The Terrible Catsafterme

I remember a lot about moving day as we re-located our family from our home at 3574 Echo Hill Lane to our new digs at 3195 Winterset Drive about five minutes drive to an nice area also located in Beavercreek. I recall giving the Echo Hill house a hug goodbye (literally). I remember that it took place on Denise’s second birthday on April 8, 1978 – because I joked that the house was her birthday present, and was none too pleased that she was also receiving additional gifts. And I remember a certain black gentleman named Kenny Bailey who assisted with the moving who introduced me to the concept of putting sugar in my chili – which is what we served to all who helped with the moving. Kenny was an employee of Central Printing, Dad’s company who offered a free moving truck and driver to their employees when they moved.   Read the rest of this entry »

If memory serves me correctly, we had a most excellent New Years Eve bash leading into 1978. We gathered all of Mom’s family at Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Kruss, immersed ourselves in good food and drink, passed out party favors, watched the grown-ups get sloshed, and rang in the New Year. There is only piece of memory linking this fabulous party with this particular year and that is the memory of the sisters obsession with the song You Light Up My Life, which just a couple of months prior had topped the Billboard charts. The memory of this party is great one and I’m sure I’ve never topped this one with any New Years Eve for sheer enjoyment. Read the rest of this entry »

As far as my memory is concerned, Laddy was my first cat. Although we had a fleeting association with another feline, who remained nameless, at our home on John Glenn Road, I have no memory of any cat before Laddy. We’re not quite sure who named Laddy, but I suspect it was my Dad. He was a stray cat that initially hung out across the street at the Ferrenberg’s house, but one he started roaming over to our neck of the woods, we offered him some food, and Brenda Ferrenberg offered him to us. Read the rest of this entry »

I was very saddened when our cat Charcoal passed away during the Fall of 1977. In an effort to help me recover, my parents decided to get me a brand new kitten – another gray one – for Christmas that year. I first met Charcoal 2 (seen at left in late 1979) when he commenced meowing in the garage during breakfast on Christmas Eve. Read the rest of this entry »

There is something special about Christmas Eve 1977 that I can’t quite put my finger on. Somehow it epitomized my entire existence in the 70’s on Echo Hill Lane. It is fondly remembered as one of the greatest Christmases of my life, although I can scarcely remember any particulars of the evening. Yet still I can perfectly visualize sitting on our green couch in front of the roaring fire, A Very Mancini Christmas album playing on the reel-to-reel tape, with family surrounding me as we spent our very last holiday season in this house. Read the rest of this entry »