Back in 1992 when we were house hunting in the Fredericksburg area, my husband and I spent an evening in a pub in the old downtown district called The Irish Brigade. It became a favorite hangout once we moved there, but that night we were just looking for a bite and a pint. We became more than pleasantly surprised when we were graced with the fun lyrics, engaging harmony and beautiful vocals, especially of the female member of a group called "eddie from ohio."
Eddie Hartness, Robbie Schaefer, Michael Clem and Julie Murphy were then and are still known affectionately to fans as EFO and just happen to be an all Virginia quartet who grew up in the McLean area. Robbie and Michael (as proved by some web site photos) attended Lewinsville Elementary and McLean High School. Julie (now Julie Murphy Wells) went to Marshall and Eddie to W&L in Arlington.
That night was terrific and we chatted with the band enough to discover the McLean connection (not to be confused with the French-type Connection), and in Julie we found a fellow Virginia Tech Alum. (The guys went to JMU.)
Although the chatting was fun, it was their music that was the real entertainment. They performed a few recognizable tunes, but their original songs were the heart of the show, many of which are met with applause and audience-joined voices when played at concerts today.
As I was reviewing our EFO musical collection for this post, I played some favorite selections that are representative of their unique style that is most-closely called folk music. This is evidenced by their participation in Folk Festivals across the country. But "folk" is by no means a complete description of their music which includes flavors of standards, country, light rock, Irish and Blue Grass. This combination is, at least in part, what gives "Eddie From Ohio" their character and devoted following. They are not a copy, but singly and together are originals providing a continued freshness making them a band to see over and over.
From that evening in '92 to today you will hear them sing about various topics, sometimes fun and often emotional, but highly-requested and classic EFO songs let you know where home is - Virginia. Recorded live at the Birchmere on April 14, 1992 is an early song which tells the story of "The Three Fine Daughters of Farmer Brown," who were "Breakin' hearts in Halifax County." And, some of the cleverest and most endearing lyrics to any Virginian (and McLeanite) must be from "Old Dominion" - an anthem celebrating the love and beauty of their home state. I would like to provide you all the words to this great song, but you'll have to go to their web site at http://www.efohio.com/ and order the CD "Looking Out the Fishbowl." But as a teaser, here are some selected lyrics (Clem, J. Fish Music/ASCAP):
"You think that autumns in New England are the
greatest of them all
but give me sweet Virginia for the fireworks of Fall"
...
"When you're talking home, you mean the Old Dominion
Just southeast of Heaven to the surf and the hills
She's the best of 13 sisters and 37 more
Sweet sweet Virginia always keeps and open door"
Among this group's credits are 9 CDs (plus solo releases), numerous Folk Festivals, coast to coast shows including the Birchmere and Wolf Trap, satellite radios sessions (check out The Loft at XM 50) and concerts with "Toad the Wet Sprocket," Jonatha Brooke and others.
I don't know how many times we've seen them, but in addition to the great venues already mentioned, early in their career we caught them at small NoVA clubs/restaurants (including several in Fredericksburg), and most recently at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg. They play to hundreds or thousands, but always with the same enthusiasm.
As well as history, bios and photos worth taking a look at (like those of Mike and Robbie at Lewinsville Elem), EFO's web site has a current schedule, CDs , and links to their individual sites.
For a great evening of music with a plus, I can't recommend them more highly. We love "Eddie From Ohio" and I think you will, too!!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Invitation...
I promised my next post would be about a great band - Eddie from Ohio, but I'm going to sneak a in quick post to say HI!! to all my McLean Facebook friends who may be dropping in here for the first time. Glad you stopped by, hope you'll read some of the old posts and leave a favorite Memory of McLean - a Great Place to Grow Up!! I know we'd all like hearing from you!!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Facebook Friends of McLean, Virginia
Facebook is an amazing place!! I can hardly call it a web site. It's a gathering place - guess that's why it's called a social network. At times I feel like my past and present are "Face to Facebook." I've found so many of my Langley friends and more are joining every day. Some I've known all my life and and all for most of my life!! So here's to each of you!! I see your faces, hear your voices and feel your spirits with me each time I log on!!
Thinking about the McLean members of Facebook, I decided it was time to resurrect my challenge to list the stores in Salona Village. Those of you who've been with me a while, go back and take another look at the old post and see what you can do. And to any new visitors....HELP!!! There is an old post that describes my "challenge."
Maybe one of the McLeanites new to this blog will step up to the challenge....some still live in the area and they can go check it out and tell us what's in Salona Village today. Remember.....I'm ONLY asking for the list of stores (in order) that were in the strip across from the Safeway - from left to right as you face the strip - Circa the late 60s. And don't forget - there is still that terrific prize waiting for the first one to get the list right!!!
Since we're talking about a shopping center, tell us what your favorite store was in Salona. For fun, include a memory or let us know why the store was/is your favorite.
I'll go first.....At different times in my life, my favorite store probably changed, but mostly it would have to be Mesmerelda's!! What a neat shop! There was always so much fun stuff to look at and occasionally buy for that special gift. I loved going in there!!
Here are a couple of other McLean shorts (not from Salona) that might trigger a memory in you.
Junior year at Langley, I worked at Eleanor's Town and Country in the Giant shopping center...(as did someone who recently joined Facebook...). The liquor store was next door and occasionally I was sent over there to get change. One day...TRUE STORY!!...Eleanor's window displays were being changed just as a man came out of the liquor store clutching the top of a small brown bag like he was holding a chicken by its neck. He saw the naked mannequins, his eyes got big and as he swaggered by, he chucked his bag into the trash can and kept going as if nothing had happened. I told the story at the dinner table that night and all my Dad said was that I was not to go in the liquor store any more! I thought it was funny....guess his sense of humor switch was not on. All he could see was his little girl in a liquor store and what would people think!! (I was only 16 and could probably have passed for a couple of years younger.)
How funny it is today to think about what folks thought of liquor stores back then. Fathers are protective of their "little" girls, but maybe some of Dad's attitude came from running liquor in southwestern VA during prohibition...but that's really another story!!
The summer after my freshman or sophomore year at VA Tech, I convinced my Mom to get me a bottle of rum. We went into that same liquor store, which still had a counter with a clerk who got what you wanted - no self serve. Mom asked for the rum...but was stumped when the man asked her what kind....she turned to me and inquired, "What kind?" You know how the rest of that story goes....the funny part was that it was her first time in a liquor store. Teachers weren't real people - it was not "appropriate" for her to be seen in a liquor store. We never went anywhere without hearing some young person call "Mrs. Parker....Mrs. Parker...." She may have slipped in and out of the liquor store that day without being "caught," but, I'll always remember it with a chuckle.
I look forward to hearing your stories!!
Thinking about the McLean members of Facebook, I decided it was time to resurrect my challenge to list the stores in Salona Village. Those of you who've been with me a while, go back and take another look at the old post and see what you can do. And to any new visitors....HELP!!! There is an old post that describes my "challenge."
Maybe one of the McLeanites new to this blog will step up to the challenge....some still live in the area and they can go check it out and tell us what's in Salona Village today. Remember.....I'm ONLY asking for the list of stores (in order) that were in the strip across from the Safeway - from left to right as you face the strip - Circa the late 60s. And don't forget - there is still that terrific prize waiting for the first one to get the list right!!!
Since we're talking about a shopping center, tell us what your favorite store was in Salona. For fun, include a memory or let us know why the store was/is your favorite.
I'll go first.....At different times in my life, my favorite store probably changed, but mostly it would have to be Mesmerelda's!! What a neat shop! There was always so much fun stuff to look at and occasionally buy for that special gift. I loved going in there!!
