Memories SUBMITTED BY THOMAS BRITT, JR., raised in Portsmouth, VA. I'm blessed with lots of memories of our family.

​

DO YOU REMEMBER?

1. Do you remember Tang? It's kind of funny that food plays a big part in it all. lol
   Like having to cut Aunt Fannie's yard in Deep Creek. I hated cutting her grass because of garden snakes. But I couldn't say, "I'm not going to cut your grass." Respect, respect, respect. Especially to our seniors. Was a must. Aunt Fannie always had a pitcher filled with ice-cold orange Tang. 

2. Do you remember how our aunts were great cooks?
   Aunt Irene's fried chicken was better than Mosberths.
   Aunt Maxine's baked beans and her homemade rolls were the best.
   Aunt Bibs pies—she used to cool them off by placing them on the window sill. I used to eat the wavy golden crust of her pies. After, she told us don't touch the pies. 
   Aunt Beatrice's banana pudding was the best, too. There's a funny story behind that too. Before she passed, I confessed to her that it was me who ate all the leftover banana pudding. 
   Aunt Ruth's collar greens were so good.

3. Do you remember segregation as a child? Before going to Lakeview Elementary School. I attended Green Street School and Riddick Weaver George Peabody Elementary School. They were combined into one building. It was the first time I ever was associated with white people. I was in the fifth grade at Hodges Manor. I believe desegregation started in 1972. 

4. Do you remember the portable 19-inch B&W television?
   We didn't get a color television until 1970 and a house phone or tub shower combo until 1970, when we first moved to Cavalier Manor. In Ida Barbara, bathrooms only had bathtubs.

5. Do you remember using the corded phone and stretching the cord to the next room for privacy? 

6. Do you remember when S&H green stamps were popular? Shop and Save was the main grocery store.

7. Do you remember when High Street was called downtown, with stores like Pilzers, Leggett, Sears, and Bell Telephone Co.? Colony, State, Commodore, and the Capital theaters were for Blacks.

8. Do you remember in Ida Barbara, we didn't have a house phone, but whenever my parents got a call, our neighbor, Ms. Thelma, would have Sylvia or Cathy come over to get them?

9. Do you remember if the neighbors saw us behaving badly, they would correct us and tell on us? Like, double jeopardy. It was a true village. 

10. Do you remember the standup freezer y'all had in the kitchen? Aunt Ida had it packed with all types of ice cream and popsicles.
     

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Did you know that Aunt Ida took care of us when my mom was in the hospital? She registered us for school and took us school shopping. Women are amazing people. She was able to run two households. 

2. Did you know that Uncle Calvin signed me up and used to take me to Boy Scouts at Third Baptist Church?

3. Did you know that Steve used to come stay over with us? He broke the ceramic soap dish by standing on it, trying to look out of the bathroom window. lol

4. Did you know that Herbert used to come stay over with us, too? Him, Steph and Aunt Naomi used to come over just about every weekend. 

5. Did you know that Wayne was the athlete? John loved his fast cars. He would take us riding in his Thunderbird. We looked forward to him staying over.

6. Did you know that Aunt Ida never yelled at me? But I could see that she was upset with me by the way she would look at me, and I knew that I had better get it together. lol​​