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.
November 3 is National Sandwich Day. I was curious about the history of sandwiches, so did a little reading.
Legend has it that sandwiches were invented by John Montague, the Earl of Sandwich, in England in 1765. He was a British statesman who often ate at his desk.
The first reference to sandwiches in America is in the cookbook Directions for Cookery by Eliza Leslie (1836). The cookbook included a recipe for a ham sandwich.
Sandwiches truly became popular in the United States in the 1900's, with the invention of sliced bread. (See my earlier post about the history of sliced bread - 1928 in the United States).
With all that said, what is your favorite sandwich? Although I love a good veggie sub, I will admit that my all time favorite sandwich is still peanut butter and honey on whole wheat bread (the peanut butter and honey must be blended, not just spread on bread). Let me know YOUR favorite in the comments, below.
"Instant Replay" by Dan Hartman was a disco hit in 1978. This song made it to 29 on the Billboard charts. This is a great example of 1970's disco dance music. It is a really fun song! Dan Hartman wrote and produced music for many other bands, both before and after this hit. He worked with: the Edgar Winter Group (he wrote "Free Ride"), James Brown (he wrote "Living in America"), Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, Nona Hendryx, the Plasmatics and Steve
Winwood. Sadly, he died in 1994, but he left a legacy of some great 1970's - 1980's music behind. I found a video of this song from the 1970's that I thought you might enjoy - this was the early day of music videos! Do you remember this tune? Do you like disco music? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
Hi vintage friends! Just a note to let you know I have many new listings at Birdhouse Books on eBay, and I am running a weekend sale on Halloween greeting cards and children's books. I just listed some fabulous vintage Christmas cards. I have a giant crate of cards to list still (literally hundreds of cards), so will be adding more weekly until Christmas. I also have some Bucilla needlework kits, vintage children's books, and other holiday items to list in the next few weeks. Please stay tuned! Here are a few vintage Christmas cards that I think you'll like. This beautiful vintage Christmas card was designed by children's illustrator Gyo Fujikawa:
This 1960's vintage Christmas card is by Hallmark. It features a French Horn and greenery.
This sweet Gibson Christmas Gems vintage card features angels and Baby Jesus.
This vintage card is by Gibson Christmas Gems, and depicts the three Wise Men.
This sweet retro card features a little girl playing a cello, and it is a Betsey Clark illustration.
I hope you found some goodies here. There are over 2000 additional books, cards, and ornaments at my store!