Here are a couple of other McLean shorts (not from Salona) that might trigger a memory in you.
Junior year at Langley, I worked at Eleanor's Town and Country in the Giant shopping center...(as did someone who recently joined Facebook...). The liquor store was next door and occasionally I was sent over there to get change. One day...TRUE STORY!!...Eleanor's window displays were being changed just as a man came out of the liquor store clutching the top of a small brown bag like he was holding a chicken by its neck. He saw the naked mannequins, his eyes got big and as he swaggered by, he chucked his bag into the trash can and kept going as if nothing had happened. I told the story at the dinner table that night and all my Dad said was that I was not to go in the liquor store any more! I thought it was funny....guess his sense of humor switch was not on. All he could see was his little girl in a liquor store and what would people think!! (I was only 16 and could probably have passed for a couple of years younger.)
How funny it is today to think about what folks thought of liquor stores back then. Fathers are protective of their "little" girls, but maybe some of Dad's attitude came from running liquor in southwestern VA during prohibition...but that's really another story!!
The summer after my freshman or sophomore year at VA Tech, I convinced my Mom to get me a bottle of rum. We went into that same liquor store, which still had a counter with a clerk who got what you wanted - no self serve. Mom asked for the rum...but was stumped when the man asked her what kind....she turned to me and inquired, "What kind?" You know how the rest of that story goes....the funny part was that it was her first time in a liquor store. Teachers weren't real people - it was not "appropriate" for her to be seen in a liquor store. We never went anywhere without hearing some young person call "Mrs. Parker....Mrs. Parker...." She may have slipped in and out of the liquor store that day without being "caught," but, I'll always remember it with a chuckle.
I look forward to hearing your stories!!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Earth Day - April 22, 1970 - 2009
Earth Day - Who Knew?
Another reason living in McLean was cool was that we adjoined Washington DC. We were a small town, with a small town feel and comfort, and yet, nearly on top of the city that is home to the head of the free world.
Perhaps these juxtapositions went unnoticed in 1970, but maybe that's because we participated. So "NIMBY" became "RIMBY," Right In My Back Yard. And, for a number of us that was true. I probably lived as close to DC as I did to downtown McLean, which I think was 3 miles.
On April 22, 1970 I think we planted trees and some went to the rally in DC, and we talked about ecology, and had great dreams of a clean future.
Created by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, Earth Day was a (shall I really say it...) grass roots organization. After living through big, polluting cars and combustible rivers (Cuyahoga River caught fire 10 times in the 1960s), we thought it was time to take action. So high schools, elementary schools, mothers, and others began making changes. Main Street, USA became involved. There were rallies, speakers, and small groups nationwide that realized and told us that we needed to reevaluate our relationship with Mother Earth.
Conservation was the topic of conversation - save the trees!!!
"Conserve Water, Shower with a Friend!"
The first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, came in my Senior year at Langley HS in McLean. And although I was too shy to participate in many school activities, I did go to DC.
In the decade that followed people began trying to take action. By the end of 1970 the EPA was created. The Clean Air Act had modifications. The Superfund was established to clean us toxic waste. The 20 million people who participated in 1970 just got the ball rolling. According to the Earth Day Network, More than 1 BILLION people world-wide will be involved in some way with Earth Day 2009. (The Earth Day Network is located at 1616 P St. NW, Washington DC.)
We now have Green Products of all kinds, Green Homes, Green Schools and a Green Network on TV. Even your grandmother talks about Global Warming and Sustainability.
I am not going to make this controversial and discuss the pros and cons of who's doing or not doing what. I just want to Remember that Day in 1970 and know that it changed the way I live.
I am lucky to live in another wonderful community where Green is really important to almost everyone, and a frequent topic of conversation in relation to construction of homes and schools, water runoff, and preservation of local creeks. Reusable shopping bags are commonplace in grocery stores. And one of the latest projects is planting Sequoias in Blacksburg. It has been proven that they will live here and there are some up for adoption to be relocated to proper environments and cared for by local residents.
We all know that we're just custodians of the earth, we should do a good job and leave it better than when we arrived.
Happy Earth Day!!!
Do something good for the earth.
Do something good for yourself!!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Virginia Tech - April 16, 2007
Forever emblazoned in our minds and hearts are the 32 joys lost that day - the sons and daughters, mothers and fathers and Hokie brothers and sisters I wish I had known and that will always be a part of me.
It may sound trite, but the thought of them is often in my mind and never out of my heart. It was two years ago yesterday that their spirits, mostly known only to family and friends, were introduced to the world.
The complexities and subtleties of the emotions of families, friends and strangers, will never be fully exposed. For each it is personal, but for all it is universal.
Until that day, I knew not a one, yet now I am allowed to know them by name, face and sometimes by their dreams and passions. And yet, I feel that is presumptuous - presumptuous to the parents who say "You did not know my child," or to the wife who might think "You can't know what my husband felt." And they are right...I, and the millions of others who express their sadness, have no right to claim any intimacy with their loved ones. But we, especially those of us who live in Blacksburg and are fellow Hokies, have been given so much and let in far enough to their worlds that we do feel a sense of personal loss.
This is part of the complexity - not knowing the individual, but feeling their loss. When one life is lost, it should be personal to the world. Yet it is perhaps the most private of experiences. And, until yesterday, I thought I was allowed to feel it more personally because I live in Blacksburg and April 16th happened in my backyard. But the memorial events and the exhibits of art and letters spread across multiple Blacksburg and Virginia Tech venues shook me a bit reminding me that loss is far-reaching, sometimes much more than we realize.
The family and friends of those lost have every right to want to hold their feelings close, but that day and the 2 years that have followed, introduced 32 individual spirits to the world. We have embraced them, felt love, sadness, beauty, awe and honor to have shared in this very private loss. Is is with the greatest respect I thank all who have allowed me this privilege.
Like love, grief has no limits. It is felt and expressed not asking for anything in return.
We acknowledge it but do not comprehend it, we accept it but do not want to, and we experience it personally and communally.
I write this, not just to give life to my feelings, but to remind all of the fragility of life and strength with which we must live it. We realize how personal it is and yet should not forget that one life, each life, is a pebble tossed in a pond that ripples endlessly.
Be kind, show compassion, and express love as often as you can. I know there are 32 souls and a world who would be happier if you did.
Thank You for allowing me to take this space to share a moment in my life.
And to those who think life is but a set of moments strung together, don't be so short-sighted not to realize how far one life can reach. Thirty-two lives have touched the corners of this earth, been seen by the heavens and found a home in my heart.
In closing, I quote a hauntingly beautiful song played at the Convocation in Blacksburg April 17th 2007.
Walk humbly, son
Walk humbly, now
And cherish every step
For a life well spent
On this earth we're lent
Will be marked by the void you have left.
From "Walk Humbly Son"
[Personal thanks to McLeanites "Eddie from Ohio" for use of their song "Walk Humbly Son" (credits to Michael Clem, J. Fish Music/ASCAP). Look for an upcoming post on "Eddie From Ohio" and visit their website at http://www.efohio.com/]
It may sound trite, but the thought of them is often in my mind and never out of my heart. It was two years ago yesterday that their spirits, mostly known only to family and friends, were introduced to the world.
The complexities and subtleties of the emotions of families, friends and strangers, will never be fully exposed. For each it is personal, but for all it is universal.
