Oh you know what? You are right. That's the one with the man's face on it! I got them mixed up! Remember the jack-in-the-box and the slide projector thing that you could slip a round disk of negatives in it and flip the lever on the side and rotate the pic's? And the dolls we could get at the service station when Mom and Dad filled up? AND....Those metal dollhouses?

I don't remember who mentioned tether ball, but I use to love to play that! Those really were the days!

JJ

I forgot all about chinese jumprope. It was one of my favorites!!! What about Razzle Dazzle, Dippity? hahahahahahaha!!
Chatty, you are soooo hilarious!!! Jacks or better!!! I was sitting here thinking about a road trip to Maryland! Wouldn't that be a surprise!?

Cracker Barrel has the original Jacks and ball. The metallic jacks and red ball. I bought some recently and tried them. Found out I could still do it. My husband tried also. He was the champion player at his small school in Arkansas. My daughter loves them. They are a joyful memory.
I am writing a book of childhood memories with my two sisters and I wrote a short story about the time I finally learned to play Jacks.

sandpiper, you need to meet Lina. She's the author of Carousel Kisses. It's a collection of stories about her childhood. Look for her in here.

This is funny, but boys didn't play jacks in my neighborhood. I'm not sure why, but they didn't.

Thanks Dotsie. I'll look Lina up. Would love to hear about her book. Our book came about because we had repeatedly asked our parents to write down their memories. They said they couldn't write them so we got them a tape player but they never got around to doing it. So, they are both gone and their stories and memories with them.
I am intent on having some collections for my children, siblings, neices and nephews.
I think my hubby is the only guy I know who can play jacks.
Nice to meet all of you. I was born in november 1949.

I remember jacks, marbles, and roller skates! In fact, I have a collection of old toys from my childhood. I taught my grandsons how to play Jacks and they loved it. Pretty surprising since they usually play those hand held computer games for hours! I think kids of today are cheated out of using their imaginations, when they spend their time watching TV or playing video games all day.

When I was a child, my brother and I would spend summers with my grandparents. We’d beg Granny for a quarter-a-piece, and walk up the hill to Simon’s store. There were so many things to choose from; Dixie cups of ice cream with little wooden spoons, Moon Pies, cookies, all sorts of penny candies, and the bubblegum machine. I’d spend most of my money trying to get the speckled gumballs. If you got one, you’d get a free nickel’s worth of candy! I remember putting nine pennies in and getting three speckled gumballs! I felt like I’d won a million dollars! Fifteen cents bought me an Orange Crush “dope”, ( that’s what we called soda pop in NC), a Moon Pie, and some Kits, which cme in chocolate, banana, strawberry and vanilla, and I still had change left!

We’d walk back down the hill and play hide-and-seek, Red Rover, or marbles. Sometimes we’d play in Grandpa’s wood shed. We’d build forts or try to build a go-cart, (without an engine of course!) If it was really hot, we’d go down and wade in the creek bottom that sparkled with mica. I always though that it was gold and would carry some back in my pocket. It was what Grandpa called “fool’s gold,” but I didn’t care. It was still beautiful to me!

And I remember this one jump rope song:

Candy Store

I met my boyfriend at the candy store
He bought me ice cream
He bought me cakes
He brought me home with a bellyache

Momma, Momma
I'm so sick
Call the doctor
Quick, quick, quick

Doctor, doctor
Will I die?
Count to five and you'll be alive
1,2,3,4,5
I'M ALIVE

Does anyone from the south remember the Burma Shave ads that were posted on several signs along sections of roads?

His cheek
Was rough
His chick vamoosed
And now she won't
Come home to roost
Burma-Shave

I'd heard it praised
By drug store clerks
I tried the stuff
Hot dog!
It works
Burma-Shave

And one I wrote:

When Daddy gives my mom a smootch
She says his face feels like a pooch!
So to get his whiskers to behave
We had to buy some Burma Shave!

Thanks for the memories! I love this site!

Wow! Do you ever have a good memory! Yes, I do remember the Burma Shave billboards. They were fun to read as we drove along.

Question: Does ayone remember the game this saying goes to??? RED ROVER, RED ROVER LET JJ COME OVER or LET SMILE COME OVER or so forth and so on. I remember the saying but not what game it was....

Chatty Lady....Oh, I remember playing Red Rover...
We would get into 2 lines facing each other, we would link arms together and yell...Red Rover, Red Rover, send JJ right over. Then, JJ would run from the oppostite line and try to crash through our arms. It's a wonder to me that we didn't have our arms broken! Sometimes the kids would just hang on our arms without breaking through. Remember it now???
We played that game alot!

I remember that game too...Smiles was always breaking thru the line...I just bounced off of it.

Sandpiper, I use to be an avid "Jacks" player and absolutely loved it. Hadn't thought of that in years. I'll have to run over to our local Cracker Barrel and get me a set.

Also, if you talk to Lina, get her to show you her dollhouse...to die for! It is precious and she has wonderful ideas. Very creative.

p.s. Where are my manners? WELCOME!

JJ