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Tag Archives: Automobiles

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 65: “Big Mama”

19 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by duckykoren in Automobiles, Cars, Poems, Poetry

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Tags

Automobiles, Carnivals, Cars, Chesapeake Bay, Chicago, Mama, Music, Poems, Poetry, Rhymes, Songs, Tissue Flowers, Verse, Virginia, Wedding Chapel

In ’72 my Mother bought herself a sweet Grand Prix
Biggest car you ever did see
We knew that we were in for lots of fun and drama
The day my Mother told us that she named her:

“Big Mama”…

Way back in the summer in ’74
Big Mama took us cruising on the Chesapeake shore
My four Carroll Sisters were the sweetest little cuties
As we raised the car roof while singing to the Doobies…

Quiet Kim could always put our hearts aglow
We begged baby Sister Doe to give us a little show
How we laughed till we cried when she sang us “Disco Duck”
Pappy called us all trouble
And we didn’t give a cluck…

And then there was the time in fall ’75
Up to the Fair Big Mama did drive
I talked up all the Carnies and flirted all night
While Cindi and Crystie danced in the moonlight…

On the last summer days of ’76
We had rum on our tongue and smoke on our lips
And Big Mama’s stereo was cranked good and loud
To Chicago’s chart topper
“If You Leave Me Now”…

To me, Summer ’77 was Big Mama’s finest hour
It had nothing to do with her size or her power
Pappy dressed up in tissue flowers and she looked so fine
And then she got me to the wedding chapel on time…

Well, Big Mama got old and she’s now long gone
Sister Cindi asked if I could write Big Mama a song
It took two days for me to write these little old rhymes
So we could remember Big Mama and all the good times…

❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 59: A Christmas Car Story

15 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by duckykoren in American Civil War, Automobiles, Battles, Cars, Christmas, Decorating, DIY, Gettysburg, History, Holidays, Nativity, Pennsylvania, Safety

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Automobiles, blogs, Car Safety, Cars, Christmas, Civil War, Decorating, Department Stores, fashion, Gettysburg, Highways, History, Jesus, Nativity, Parking, Pennsylvania, Religion, Safety, Shopping, Silly, Stories, Style, Wise, Writing

It happened one Christmas in Gettysburg.

My husband and I decided to do some Christmas shopping during our visit to this quiet little Pennsylvania town best known for their epic three day American Civil War battle that took place in July 1863.

We pulled into the parking lot of an average mid-sized department store.

We parked directly behind your average mid sized car.

However there was nothing average about this car.

Attached to the roof of this car was a large platform covering the entire length of the vehicle.

Set atop of this car-roof platform was an elaborate nativity scene.

I’ll repeat that:

Set atop of this car-roof platform was an elaborate nativity scene.

It was huge!

The attention to detail was exemplary.

The scene was even complete with artificial snow and a Christmas tree.

I have never seen anything like it.

“Why would someone do this to their car?”

…I asked myself

Then I asked myself:

“How does it stay up there?”

I considered that a valid question as the wise men stood what looked like three feet tall.

Even though everything looked stoically stuck up there, I certainly wouldn’t want to take that show on the road. I’d be in fear for that poor sucker caught behind me getting pelted by the three wise men not to mention Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus.

Eventually, I was able to turn my thoughts back to Christmas shopping and we headed inside the store.

Entering the store, I wondered who among these shoppers owns that ridiculous car?

There would be no way to tell who it was.

Certainly, the car owners would look like everyone else…

Then, after we pulled out our buggy and started heading down aisle number one, we caught sight of the owners of said car.

I had no doubt whatsoever that these two people, a man and women owned that Christmas car outside in the parking lot.

How did I know this?

Both of them were wearing almost an exact replica of their car roof ornament on their head by way of incredibly elaborate Christmas hats that towered at least eighteen inches into the air.

Big, larger than life, and unforgettable.
The circumference of each hat appeared to be double that of a Mexican sombrero.

In other words, these hats were pretty flipping big.

Intense even.

Further, I would say that each of these hats were at least eighteen inches in height.

The last time I saw this couple, they were heading towards the hunting and sporting goods aisle…

And they didn’t look happy.

At that point, we decided that we had encountered more than enough Christmas spirit for one day and decided to call it quits on shopping.

And so, if you ever find yourself in or around Gettysburg…

Or anywhere else…

During the Christmas season, keep a wary eye out for these two people and their car.

And should you happen to see them on the highway, please remember to keep a safe distance.

We all know that the three wise men came bearing gifts.

I just don’t want them to become part of your radiator, or have any of the wise men crashing through your front windshield.

Be afraid.

Merry Christmas.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 39: Counting The Herbies

27 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by duckykoren in Automobiles, Automotive, Computers, Education, Entertainment, Family, Fitness, Mathematics, sociology, Stories, Technology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Adventure, Aunts, Automobiles, blogs, Computers, Counting, Cousins, Disney, Fairfax, Family, Fitness, Games, Herbie, Highways, Math, Movies, Technology, The Love Bug, Uncles, Virginia, Volkswagen, VW, Washington DC, Writing

I wonder if young people today ever consider how their parents and grandparents survived without iPhones, video-games, iPads, computers, and other hand held gaming devices?

I am happy to report to them that not only did we survive but we survived happily, and with many fond memories.

In fact, I feel saddened by the loss of interaction between young people, children, and adults because of all the new gadgets available today.

First of all, I was absolutely and unequivocally blessed with the best Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents.

It is only because of them and their generous and loving nature that I was able to see just about every single Disney movie along with all the other blockbuster hits made for children and teenagers on the wide screen during the 1960s and 1970s.

However, there was one movie that our family always referred to with love and reverence.

The movie that I am referring to is:

“The Love Bug.”

Our entire family loved this movie so much that we invented a game in this movie’s honour which quickly became a favorite past-time for many years.

This game was called:

‘Counting The Herbies,’

This game was always best played at my Aunt and Uncle’s home in Fairfax Virginia. Down the street from their house was a ravine which overlooked one of the busiest highways in the state. I will guess that this is because we were only twenty minutes outside of Washington DC.

Hence, the heavy traffic.

On a nice afternoon, usually after lunch it would be suggested that we all go for a walk down the street and…

‘Count The Herbie’s’.

For this walk we were usually accompanied by either a parent or a grandparent.

My fondest recollections however, are those which included my grandfather.

With his cane in hand he would stroll down the block with no less than three grandchildren in tow and sometimes as many as six.

And then the counting would commence.

One, two, three, four, five Herbies…

Each of us would pipe up in turn as they came into view.

It wasn’t always that easy when the traffic was fast and heavy. Sometimes it could even get a bit tedious if traffic was intermittent and sparse.

But one thing was for sure….

There were lots and lots of Volkswagen autos out on the roads. In those days, these cars were very popular as well as economical.

And so we would count till we had reached one hundred Herbies.

Then, highly amused and pleased with ourselves we would head back to my Aunt’s and Uncle’s house where we would feast on Ho-Ho’s and Hawaiian Punch.

Life was very good then.

We got our exercise, a family outing, practiced our math and observational skills and interacted as a loving family.

Now tell me, what software app can do that?

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