Until that day, I knew not a one, yet now I am allowed to know them by name, face and sometimes by their dreams and passions. And yet, I feel that is presumptuous - presumptuous to the parents who say "You did not know my child," or to the wife who might think "You can't know what my husband felt." And they are right...I, and the millions of others who express their sadness, have no right to claim any intimacy with their loved ones. But we, especially those of us who live in Blacksburg and are fellow Hokies, have been given so much and let in far enough to their worlds that we do feel a sense of personal loss.
This is part of the complexity - not knowing the individual, but feeling their loss. When one life is lost, it should be personal to the world. Yet it is perhaps the most private of experiences. And, until yesterday, I thought I was allowed to feel it more personally because I live in Blacksburg and April 16th happened in my backyard. But the memorial events and the exhibits of art and letters spread across multiple Blacksburg and Virginia Tech venues shook me a bit reminding me that loss is far-reaching, sometimes much more than we realize.
The family and friends of those lost have every right to want to hold their feelings close, but that day and the 2 years that have followed, introduced 32 individual spirits to the world. We have embraced them, felt love, sadness, beauty, awe and honor to have shared in this very private loss. Is is with the greatest respect I thank all who have allowed me this privilege.
Like love, grief has no limits. It is felt and expressed not asking for anything in return.
We acknowledge it but do not comprehend it, we accept it but do not want to, and we experience it personally and communally.
I write this, not just to give life to my feelings, but to remind all of the fragility of life and strength with which we must live it. We realize how personal it is and yet should not forget that one life, each life, is a pebble tossed in a pond that ripples endlessly.
Be kind, show compassion, and express love as often as you can. I know there are 32 souls and a world who would be happier if you did.
Thank You for allowing me to take this space to share a moment in my life.
And to those who think life is but a set of moments strung together, don't be so short-sighted not to realize how far one life can reach. Thirty-two lives have touched the corners of this earth, been seen by the heavens and found a home in my heart.
In closing, I quote a hauntingly beautiful song played at the Convocation in Blacksburg April 17th 2007.
Walk humbly, son
Walk humbly, now
And cherish every step
For a life well spent
On this earth we're lent
Will be marked by the void you have left.
From "Walk Humbly Son"
[Personal thanks to McLeanites "Eddie from Ohio" for use of their song "Walk Humbly Son" (credits to Michael Clem, J. Fish Music/ASCAP). Look for an upcoming post on "Eddie From Ohio" and visit their website at http://www.efohio.com/]
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Easter Bonnets, Gardenias and School Shoes
I was thinking about what we did with the onset of spring. It brought Easter, wearing a hat to church (even when I was very little - especially when I was little!), shopping for new clothes and planning for summer vacation.
I remember having 2 hats - one that looked like it was lace or crocheted thread, almost helmet-shaped, with a small brim, and the iconic girls' white hat with a navy blue ribbon, bow in the back and streamers. That hat was okay, but the white lace helmet felt like it had been coated with glue and stuck on a bowl until it dried forming a perfect large grapefruit rind that I had to force onto my head. It had something that poked my ears like needles and no matter how much I fidgeted, I was going to have to wear that ^%$&* hat!!
Every Easter, my dad would get my mother and me corsages - gardenias, always gardenias - and to this day, I can smell a gardenia if I just think about one. I still love their unmistakably sweet, pungent aroma. I have tried to grow them several times without success, so the memory is all the more precious. And it overshadows the wearing of that porcupine some salesperson convinced my mother was a hat!!
Those who know me well enough will appreciate this next story. One spring, my mother bought me 3 beautiful new pairs of shoes - each costing $15 - a lot in the mid-1960s!! Who knew that it would be the same summer my feet would take a growth spurt from little girl's shoe sizes into the size 4 of a "grownup," which they still are to this day!! But I remember the celebration and cheers I got from my friends that I had graduated to shoe sizes they'd been wearing for years!! And I must have been in my 40s before I stopped hearing my mother remind me that I only wore each pair once!! What was nearly traumatic then, makes me smile today. How different 30 years of experiences places on our perspective in life.
That wasn't the only challenging shoe episode I managed to survive. One day, as I walked up the wide promenade into Langley HS, I felt a slight, but obvious limp in my gait. When I looked down, to my great horror I was wearing 2 different shoes...one blue and one green, with different heal heights. Today I might think it funny enough to keep going (Not!), but then, the embarrassment would have been more than I could endure for a whole school day thinking that all 1600 students' 3200 eyes were concentrated on MY feet!!! I went directly to the office, called my mom who was teaching at Cooper and begged her to bring me the car so that I could go home and get matching shoes - at that point I think any two shoes that were at least the same color would have been better. My sweet mom got the principal to take her class and brought me the car, I ran her back down 193 to Cooper and managed to get home, get a pair of shoes and back before first period was over - and I know that Wayne Chester and my fellow Journalists on the staff of the newspaper thought I was just on a special story assignment......we got away with a lot in the mornings that year.
Spring in McLean brought warm beautiful days, new Madras shorts, laying in the grass visualizing cloud animals and engaging in conversations about which Beatle was our favorite - all very appropriate and important pursuits for a young girl.
The whole world should be so lucky as we were growing up in McLean!!
I remember having 2 hats - one that looked like it was lace or crocheted thread, almost helmet-shaped, with a small brim, and the iconic girls' white hat with a navy blue ribbon, bow in the back and streamers. That hat was okay, but the white lace helmet felt like it had been coated with glue and stuck on a bowl until it dried forming a perfect large grapefruit rind that I had to force onto my head. It had something that poked my ears like needles and no matter how much I fidgeted, I was going to have to wear that ^%$&* hat!!
Every Easter, my dad would get my mother and me corsages - gardenias, always gardenias - and to this day, I can smell a gardenia if I just think about one. I still love their unmistakably sweet, pungent aroma. I have tried to grow them several times without success, so the memory is all the more precious. And it overshadows the wearing of that porcupine some salesperson convinced my mother was a hat!!
Those who know me well enough will appreciate this next story. One spring, my mother bought me 3 beautiful new pairs of shoes - each costing $15 - a lot in the mid-1960s!! Who knew that it would be the same summer my feet would take a growth spurt from little girl's shoe sizes into the size 4 of a "grownup," which they still are to this day!! But I remember the celebration and cheers I got from my friends that I had graduated to shoe sizes they'd been wearing for years!! And I must have been in my 40s before I stopped hearing my mother remind me that I only wore each pair once!! What was nearly traumatic then, makes me smile today. How different 30 years of experiences places on our perspective in life.
That wasn't the only challenging shoe episode I managed to survive. One day, as I walked up the wide promenade into Langley HS, I felt a slight, but obvious limp in my gait. When I looked down, to my great horror I was wearing 2 different shoes...one blue and one green, with different heal heights. Today I might think it funny enough to keep going (Not!), but then, the embarrassment would have been more than I could endure for a whole school day thinking that all 1600 students' 3200 eyes were concentrated on MY feet!!! I went directly to the office, called my mom who was teaching at Cooper and begged her to bring me the car so that I could go home and get matching shoes - at that point I think any two shoes that were at least the same color would have been better. My sweet mom got the principal to take her class and brought me the car, I ran her back down 193 to Cooper and managed to get home, get a pair of shoes and back before first period was over - and I know that Wayne Chester and my fellow Journalists on the staff of the newspaper thought I was just on a special story assignment......we got away with a lot in the mornings that year.
Spring in McLean brought warm beautiful days, new Madras shorts, laying in the grass visualizing cloud animals and engaging in conversations about which Beatle was our favorite - all very appropriate and important pursuits for a young girl.
