As a kid, I couldn't wait for summer vacation. When that last bell rang and the school doors flew open, we felt our freedom return, while teachers breathed a sigh of relief. The year was 1963, a time when kids had bicycles and endless adventures awaited us at every corner of our world. Armed with bags of peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches, we would finish our morning chores and then all meet up, eager to explore the forgotten roads and trails winding through the woods that surrounded us for miles.
Our bicycles were our horses, our race cars, and anything else we imagined them to be. Most of us rode Stingrays with banana seats and ape-hanger handlebars, which were all the rage back then. Typically, girls weren’t included, but a couple of them had the girl version of a Stingray, and we let them tag along if they could keep up with us.
We had no real sense of time, but our stomachs signaled when it was time for lunch, and when the sun began to set, it meant we needed to start heading home for supper. I remember my mom saying, “Hold on right there, young man! Look at yourself. Go clean up before you sit at my table.” Looking in the mirror, I would laugh at my grape jelly-covered shirt and mud-stained pants, my once white sneakers now brown. After a quick shower and clean clothes, I would sit down at the table as Dad peered over his evening newspaper with a grin.
Dinner at my house was always a feast because my mom believed it was the most important meal of the day, providing all the food groups necessary for growing strong and healthy. Each supper varied, usually consisting of pot roast with mashed potatoes, a garden salad, and bread and butter, or pork chops with boiled potatoes, and, of course, a garden salad along with celery and carrots. My favorite meal was spaghetti and meatballs, which my mom would simmer all day. With warm Italian bread and, yes, a garden salad, she was a fantastic cook, and my friends could hardly wait to be invited over for supper. This made me incredibly proud that my mom was the best cook in the neighborhood.
Not only could she cook, but her baked goods were also among my favorites, including pies and cakes. One of my favorites was her jelly roll, made using scraps of dough left over from pie crust, filled with grape jelly, rolled up, and baked to a golden brown. I can also still recall the glorious smell of bread baking on a cold winter day, greeting me at the door with a slice covered in butter, waiting for me at the table.
Summer vacation meant swimming in the river or creek, gathering worms at night by wetting the grass, and using a flashlight to grab them as they surfaced. We’d go fishing down by the canals, sometimes catching a fish or two to bring home for Mom to fry up.
There were no Game Boys or social media, no flat screens or computers. The only time we watched television was Saturday morning for cartoons and maybe one family night watching a black-and-white show, especially during Christmas, when several shows aired on the only three stations we had.
I remember each season and what they brought, but summer vacation in particular allowed us to explore our world on the coolest bikes around. We knew each day would end with a great supper and a bowl of hot popcorn while watching something on television as a family. These are memories that have become deeply embedded in my heart, remaining a part of who I grew up to be and the wonderful memories I cherish.
Mike 2025