1974

Growing up in NW Montana, Christmas break was spent mostly indoors. I watched a lot of TV. One thing I loved doing in those days was watch game shows on New Years Eve day to see how each show celebrated the New Year. My favorite was "Match Game" because it had the year in the name. The entire Match Game marquee would float down at the end of the show, and amid flashing lights and confetti, the new Match Game sign would rise: Match Game '75! New Years Eve was spent camped out in my parent's room, me on my Mom's bed, big brother on Dad's (yes, separate beds, just like Pillow Talk) and watch Dick Clark. 1974 was a big year for me. That was the year of the World's Fair in Spokane, WA. Also, there must have been an Olympics because I remember seeing Nadia Comeneche on TV advertising the World's Fair. Spokane was, to me, the big city. My Grandma would take the train to Spokane for shopping trips to the Bon Marche', it was big. I've inherited all of my Grandma's gloves and she had a million pair. I always get sentimental this time of year. My grandparents lived next door and whenever they would go out of town (shopping in Spokane) I would spend days over there by myself, sit in my Grandma's chair, control the TV, eat her candy and make calls on her groovy phone. My Grandma had long, manicured fingernails and used a special pen with a ball on one end for dialing her telephone. She also smoked Salem menthol cigarettes, which I also sampled. Grandmas always like the weirdest things, like those pepto bismol pink lozenges. Actually, I loved them, but the Uno Bars were disgusting. I used to beg to stay overnight at Grandma's, and then get crazy homesick the minute the lights went out and she would have to walk me to the back porch where my Mom (right next door) would meet me. Grandma was such a badass, she would arm herself with a giant pepper mill and you'd better believe she'd knock out any kooks who crossed her path. I miss you, Mommy Jane!