The whole world should be so lucky as we were growing up in McLean!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Sorry for the long delay in posting....I've probably lost a bunch of you, but I hope we can get back on track. So much happened around the holidays....
In response to the sledding comment....I, also, remember long sledding trains through Chesterbrook Woods. It seemed like there would be 20 sleds chained together - toes hooked into the front of the one behind. Do kids do this any more? With the recent snow here in SW VA, it was the adults I know that went "coasting."
But as kids we'd hook up so many sleds that the last ones would get whipped around the corners and not always make the turn. I know that I was dumped more than once....and had a pretty good crash with two sleds colliding side to side. There were 2 of us laying on one sled. I was on top and steering. The second sled was 3 people sitting. They were half way down the hill before I took off, but we still caught up and to keep us from smashing into each other, the guy controlling the other sled gave us a gentle push sideways. The road must have been solid ice because we veered off and hit a pile of packed snow and flipped into a shoveled driveway. That was one bloody night....when faces hit pavement it makes a real mess!! All survived!!
That may not sound like fun, but it is those kinds of events by which life is made memorable.
My brother told me that I was the only person he knew who could laugh and cry at the same time....I don't do it as much now....but I did that night. Do kids still do that? Do they still have the simple fun of putting on 6 layers of clothes til you can only walk like you're wearing a full body cast? Pulling on your boots and having to have your mother put her hands way up your sleeves to pull down your sweater under the coats? And ending up at someones house for hot chocolate with little marshmallows? And does anybody still go door to door carolling at Christmas?
Our great sledding escapades seemed to be after dark and it was safe and really fun!!!
I also remember building an igloo in a friend's driveway....it was big enough that I think 3 of us could get in and play.
They were the best winters - those of childhood.....the deepest snows, marathon Monopoly games, and gangs of friends playing all day 'cause school was out. There was one time about 1966 or 67 when we had snow after snow and were out of school for 11 days I think. Maybe that's when I learned to love hunkering down inside, playing cards and reading a book by the fire. I don't' get bored being in for days....there is so much to keep me happy inside....like blogs and Facebook, but also great books, old movies, and the cocoa has graduated to a glass of red wine or an Irish coffee. And once in a while....taking a dip in the hot tub with a bottle of tequila.
Some adults (at least one or two I know) appreciate their toys more than kids who want everything electronic....I love my PC, cell phone and MP3, but even more I love the fluid words of Ken Follett, Jose Cuervo and good friends.
I doubt McLean was any different in the love of childhood, great snows and warm fires, but what makes it special is that is was our childhood.
Do you have a favorite place you went sledding? Let us know. Chesterbrook Woods was full of hills....and the only way out from my house was up one of three hills....you could take the shorter steep route, or the long and more gradual slope - and mostly that depended on whether you were going up or down, and how much of a running start you needed if you were going up. My Dad always had a 4-wheel drive of come kind - and there weren't that many around then like there are today - and he was always pulling someone out of a ditch or a snow bank.
The good old days can be the good new days if we let them - there is little reason to let a number such as age stop us from making more memories. Yes there are memories to be made with children and grandchildren, but remember, if you're out there with them - those experiences will one day be their memories and they'll be warmed inside like by a cup of cocoa when they recollect the days of their youth.
In response to the sledding comment....I, also, remember long sledding trains through Chesterbrook Woods. It seemed like there would be 20 sleds chained together - toes hooked into the front of the one behind. Do kids do this any more? With the recent snow here in SW VA, it was the adults I know that went "coasting."
But as kids we'd hook up so many sleds that the last ones would get whipped around the corners and not always make the turn. I know that I was dumped more than once....and had a pretty good crash with two sleds colliding side to side. There were 2 of us laying on one sled. I was on top and steering. The second sled was 3 people sitting. They were half way down the hill before I took off, but we still caught up and to keep us from smashing into each other, the guy controlling the other sled gave us a gentle push sideways. The road must have been solid ice because we veered off and hit a pile of packed snow and flipped into a shoveled driveway. That was one bloody night....when faces hit pavement it makes a real mess!! All survived!!
That may not sound like fun, but it is those kinds of events by which life is made memorable.
My brother told me that I was the only person he knew who could laugh and cry at the same time....I don't do it as much now....but I did that night. Do kids still do that? Do they still have the simple fun of putting on 6 layers of clothes til you can only walk like you're wearing a full body cast? Pulling on your boots and having to have your mother put her hands way up your sleeves to pull down your sweater under the coats? And ending up at someones house for hot chocolate with little marshmallows? And does anybody still go door to door carolling at Christmas?
Our great sledding escapades seemed to be after dark and it was safe and really fun!!!
I also remember building an igloo in a friend's driveway....it was big enough that I think 3 of us could get in and play.
They were the best winters - those of childhood.....the deepest snows, marathon Monopoly games, and gangs of friends playing all day 'cause school was out. There was one time about 1966 or 67 when we had snow after snow and were out of school for 11 days I think. Maybe that's when I learned to love hunkering down inside, playing cards and reading a book by the fire. I don't' get bored being in for days....there is so much to keep me happy inside....like blogs and Facebook, but also great books, old movies, and the cocoa has graduated to a glass of red wine or an Irish coffee. And once in a while....taking a dip in the hot tub with a bottle of tequila.
Some adults (at least one or two I know) appreciate their toys more than kids who want everything electronic....I love my PC, cell phone and MP3, but even more I love the fluid words of Ken Follett, Jose Cuervo and good friends.
I doubt McLean was any different in the love of childhood, great snows and warm fires, but what makes it special is that is was our childhood.
Do you have a favorite place you went sledding? Let us know. Chesterbrook Woods was full of hills....and the only way out from my house was up one of three hills....you could take the shorter steep route, or the long and more gradual slope - and mostly that depended on whether you were going up or down, and how much of a running start you needed if you were going up. My Dad always had a 4-wheel drive of come kind - and there weren't that many around then like there are today - and he was always pulling someone out of a ditch or a snow bank.
The good old days can be the good new days if we let them - there is little reason to let a number such as age stop us from making more memories. Yes there are memories to be made with children and grandchildren, but remember, if you're out there with them - those experiences will one day be their memories and they'll be warmed inside like by a cup of cocoa when they recollect the days of their youth.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
July 4th Fireworks and Evans Farm Inn and Stuff
Thanks for the comments about fireworks in McLean and what you all did on Sunday night. But I still hope someone else reads the post about fireworks - I sure wish I knew where there were local McLean fireworks - we had to have had them....and parking on Dolly Madison and watching from there (other than DC and Wolf Trap) is all I remember.
On another note, it got so cold here in Blacksburg this evening that we ended up going to a bar to watch the *Hokie* football game vs Duke even though it was here in Lane Stadium. It was a sloppy game, a really sloppy game - and that may be kind, but a victory none the less.....The stats (except for fumbles) will make it sound a whole lot better than it was. But as I said - a win is a win in the BCS and ACC standings.
Anyway, we were sitting at the bar of the Rivermill on Draper Road in downtown Blacksburg and I met a Saxon....she just happened to be sitting next to me...a '92 LHS grad who lived in Great Falls - you know who you are and if you read this, I expect to hear from you...so you 90s grads - leave a comment. I'd like to hear from you...all though I initially said this blog was for those of us who grew up in the 50s - 70s, I would like to hear from you younger McLeaners. (I'm trying out some of the possible names for McLean residents.....)
I've been promising to get better at this blogging thing and so I'm going to try to add some pics - scans of postcards from Evans Farm Inn. So, you'll either see the pics or an apology. These vintage postcards could be yours.....I'm setting them aside for the contest prizes....dont lose out...go back to the contest postings and win one or more of these choice collectibles.
