Thursday, June 7, 2012

Bobwhites and Vampires


The Bobwhite's after school routine never varied. Home again Mom kisses, cookies from the jar, promises of after dinner homework, arranged meeting place before the opening strands of Dark Shadows had us moving together closer still.


We were absolutely enthralled by the spooky drama that came to us in black and white. Our television viewing up to then had not prepared us for anything so absolutely terrifying. We walked home in pairs too afraid to be alone in the half-way woods.


Each July 4th, my mother would pile every single Bobwhite, my brother and his ever present sidekick Greg into our Plymouth Duster and head to our own very special viewing spot to watch the firework display over Washington, DC.


We would travel to my mother's dear friend's, and fellow artist, home whose husband was a Park Ranger at Ft. Washington along the Potomac River. (Their house was the yellow one in background.) We would spend countless hours waiting for darkness playing Dark Shadows along the the fort's parapets.


My brother and Greg were just horrible to the Bobwhites! They would hide in the black as night spaces below the wall and call to us from within, "Sssst, ssssst, ssssst" 



BROTHERS! You can't live with them, and you sure can live without them! At least in childhood, anyways.


Thank goodness the boys torture was worth the spectacular ending to our day.


The Bobwhites would repeat this holiday tradition well into young adulthood when we were able to drive ourselves. Blankets smoothed flat, soda in our cooler, lie back remembrances of our Dark Shadows days.





20 comments:

  1. Oh Elizabeth, I love this post!

    I would get off the school bus after a day at Junior High and race down the street home to get there in time to see Dark Shadows! - my mother and I both loving this fun ritual.

    (When I was 19 I worked at a clothing store and Kate Jackson came in to shop for a role and I was so excited having enjoyed her on DS.)

    What a special childhood you had E, so many magical times and wonderful memories.

    Adore all of your 4th of July cuties!

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  2. I used to love that show, too, Elizabeth! I'm waiting for the new one to come out on DVD to see it. Somehow I think that Johnny Depp gives a whole new meaning to the Barnabas Collins character! : )

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  3. I knew they were cherry bombs before I read the disclaimer!!! Up to my playroom I go and I have to make those guys and one of those Tweedle Dee Good Times boys! WAY TOO CUTE! Now I must finish my last two cartoon tags...

    Tammy

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  4. OF COURSE they're cherry bombs! How I love every single character in your room! SO darling...the fuzzy pipe cleaner Bobwhites/peg dolls! The cherry bombs are my favorites! I may try my hand at a few of those myself!

    Hugs and Happy Sparklers!

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  5. All your characters have such personalities! I love them!
    Blessings, Joanne

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  6. I'm completely in love with your 4th of July creations. I always look forward to your family tales woven in with your special creations. Your blog is a wonderful way to start my morning!

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  7. Ok, about to admit something I am ashamed of. Dark Shadows came on about 1 minute after we would get off the school bus. I got off the bus with my friend Nancy and her brother, John because I stayed with their Grandma until my mom came home from work.

    Anyway, we would run as fast as we could to get to the TV to watch Dark Shadows and John couldn't run as fast as Nancy and I could, though he was older. The kids on the bus teased him about it. So he made a deal with me and Nancy. He gave us his ice cream money and we let him out run us! Hanging my head in shame... .. It only lasted about a month until their Grandma found out and Nancy and I were punished by NOT getting to watch Dark Shadows at all for a whole month.

    Elizabeth, where do you get your pipe cleaners? I can never find the pretty colors you use at our local Michaels.

    Blessings

    Linda

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  8. Your 4th of July decors are super!!! My sis and I. too, were addicted to Dark Shadows back in the day!!!

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  9. Oh , Elizabeth! I'm glad I was not alone in my Dark Shadows love! I don't remember any other kids liking it back then but it looks as if many of us did! I was only 9 but I thought I could mimic Angelique perfectly. :) truth be told, I probably just put on an English accent and thought that sounded like her. I was never afraid of Barnabas, I flet sorry for him and sort of had a crush on him. Ew.

    Well, your 4th of July characters are cute as can be! We had a special place we would go to watch the fireworks every year, too. ♥

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  10. Such cute little characters. Love those stories.

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  11. You my dear have out done yourself this time...I am in love with them all. From the story that I hung on each word to the the characters that I had to enlarge to catch each detail...oh I love your sweet artistry. Smiles...Renee

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  12. Love all your sweet 4th of July creations, especially the last sweet one!! What special childhood memories! Have a blessed day! xo Heather

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  13. I love your little tweedle dee character. Or is he tweedle dumm? All of your fourth of july character are cuties.

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  14. Love the walk down your memory lane! I loved that show, too and YES, it scared me. ;p

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  15. My BFF Charlotte and I earned extra spending money by creating a wonderfully ghoulish Dark Shadows spook alley in her basement and tormenting the little neighbor kids by locking them in the creepy bombshelter/rootcellar. In our best spooky voices we chanted..."a beam of blazing light doth burn...and one door leads to the point of return." I hope we weren't responsible for some little kid's therapy sessions. =D

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  16. Ekk..OMG those Creations are so adorable, I am not sure where to look first! I remember that show, you sure had a special childhood. And what fun it is to have memories with our brothers I have 2 and 4 sisters we had so many wonderful times on our 4th of Julys. I sure love all the colorful July Creations, and the tag swap is just darling I love how everyone is using vintage greeting cards now in their creations...Hugs, Diane

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  17. What fun memories! My mother wouldn't let us watch Dark Shadow as she thought it was to scary!

    Your 4th creations are adorable for sure!

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  18. I bought the first year of Dark Shadows on DVD - before Barnabas Collins appears and am enjoying watching it again. Love the music. Now I'm older than Joan Bennett was when she starred in it! LOL. I haven't seen Johnny Depp's "Silly shadows" take on this grand old soap opera. He's no Barnabas that's for sure.

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  19. I bought the first year of Dark Shadows on DVD - before Barnabas Collins appears and am enjoying watching it again. Love the music. Now I'm older than Joan Bennett was when she starred in it! LOL. I haven't seen Johnny Depp's "Silly shadows" take on this grand old soap opera. He's no Barnabas that's for sure.

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  20. Really nice this site and it is more complete and easy research. I thank you very much for those relaxing moments.

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Your kind words mean so very much to me. Thank you for your visit! Elizabeth