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia.  However, it was the the Goelitz Confectionery Company that popularized this candy in the early 20th century.  Goelitz originally marketed this candy as "chicken feed."  The three colors of the corn (yellow, orange, and white) were designed to look like a corn kernel.  It sold in 1950 for 25 cents a pound.

According to the National Confectioners Association, 35 million pounds of candy corn will be produced this year.  That is over 9 billion pieces!   Although it is high in sugar, it is a fat free candy.

October 30 is National Candy Corn day, just in case you want to stock up for the holiday.  Most people I know either love or hate candy corn -- how about you?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Throwback Thursday - Gauchos

Let's go back in the Way Back Machine to our teen years.  Think about what you wore.  What was the biggest fashion don't of your teens?   

Mine was definitely gauchos.  This happening style was basically knee length culottes with a lot of flare at the knees.  They were typically worn with vests, as pictured above, and with a snug knit top or silky Qiana patterned blouse.  Let me say that this was not a figure flattering look - on anyone!   And yet I wore it anyway.   I'm glad this was a short-lived fashion trend, and even happier that it has not been revived.

Did you ever wear gauchos?  What fashion don't did YOU wear in your teens?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Throwback Thursday - Comic Books

Did you know that September 25 is National Comic Book Day?   I just learned about this retro holiday, and it made me immediately think of comic books from my childhood.

My favorite was Archie, and the related Betty and Veronica comic books as well.  I thought these were really cool when I was little!   They were, of course, about teenage kids and as a little girl, I thought it was fun to read about their high school adventures.

Later I also discovered the Partridge Family comic books.   I was in elementary school when these were popular, and like most girls I knew, I had the biggest crush on David Cassidy.  So of course I loved the comic books, too!

Did you like comic books when you were growing up?  What were your favorites?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.