Thanks to you faithful readers for being here!!! But we need more.....the more folks out there reading and commenting, the more fun this will be, so please pass this along to your McLean friends - young and old!! Keep us going!!! I've got lots McLean balls to toss up in the air, but juggling with a partner is more fun!!
On another note, it got so cold here in Blacksburg this evening that we ended up going to a bar to watch the *Hokie* football game vs Duke even though it was here in Lane Stadium. It was a sloppy game, a really sloppy game - and that may be kind, but a victory none the less.....The stats (except for fumbles) will make it sound a whole lot better than it was. But as I said - a win is a win in the BCS and ACC standings.
Anyway, we were sitting at the bar of the Rivermill on Draper Road in downtown Blacksburg and I met a Saxon....she just happened to be sitting next to me...a '92 LHS grad who lived in Great Falls - you know who you are and if you read this, I expect to hear from you...so you 90s grads - leave a comment. I'd like to hear from you...all though I initially said this blog was for those of us who grew up in the 50s - 70s, I would like to hear from you younger McLeaners. (I'm trying out some of the possible names for McLean residents.....)
I've been promising to get better at this blogging thing and so I'm going to try to add some pics - scans of postcards from Evans Farm Inn. So, you'll either see the pics or an apology. These vintage postcards could be yours.....I'm setting them aside for the contest prizes....dont lose out...go back to the contest postings and win one or more of these choice collectibles.
Thanks to you faithful readers for being here!!! But we need more.....the more folks out there reading and commenting, the more fun this will be, so please pass this along to your McLean friends - young and old!! Keep us going!!! I've got lots McLean balls to toss up in the air, but juggling with a partner is more fun!!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Redskins and What Did We Do On Sunday Night?
As I wait for the Redskins Game to start within the hour, I am sitting at my computer playing those mind-freeing games that only take a part of my attention and allow me think about other things. And, so I started contemplating what we would be doing on a McLean Sunday night. The first answer that came to mind was Watching Ed Sullivan, of course. But then I remembered Disney, 60 Minutes and Star Trek and the occasional channel-changing battles. So.....what did you do on Sunday night?
None of this is really about McLean as none of the things I remembered were home town specific, except the Redskins, but I'd still like to know. What did your family and friends do on those last hours of the weekend?
And, as the "fireworks" came up on my computer screen after my last (winning) game of Spider Solitaire, I thought about what we did on the 4th of July. I know the 4th is long past, but I'm going there anyway.
We usually had fireworks in the front yard. Dad would set of the big ones and I'd get to write my name with sparklers and light those black snakes that ran all over the front porch that I loved and he hated becasue they left their black trails for days. Then we'd have neighbors over and grill burgers - probably venison burgers if you were at our house.
I was trying to remember who put off town fireworks in McLean. I remember (I think) parking on Dolly Madison Blvd. and watching fireworks from the car. These were put off by some organization like the Lion's Club, Veterans, or somebody like that. Who was it? Do you remember? And were they where I thought they were? Where were they actually set up? Were there other local fireworks? Did your neighborhood have their own? The only other "local" ones I remember, in addition to the National ones in DC which I did go to occasionally, were the ones at Wolf Trap.
All I can say about fireworks at Wolf Trap is ....... July 4, 1974.
(Okay, it's not all I can say, but it's important.) I was there with friends and as we waited for the excitement to start, the fireman doused the trees at the back of the natural amphitheatre to the left of the stage. It was dark and we were sitting on a blanket - typical for any time you'd watch fireworks and typical for any concert night at Wolf Trap. But this not to be a typical night. Eventually, the colorful show started to the cheers of the crowd and lasted about 5 minutes before a spark came down and hit the unused fireworks on the ground.....and it was the most spectacular show I've ever seen!!
Everybody ran for a few seconds, then some began to stop and the much smaller crowd turned back toward the trees and watched in silence and awe. The remainder of the show, except the finale, was ignited in one moment, one spectacular moment....and 30+ minutes of fireworks went off straight from the ground like one giant Roman Candle.
A few sparks reached the left side of the hill and, if I remember correctly, a couple of people were hurt, but not too badly. Everyone was very lucky!!!! And, if you managed to stay and not run all the way to your car - you saw a show to remember for the rest of your life!! I can't even offer enough adjectives to explain the beauty and power of the few minutes it took to complete the show. Oh what a night!!!
So, on those two typical American Family nights, what did you do? What happened in your life on Sunday after 7pm and what did you do in McLean on the 4th of July? Examining minds want to know, and so do I.
None of this is really about McLean as none of the things I remembered were home town specific, except the Redskins, but I'd still like to know. What did your family and friends do on those last hours of the weekend?
And, as the "fireworks" came up on my computer screen after my last (winning) game of Spider Solitaire, I thought about what we did on the 4th of July. I know the 4th is long past, but I'm going there anyway.
We usually had fireworks in the front yard. Dad would set of the big ones and I'd get to write my name with sparklers and light those black snakes that ran all over the front porch that I loved and he hated becasue they left their black trails for days. Then we'd have neighbors over and grill burgers - probably venison burgers if you were at our house.
I was trying to remember who put off town fireworks in McLean. I remember (I think) parking on Dolly Madison Blvd. and watching fireworks from the car. These were put off by some organization like the Lion's Club, Veterans, or somebody like that. Who was it? Do you remember? And were they where I thought they were? Where were they actually set up? Were there other local fireworks? Did your neighborhood have their own? The only other "local" ones I remember, in addition to the National ones in DC which I did go to occasionally, were the ones at Wolf Trap.
All I can say about fireworks at Wolf Trap is ....... July 4, 1974.
(Okay, it's not all I can say, but it's important.) I was there with friends and as we waited for the excitement to start, the fireman doused the trees at the back of the natural amphitheatre to the left of the stage. It was dark and we were sitting on a blanket - typical for any time you'd watch fireworks and typical for any concert night at Wolf Trap. But this not to be a typical night. Eventually, the colorful show started to the cheers of the crowd and lasted about 5 minutes before a spark came down and hit the unused fireworks on the ground.....and it was the most spectacular show I've ever seen!!
Everybody ran for a few seconds, then some began to stop and the much smaller crowd turned back toward the trees and watched in silence and awe. The remainder of the show, except the finale, was ignited in one moment, one spectacular moment....and 30+ minutes of fireworks went off straight from the ground like one giant Roman Candle.
A few sparks reached the left side of the hill and, if I remember correctly, a couple of people were hurt, but not too badly. Everyone was very lucky!!!! And, if you managed to stay and not run all the way to your car - you saw a show to remember for the rest of your life!! I can't even offer enough adjectives to explain the beauty and power of the few minutes it took to complete the show. Oh what a night!!!
So, on those two typical American Family nights, what did you do? What happened in your life on Sunday after 7pm and what did you do in McLean on the 4th of July? Examining minds want to know, and so do I.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
McLean on Jeopardy and Cash Cab
Well, we made another game show this evening!!
Yesterday it was Alex Trebek and Jeopardy, and tonight it was Ben Bailey and Cash Cab. If you've never seen Cash Cab, you should check it out...quite funny!! It's a trivia game show in Ben's taxi in NYC. While he drives people to their destinations, he asks them questions, if they get them right , they earn money, but if they get three wrong, it's three strikes and he puts them out on the street where ever they are.
