Turn Your Radio On!!!

Summer of 1924
Radios are being donated to the patients in the sanatorium
Winter of 1924
Rosewood News Benhard Ranum has installed a new radio set
Winter of 1926
Rosewood News There has been during the past week the customary holiday home parties in almost every home and to give the names would be useless except for the local interest. The summary for them all is an invitation to the most intimate friends to spend an afternoon or evening, either talking socially, listening to the radio, cards, or music and terminating with the serving of lunch. It is a social custom and tends to bind the home ties closer.

THE FIRST RADIO

The first radio stood in Grandma Mae's living room. It was, in 1952 where I learned the words to How Much is that Doggie in the Window. The local station also played B-I-N-G-O. My bed ridden Grandfather would get frustrated with the racket and the radio would be turned off. And I thought he loved to hear me sing!

I did learn B-I-N-G-O was in a college song in 1906. Look at this version!

The miller's big dog lay on the barn-floor, And Bingo was his name; (repeat)

B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O,

Bingo was his name.B-I-N-G-O,Bingo was his name.

They cut him into sausage meat, And Bingo was his name; (repeat)

B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O,

Bingo was his name.B-I-N-G-O,Bingo was his name.

They whistled at that sausage meat; and Bingo wagged his tail; (repeat)

B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, Bingo wagged his tail.

B-I-N-G-O,Bingo wagged his tail.

(Whistle the melody); and Bingo wagged his tail. (repeat)

B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O,

B-I-N-G-O, Bingo wagged his tail

THE SECOND RADIO

Is a radio and phonograph unit. My brother and I had 78rpm reconds with picture books. Favorites were Bozo the Clown and Hopalong Cassidy. Bozo the Clown was introduced to the world in a children's record entitled Bozo at the Circus. The album, which featured an illustrative read-along book set (the first of its kind), lasted for an astounding 200 weeks on Billboard's Best Selling Children's Records Chart, and a clown star was born.

THE THIRD RADIO

This radio sat on my grandparent's dresser. My grandparent's played cards every night before bed. Whom ever lost had to make the coffee the next morning and serve the winner coffee in bed. When Grandma, who generally lost, got up, she would turn on the radio to the local KTRF to listen to the local news and weather. She would patter into the kitchen, already dressed, and make coffee on the stove in an alumium pot.

When the coffee was ready, she would bring Grandpa his coffee in a cup with a saucer and lumps of sugar. The home made brown sugar lumps were dipped into the cup, the coffee was sucked through the sugar. The lump was held in his mouth as he poured the hot coffee into the saucer and sipped it, (from the saucer). He would finish up his coffee by drinking the last of it from the cup after it had cooled.

After the news, which included the obituaries, and the weather, the radio was turned off until favorite programs came on in the early evening.

How well I remember being in bed with the winner and being allowed to dip my own sugar into the cup and suck the coffee through it. There was only one rule about it; you may only dip once.

Ah, yes, the sign on song of KTRF, and a sugar lump with grandparents. That is what memories are made of.

One lump or two?

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