Saturday, June 13, 2009

after 32 years...



i said goodbye to my white, 13", general electric, black and white tv:( it still worked but was officially outdated and no longer of any use as of yesterday (mid morning) when all tv signals were converted to digital.

~@~@~@~@~@~

looking back, i suppose i needed a tv of my own that year. if i remember correctly, my parents watched several shows (soap, rich man poor man, saturday night live, etc...) i didn't need to be watching.

whatever the reason, on Christmas morning, 1977, i awoke to find a baby doll, a tape recorder, a clue game, and a shiny white television of my very own under the Christmas tree.
santa rocked it that year:D


~@~@~@~@~@~

over the next several years, i recall watching many episodes of little house on the prairie, all in the family, the waltons, charlie's angels, one day at a time, alice, happy days, laverne and shirley, 3's company, etc...

i loved my tv!!!


~@~@~@~@~@~

then, in 1980, santa rocked it out again with an atari gaming system and a plethera of games. my little tv continued to be very appreciated while i played hours and hours of pac-man, pit-fall, missile command, frogger, galaga, donkey kong, etc...

~@~@~@~@~@~

while in my teens, i nightly dragged my little tv into the bathroom with me to watch hart to hart, dynasty, dallas, etc... while i took my nightly bubble bath.

one hour of pure heaven:)

~@~@~@~@~@~

as well, my companion went with me to college. my roommate and i watched our soaps on it everyday between classes. i watched as erica gave birth to bianca, as the buchanans returned to the old west, as victor and ashley danced in the snow outside on the balcony at the peppermint ball, and as monica unknowingly had an affair with her husband's nephew!!!

yes, i scheduled my classes around my soap operas, lol!!!

~@~@~@~@~@~

later, when john and i married, i often used it to listen to my soaps while lying in the sun. and too, john watched many a nascar race on it while piddling outside.

what a little gem!!!
(my tv and john;)

~@~@~@~@~@~

further, once katherine was old enough to toddle and play with her toys in her nursery, she too watched my little tv, which sat in her rocking chair. she enjoyed such pbs shows as barney, sesame street, reading rainbow, and thomas the train.

~@~@~@~@~@~

for years now, though, my television has occupied the rec room in our basement. it has been depended upon a countless number of times as we have hunkered down waiting for storms to pass...
tornado warnings to expire.

it has never once let us down when we've needed it.


and, do you know...
it worked as well yesterday morning as it did that Christmas morning all those years ago!!?!? the picture was perfect as was the sound; and, up until all the signals were switched over to digital, all three major stations plus fox and pbs were picked up by its original antenna.


~@~@~@~@~@~

rest in peace my friend;
you've been a good one:)

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

10 comments:

Sally said...

It really stinks when we're forced to say goodbye to old friends. :)

I used to watch every single one of the programs you mentioned!! And, Ashley is STILL (again) walking with Victor. hahahaha

Have a good day, Dani. ((hugs))

SuzanSayz said...

Dani, I absolutely LOVED this post.
I loved Laverne and Shirley, I remember a quote from some critic back then (who was lukewarm on the show) admit that it was impossible to watch an episode without laughing at least once.

So true so true.

You've made me feel nostalgic in so many ways.
One Christmas, I think it was Christmas at least, Don and I got two small black and white TV's for Donald and Heidi.
They too just watched those TV's to death. I remember being a little worried that they wouldn't like them because they were black and white but that didn't matter to them at all. I just know that they loved those little black and white TV's.

Jan said...

That is no fair Dani. What a bummer. Seems like our whole lives are going through changes right now. But it was fun going back with you for a bit. Seems so simple then.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely wonderful, charming post. I watched all those things while my kiddos watched.Of course I didn't grown up with TV, but that's how I felt when the radio was abandoned for the TV. We listened to soap operas, music shows, on Saturdays, there was "Let's Pretend." It was hosted by Cream of Wheat. It was fairy tales acted out over the radio.
Blessings
QMM

Elise said...

Hi Dani

Through your retired TV, I have had a wonderful trip down memory lane, through the 80s and 90s. I remember so many of those shows you mentioned and they were also favourites of mine.

Your TV certainly had a good innings and obviously served you well.

Dani, I am a little late in congratulating Chico on his graduation. The photos of Katherine and Chico are so beauty full. They look so happy.

I am an etsy fan and have bought a few things off Etsy. I always look at the profile, particulalry the feedback ratings that have been given to the seller. I think it is such a shame that you have had such problems. It certainly shouldn't be the case.

Love and hugs
Elise

Mozi Esme said...

Aww - what a lot of good memories!

Heidi D said...

Sigh. Memories. :) I got a little black and white tv for my birthday when I was 10 or 11.

Do you know what's funny? I thought I was so original when I would take my tv into the bathroom to enhance my bubble bath experience.

Tabitha said...

What a great post Dani ~ brought back lots of great memories! I too had an Atari game station ~ it was our pride and joy for years!
Thank you for this walk down memory lane!!
Love and great big hugs Tab XXXXX

Lisa Christine said...

This is your finest post ever! (except I feel a little sad about your TV :) )

Christy said...

Sounds like a great little TV. I can't believe it worked great for 30 years! AMAZING.