The question tonight was What is the name of the neighborhood in McLean, Virginia where the CIA is located? Let's think about that for a moment...anyone have a guess, an Educated guess? The passenger contestants had to shout out for help from a stranger on the street - who happened to know that it is Langley!! Yeah!! But I bet they didn't know that it is also the name of a high school in McLean, and an Air Force Base in Hampton, VA !!
I think I'll keep a running list of McLean's mention on game shows. If you hear of any more, let us know.
Since it is said that things come in threes, think we'll get another mention tomorrow??
Keep your ears on and have a good evening!!
Yesterday it was Alex Trebek and Jeopardy, and tonight it was Ben Bailey and Cash Cab. If you've never seen Cash Cab, you should check it out...quite funny!! It's a trivia game show in Ben's taxi in NYC. While he drives people to their destinations, he asks them questions, if they get them right , they earn money, but if they get three wrong, it's three strikes and he puts them out on the street where ever they are.
The question tonight was What is the name of the neighborhood in McLean, Virginia where the CIA is located? Let's think about that for a moment...anyone have a guess, an Educated guess? The passenger contestants had to shout out for help from a stranger on the street - who happened to know that it is Langley!! Yeah!! But I bet they didn't know that it is also the name of a high school in McLean, and an Air Force Base in Hampton, VA !!
I think I'll keep a running list of McLean's mention on game shows. If you hear of any more, let us know.
Since it is said that things come in threes, think we'll get another mention tomorrow??
Keep your ears on and have a good evening!!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day - Go Vote ! !
GO VOTE ! !
Do we from McLean understand the responsibility and privilege of voting more than the general public? Did we grow up in an area so populated with various government employees, including Senators and Congressmen, that we're too casual about it? Or did it have an impact at all? What do you think?
I had (have) my favorite politician's kid - Mark Gibbons, if you're out there, please drop a line!!
I'm on my way to vote now and then I'm volunteering to be a Line Captain and help people waiting to vote. Not too bad here. Lines are about 10 minutes, so I've heard. But I want to do my part in this historic election.
Today, you know what to do, just do it!!!
GO VOTE ! !
I'm Carol Smith, and I approved this message.
Do we from McLean understand the responsibility and privilege of voting more than the general public? Did we grow up in an area so populated with various government employees, including Senators and Congressmen, that we're too casual about it? Or did it have an impact at all? What do you think?
I had (have) my favorite politician's kid - Mark Gibbons, if you're out there, please drop a line!!
I'm on my way to vote now and then I'm volunteering to be a Line Captain and help people waiting to vote. Not too bad here. Lines are about 10 minutes, so I've heard. But I want to do my part in this historic election.
Today, you know what to do, just do it!!!
GO VOTE ! !
I'm Carol Smith, and I approved this message.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The McLean Wayback Machine
Quick Note - I'll be out of town for a couple of days.....going to one of my favorite places - an Antique Show. This one happens to be in Charlotte, NC. I'll be back by the end of the week and will be thinking about where we'll go from here...I think the challenges will keep us busy for a while. I'm going to have to use my "Wayback Machine" and return to Salona Village circa 1965 to identify what businesses were there. And the first post that identifies what the "Wayback Machine" is will get an "Atta" (atta girl, atta boy) from me.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
CHALLENGES - aka CONTESTS ! !
Challenge #1
Come up with a name for the inhabitants of McLean. Refer to Post from 10/21 "People of McLean, Virginia." This is a contest with a PRIZE. Selection method and duration TBD.
Challenge #2
Challenge #2
BIGGER Challenge - BETTER Prize
Name the stores in Salona Village circa 1965 in order from left to right as you face the shopping center. Include only the ones ACROSS from the Safeway and IN the strip. Determination of correct list and duration TBD.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
People from McLean, Virginia
People from America are Americans; from France they are French; Switzerland, Swiss; and Greece, Greek. So, if you're native to McLean, you're and American, a Virginian, and a McLeanite? McLench? That sounds like something from the Golden Arches that I'd be a bit afraid of....so, I ask, what shall we call ourselves? Has anyone previously decided? Has the Washington Post had a contest to name the inhabitants of McLean? I think not. It would have been a good idea, but we've beaten them to the punch!! Let's declare ourselves (those of us who are from McLean of the 50s and 60s) the Board of Naming for the townsfolk of McLean and decide on a name for ourselves.
Have fun and send me the winning (not listed above) entry...I'll find some kind of appropriate prize...maybe I'll send you one of my vintage postcards of Evan's Farm Inn.
'Til then, keep sending in your favorite Memories of McLean.
What does it take to decide how one should address a group of people? I'm sure there are some "Robert's Rules of Naming" that should be followed, but since I don't have a copy of that surely officially documented guideline, let's establish our own rules and thus the title by which we want to be called as a people.
First, our group name should be derived from the town name of McLean. Seems pretty obvious. Second, our name should be derived from the town name of McLean. And Third, you guessed it, our name should be derived from the town name of McLean. It's the old rule in real estate - location, location, location. Is there really any other criteria which we should consider in this momentous naming decision? Do we need to know of the history, geography, or demographics of the area?
Maybe a little background won't distract us from our deliberations.
McLean, according to most accounts I've read, was named for John Roll McLean, former owner and publisher of the Washington Post. He was also one of the principals in the development of the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railway, probably better known to most of us as the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD).
There are the Great Falls, Chain Bridge, Langley, Chesterbrook, Lewinsville, and Churchill. There is Georgetown Pike, Old Dominion Drive, the George Washington Parkway and Dolly Madison Blvd.
We have schools named for American poets like James Fenimore Cooper and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. We called these Intermediate schools, but now I think they call them Middle schools.
There is the Potomac River, Tyson's Corner, Potomac Hills, McLean Hamlet, Franklin Sherman, Salona Village, Kent Gardens and Chesterbrook Woods. We have a nearby airport named for John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State under President Eisenhower. And let's not forget the famous families - the Kennedys, the Mars family, and Marjorie Merriweather Post of cereal fame.
I'm sure that I have not named all the people and places of McLean....I have to leave something for you to send me...let me know if I've left out your favorite.
That's a lot of "Names" of people and places, but do any of them deserve consideration in the name of the people of McLean? Except for John McLean, I doubt it, but it was a fun diversion to let me ponder the possibilities for our peoples' title.
I'm going to offer some possibilities, but please make me an offer I can't refuse. Maybe one of the 3 of you reading this will have scholarly knowledge of the subject and can educate us. Until then, here are some choices:
- McLeanites
- McLeanians
- McLench
- McLensh
- McLenities
- McLenish
Have fun and send me the winning (not listed above) entry...I'll find some kind of appropriate prize...maybe I'll send you one of my vintage postcards of Evan's Farm Inn.
'Til then, keep sending in your favorite Memories of McLean.
Monday, October 13, 2008
To Nancy, Amy and other McLeanites.....Sorry I've been away for a while, but I'm back and plan on posting at least a couple of times a week. This is my first foray into blogging and I am still learning....
Yes, I was talking about Beales. It was the best ever. They were on the corner of Kirby Road where Chesterbrook Road came into a T intersection. Linway Terrace went down once side of the corn fields and past St. John's Catholic Church on the way toward McLean. If you went the other way, you'd go by Potomac Hills.
There are a few things in life that we remember as wonderful - as near to perfect as you can get - and corn from the Beale's was one of them. I've talked to so many people that I know it is not just a childhood memory, enhanced by the passing of years. It really WAS that good!! How could corn deserve a blog posting? If you'd ever had that corn, you would know.
