A blogging friend Linda Kay from Fredericksburg, Texas shares her memories of a family activity which most youth of this generation have never experienced. She recalls…When I was a girl, Saturday night at the drive-in theater in a town about twenty miles away was a happy adventure for our family. We had a ’57 Chevy station wagon for some of these excursions. To prepare for the night, my dad would pop popcorn in a three quart stainless steel pan, then dump the popcorn into brown paper grocery sacks. After he melted the butter in a little stainless one-cup pan and poured it over the popcorn, adding a bit of salt, I remember the spots on the bag from the butter. The next important addition to our munchies was the Pepsi Cola. My folks used to buy this by the case, but we were only allowed to drink it on Saturday nights. I don’t remember how we brought along ice, but I’m sure we had those plastic glasses to pour the soda in. My three brothers and I would climb into the back of the car. My folks always sat together in the front, my mom sitting next to my dad on the bench seat.
At the drive-in, my dad would look for a good spot, not far from the concession stand (and the restroom). Then he would bring in the speaker and hook it on the window, rolling the window back up to keep out the flies and mosquitoes. I can’t remember a single movie we might have watched. We had blankets and pillows in the back in case we got sleepy, and usually my youngest brother would fall asleep. I do remember that after the movie, we would drive back through town to the Dairy Queen for a cone. There were always long lines of traffic leaving the theater, and what seemed like an eternity for that ice cream. By the time we drove the distance back to the farm, I’m sure we kids were probably all asleep. After all, we had to get our rest, as church on Sunday was not optional!
Simple childhood memories like this capture the essence of a different time and lifestyle, when life was slower with traditional family activities. I (Lin) remember cookouts in the Utah mountains with deer steaks, fried potatoes and scones. Fresh sliced tomatoes from Grandpa’s garden and homemade cookies freshly baked by Grandma. NEXT TIME: More Childhood Memories.