Growing up, the kitchen was (and still is) the heart of our home.
It’s where we cooked, cleaned up, finished school projects, ironed, held meetings, played board games, practiced 4-H speeches and always … always sang along to the radio.
There are songs from that time that stick in my memory as “kitchen songs” – ones I first heard on Mom’s a.m. radio (we lived too far in the country to pick up an f.m. signal).
Songs by Ray Price and Conway Twitty, Gordon Lightfoot and Don Williams. Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Ann Murray and always a dose of Willie Nelson thrown in for good measure.
I’ve written before that I grew up at the racetrack, and I’ve written of the friends I’ve lost from there. But what I didn’t connect until recently was how our kitchen and that world were bridged by music.
In the winner’s circle with my parents; an Emjayandthem (C) photo
You see, one summer, a highly winning mare we’d raised went to stay at a neighboring farm for breeding purposes. Well, it seems another owner came to pick up his mare and took ours by mistake. Unbeknownst to us, that sweet filly took a road trip, cross country and ended up in the mountains of British Columbia. Was Dad ever surprised when he went to load her into the trailer and found the black beauty waiting for him was not his racing champion.
Thankfully, we found her, and she was brought back to us safely.
The summer this occurred, Willie had a hit song playing on our kitchen radio, and every time I hear it, I’m transported back to the family farm, a Formica table and a mare who went … “On the road again.”
Did your family home have a kitchen radio? What was it playing?
*Hubbs and I saw Willie Nelson at the Circle Theater in Houston, Texas and yes I sang along to every song. 🙂
When I was a kid, my mother listened to an AM talk show. I also remember going to bed to Fibber McGee and Molly on the radio. We had lots of music going all day and we even had a record player! Not everyone in our neighborhood had one of those new contraptions!
Fun! I didn’t know Fibber McGee and Molly but the names sure are cute 🙂
MJ
Oh, yes, we had a little radio in the kitchen! And we also ironed, did homework, etc., etc., in the kitchen. Neat post, MJ!
It was the hub of all activity 🙂
MJ
Our house was small. The radio was usually in the living room, but could be heard in the kitchen where most of life occurred.
Nice!
MJ
I do remember a clock radio that was in my parents’ bedroom waking us all up in the mornings. And I remember doing homework on the tile surface of the peninsula in the kitchen. We had to place a magazine under our work in order to write on a smooth surface.
I’ll bet that tile memory is a strong one 🙂
MJ
Interesting how you made the connection between your kitchen and the racetrack. My dad often listened to sports scores on the radio on our kitchen. The radio didn’t live there, but he took it in there late a night as somehow he got better reception from stations far away.
Hope you have a great weekend, MJ.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
I thought about you as I wrote that; we would halt singing a song to listen attentively to the racing stats or other sports scores. I still think Baseball is better listened to on the radio than even watched on TV 🙂
I used to listen to the radio in my room, and late at night, I could pick up American stations and listen in to talk shows from far away places like Omaha, Nebrasaka (which sounded very far and magical to me 🙂 )
Cheers!
MJ
There was a radio in the kitchen, and my most vivid memories are of every,single day turning it on for the noon market reports: corn, soybeans, winter wheat. Herb Plambeck was the farm program coordinator, and always there was some music included — The Sons of the Pioneers. Pioneer Seed Corn sponsored the show, along with Martha White Flour.
It was from those shows that I learned “Tumbling Tumbleweed”, “Happy Trails to You”, and “Cowboy’s Sweetheart”.
I loved those lunch times.
I remember the noon market (farm) reports, too. Grain prices, cattle prices, etc. And always some music or an interesting guest 🙂
Tumbling Tumbleweed takes me back to shelling peas!
MJ
What great memories! We had a kitchen radio too. It sat on top of the refrigerator. My parents listened to the local news station and the only music that came out of that little speaker was the opening song. (I can still hear it. “Good morning! Good morning! It’s grand to be here and good morning! Good morning! To you!”)
I always listened more closely on snowy winter days, waiting to hear that school was closed for the day.
I loved your little song, so cheery & happy! 🙂
Happy Sunday, Terri … enjoy the smidge of spring that is starting to appear.
MJ
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