There was a sub shop in Blacksburg when I went to VA Tech called Mr Fooz that made the best subs ever!!! But that's another story and not about McLean....just about where some of us went after high school (which was Langley for me). But you know what I mean...it's like the Washingtonian magazine's list of "The Best of DC." Well I'd like to propose a "Best of McLean." All comments and suggestions welcome. Beale's corn was THE BEST EVER - It was five star restaurant corn - a Blue Ribbon for them!!! They get our first "Best of McLean" award!!
But I'm going to stop for a minute and give you a little about my background. We moved from Fairfax City into McLean in October 1954 and moved in on Halloween. My parents had our house built in Chesterbrook Woods off Chesterbrook Road and my grandmother could not understand why my parents wanted to live "way out there." So I went to Chesterbrook Elementary, Longfellow and then Langley, graduating in 1970 - the second class to go all 4 years there. My older brother finished just in time to graduate from McLean High School. I had lots of friends there from Longfellow and other groups that I belonged to in those days of the late 1960s. So, if any of you McLean HS folks are out there, leave us a comment - let us know what your favorite place was to go parking, or your favorive teacher, or any other memory you'd like to share. That's what we're here for. I've got a list of future topics, but am anxious to hear from you. Does anyone from McLean remember a guidance counselor named Peggy Parker? I'd love to know where she is today...my guess is that she's probably in her early 70s.
I remember everything mentioned in the previous comments and had some very similar experiences - including my first auto accident in the McDonald's parking lot in McLean. Remember when they added the extra parking section on the left? I was driving through the main lot and a younger girl - she was 16 and I was almost 19 - came from the side lot and clipped the passenger side headlight on my Mom's 1968 VW Squareback. We were both a bit freaked out, and neither had an adult with us....but our parents talked and everyone just took care of their own - no police, no insurance, everything was easier then. That was June of 1971.
And I loved the little McLean Library in the house (I think) across from McDonald's. I still remember that you went in and around to the left to get to the "Children's" section. I read a lot and loved biographies from the time I was about 8 or 10. I read about a lot of women - Harriett Beacher Stowe, etc. - all the biographies I could find on women...guess I was a "libber" even then. But I was used to a mother who worked from the time I was 4, so professional women were the norm for me. My Mom taught at Falls Church HS, Whittier and then Cooper Intermediate from the day it opened until she retired, but that's another post. I think there are some teachers we could nominate for our "Best Of McLean" List. But I want to get back to the places mentioned in "downtown" McLean.
Mesmerelda's was one of my favorite places to poke around. I loved all the little gifties they had. It was a fun place. I'd go there or the "variety" store whose name I cannot remember - please help. And, my brother would go to the hobby store. He was an HO train fanatic and also got model cars there. Salona Village had so many great places....Mort's Bootery was a funny one for me - I did not have to get into the door before he'd shake his head and I knew that meant that he did not have any shoes to fit me. My feet were so small that I remember celebrating when I graduated froma girls' size 13 to a size 1. I think that was 6th grade. By the time I was 13 - the summer between 7th and 8th grade, my feet grew to a women's size 4....and it has never changed since. If shoe stores were as personal now as they were then, I'm sure someone would still be shaking their heads to tell me there were no shoes for me. I have an old McLean phone book from the 60s that, when I can locate it, I will have to see if I can identify all the stores that were in Salona.
I remember the 5 cent cones at High's and have told so many people about that..and that went on into the late 60s when it was next to the old fire station. It makes me sound ancient when I talk about it....and I loved the lime sherbet, too. What about the bowling alley behind the Safeway...after it moved from the center of town to Salona Village? And Pizza Supreme that always had a local political cartoon-like painting on one whole wall....I think I remember Nixon and Agnew there...what a funny place we grew up in....it was all just home to us, but of National interest to others.
I remember when the Beltway (aka 495) opened and it was the thing to do to drive all the way around - just for fun....and now, I avoid it at all costs if I can. But I don't get that way too much anymore - maybe a couple of times a year. Then I stay with some other Langley friends that I've always kept in touch with and we go to the Birchmere for a concert or into DC to eat...even though that's changing a lot too!! When Blackie's closed a couple of years ago and auctioned off the furnishings, it was the end of another era.
I collect old postcards of the McLean area and the local places we went and I just found one of Hogate's in DC where our family went for seafood. But there were still favorite restaurants in McLean. Steak in a Sack was a great one and I think I can still taste their roast beef sandwich. There was Three Pigs, the classic Evan's Farm Inn and a local family favorite - the Pikestaff. I have many memories of going into the dark red and black interior with differnet people - our whole family, with friend's families and with the teachers from Cooper when they used to go there for their "Monday Club." With my mother being a teacher at Cooper, I was privy to some interesting gatherings - teachers talked about a lot of things not related to school. Teachers really were REAL people!! They had lives that did not always revolve around the kids and the environment in which we knew them. It was fun sharing this other world of teachers.
I'm going to toss out a couple of more names and see what comes back.....but I've got to hold some things for another day....but what about Eleanor's Town and Country next to People's Drug Store in the Giant Shopping Center? My first job was there when I was 16....I worked there when Eleanor had 3 stores - the one in McLean, one at Tyson's and one in Vienna. But I'm going to do a post soon on just the clothing stores where we shopped....Eleanor's was just one of them.
And, did anyone go to the James Loizu (probably spelled wrong) School of Dance? It was near the Pikestaff and Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors. A group of us took dance lessons from him at Chesterbrook Elementary - Ballroom dancing, a little Virginia Reel and, if we'd been good, we got to twist at the end of the day.
I hope I have stirred some more memories that we can chat about and if anyone has a photo that they'd be willing to share, let me know and we'll get it posted. I hope to scan in some of my old postcards in a future post and I'd love to include some photos. My brother was a photographer for McLean High School and the Northern Virginia Sun, so I hope that maybe he has some pics he can send me.
Maybe I have fed the interest a little so that we can attract some more folks. This is starting out fun for me...and I hope for you too. Keep in touch!!
Yes, I was talking about Beales. It was the best ever. They were on the corner of Kirby Road where Chesterbrook Road came into a T intersection. Linway Terrace went down once side of the corn fields and past St. John's Catholic Church on the way toward McLean. If you went the other way, you'd go by Potomac Hills.
There are a few things in life that we remember as wonderful - as near to perfect as you can get - and corn from the Beale's was one of them. I've talked to so many people that I know it is not just a childhood memory, enhanced by the passing of years. It really WAS that good!! How could corn deserve a blog posting? If you'd ever had that corn, you would know.
There was a sub shop in Blacksburg when I went to VA Tech called Mr Fooz that made the best subs ever!!! But that's another story and not about McLean....just about where some of us went after high school (which was Langley for me). But you know what I mean...it's like the Washingtonian magazine's list of "The Best of DC." Well I'd like to propose a "Best of McLean." All comments and suggestions welcome. Beale's corn was THE BEST EVER - It was five star restaurant corn - a Blue Ribbon for them!!! They get our first "Best of McLean" award!!
But I'm going to stop for a minute and give you a little about my background. We moved from Fairfax City into McLean in October 1954 and moved in on Halloween. My parents had our house built in Chesterbrook Woods off Chesterbrook Road and my grandmother could not understand why my parents wanted to live "way out there." So I went to Chesterbrook Elementary, Longfellow and then Langley, graduating in 1970 - the second class to go all 4 years there. My older brother finished just in time to graduate from McLean High School. I had lots of friends there from Longfellow and other groups that I belonged to in those days of the late 1960s. So, if any of you McLean HS folks are out there, leave us a comment - let us know what your favorite place was to go parking, or your favorive teacher, or any other memory you'd like to share. That's what we're here for. I've got a list of future topics, but am anxious to hear from you. Does anyone from McLean remember a guidance counselor named Peggy Parker? I'd love to know where she is today...my guess is that she's probably in her early 70s.
I remember everything mentioned in the previous comments and had some very similar experiences - including my first auto accident in the McDonald's parking lot in McLean. Remember when they added the extra parking section on the left? I was driving through the main lot and a younger girl - she was 16 and I was almost 19 - came from the side lot and clipped the passenger side headlight on my Mom's 1968 VW Squareback. We were both a bit freaked out, and neither had an adult with us....but our parents talked and everyone just took care of their own - no police, no insurance, everything was easier then. That was June of 1971.
And I loved the little McLean Library in the house (I think) across from McDonald's. I still remember that you went in and around to the left to get to the "Children's" section. I read a lot and loved biographies from the time I was about 8 or 10. I read about a lot of women - Harriett Beacher Stowe, etc. - all the biographies I could find on women...guess I was a "libber" even then. But I was used to a mother who worked from the time I was 4, so professional women were the norm for me. My Mom taught at Falls Church HS, Whittier and then Cooper Intermediate from the day it opened until she retired, but that's another post. I think there are some teachers we could nominate for our "Best Of McLean" List. But I want to get back to the places mentioned in "downtown" McLean.
Mesmerelda's was one of my favorite places to poke around. I loved all the little gifties they had. It was a fun place. I'd go there or the "variety" store whose name I cannot remember - please help. And, my brother would go to the hobby store. He was an HO train fanatic and also got model cars there. Salona Village had so many great places....Mort's Bootery was a funny one for me - I did not have to get into the door before he'd shake his head and I knew that meant that he did not have any shoes to fit me. My feet were so small that I remember celebrating when I graduated froma girls' size 13 to a size 1. I think that was 6th grade. By the time I was 13 - the summer between 7th and 8th grade, my feet grew to a women's size 4....and it has never changed since. If shoe stores were as personal now as they were then, I'm sure someone would still be shaking their heads to tell me there were no shoes for me. I have an old McLean phone book from the 60s that, when I can locate it, I will have to see if I can identify all the stores that were in Salona.
I remember the 5 cent cones at High's and have told so many people about that..and that went on into the late 60s when it was next to the old fire station. It makes me sound ancient when I talk about it....and I loved the lime sherbet, too. What about the bowling alley behind the Safeway...after it moved from the center of town to Salona Village? And Pizza Supreme that always had a local political cartoon-like painting on one whole wall....I think I remember Nixon and Agnew there...what a funny place we grew up in....it was all just home to us, but of National interest to others.
I remember when the Beltway (aka 495) opened and it was the thing to do to drive all the way around - just for fun....and now, I avoid it at all costs if I can. But I don't get that way too much anymore - maybe a couple of times a year. Then I stay with some other Langley friends that I've always kept in touch with and we go to the Birchmere for a concert or into DC to eat...even though that's changing a lot too!! When Blackie's closed a couple of years ago and auctioned off the furnishings, it was the end of another era.
I collect old postcards of the McLean area and the local places we went and I just found one of Hogate's in DC where our family went for seafood. But there were still favorite restaurants in McLean. Steak in a Sack was a great one and I think I can still taste their roast beef sandwich. There was Three Pigs, the classic Evan's Farm Inn and a local family favorite - the Pikestaff. I have many memories of going into the dark red and black interior with differnet people - our whole family, with friend's families and with the teachers from Cooper when they used to go there for their "Monday Club." With my mother being a teacher at Cooper, I was privy to some interesting gatherings - teachers talked about a lot of things not related to school. Teachers really were REAL people!! They had lives that did not always revolve around the kids and the environment in which we knew them. It was fun sharing this other world of teachers.
I'm going to toss out a couple of more names and see what comes back.....but I've got to hold some things for another day....but what about Eleanor's Town and Country next to People's Drug Store in the Giant Shopping Center? My first job was there when I was 16....I worked there when Eleanor had 3 stores - the one in McLean, one at Tyson's and one in Vienna. But I'm going to do a post soon on just the clothing stores where we shopped....Eleanor's was just one of them.
And, did anyone go to the James Loizu (probably spelled wrong) School of Dance? It was near the Pikestaff and Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors. A group of us took dance lessons from him at Chesterbrook Elementary - Ballroom dancing, a little Virginia Reel and, if we'd been good, we got to twist at the end of the day.
I hope I have stirred some more memories that we can chat about and if anyone has a photo that they'd be willing to share, let me know and we'll get it posted. I hope to scan in some of my old postcards in a future post and I'd love to include some photos. My brother was a photographer for McLean High School and the Northern Virginia Sun, so I hope that maybe he has some pics he can send me.
Maybe I have fed the interest a little so that we can attract some more folks. This is starting out fun for me...and I hope for you too. Keep in touch!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Nostalgic Memories of McLean, Virginia
Remember McLean when the Giant was still a farm? Remember the Big Blue House in the center of town that was a Real Estate Office? Remember when McDonald's was only a walk-up; hamburgers were 15 cents and french fries were a dime? Remember the bowling alley, Eleanor's Town and Country, Highs and the Teen Club?
McLean, Virginia was a GREAT place to grow up!! Some might say that any place you called "home" was a great place to grow up...but McLean really was great!!! Millions know it today as an international suburb of Washington DC, home of the CIA. Well, when I grew up there, the population was about 10,000, the CIA was hidden behind a little sign that read "Bureau of Public Roads," and life was simple through the eyes of a child. There was a blacksmith, a hobby store, and the sweetest corn I've ever tasted.
There are a few images in life we'll keep forever, and waiting for that corn to come in from the field is one of them for me. Taste is largely driven by smell, and smell is closely associated with memory, so, maybe that is why we remember the corn so well. We'd get a dozen ears and an extra was stuffed in the bag for good measure. Shucking made my hands so sticky from the sweet corn sugar that they were covered with silks when I finished. From field to mouth was less than an hour. It doesn't get any better than that.
I purposefully left out the name of the family and the location of the corn fields on their McLean farm. Do you remember? How good is your Memory of McLean? Let me know.
To lots of you, I must sound ancient....blacksmiths and farms in McLean....right!! But whatever you live today, will be your memories tomorrow. And I love my Memories of McLean.
So, join me on a nostalgic trip down McLean Lane. I'd love to hear from you!
McLean, Virginia was a GREAT place to grow up!! Some might say that any place you called "home" was a great place to grow up...but McLean really was great!!! Millions know it today as an international suburb of Washington DC, home of the CIA. Well, when I grew up there, the population was about 10,000, the CIA was hidden behind a little sign that read "Bureau of Public Roads," and life was simple through the eyes of a child. There was a blacksmith, a hobby store, and the sweetest corn I've ever tasted.
There are a few images in life we'll keep forever, and waiting for that corn to come in from the field is one of them for me. Taste is largely driven by smell, and smell is closely associated with memory, so, maybe that is why we remember the corn so well. We'd get a dozen ears and an extra was stuffed in the bag for good measure. Shucking made my hands so sticky from the sweet corn sugar that they were covered with silks when I finished. From field to mouth was less than an hour. It doesn't get any better than that.
I purposefully left out the name of the family and the location of the corn fields on their McLean farm. Do you remember? How good is your Memory of McLean? Let me know.
To lots of you, I must sound ancient....blacksmiths and farms in McLean....right!! But whatever you live today, will be your memories tomorrow. And I love my Memories of McLean.
So, join me on a nostalgic trip down McLean Lane. I'd love to hear from you!
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