topic Re: Family Times in Community Chat

Family Times

LTT1 — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:18:10 GMT

Do you remember home movie time?

I believe that is an activity I nearly forgot about!

How could this activity have been erased from our slate of family activities?

What a great bonding time that was... we could have used a bit more of this while our child was still living at home.

Times and technology have changed so drastically over the last 10-20 years.

Board games went by the wayside too but then it’s never too late.

I remember all the fuss with setting equipment up ... and filming with a wind-up camera.

What do you remember?

Re: Family Times

on the bay — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 20:02:40 GMT

We're still going to be playing board and card games, making ginger bread houses, and watching Christmas movies on Christmas.

I guess we're old fashioned and still like the things we've always liked.

And most of all thankfully we like and love each other.

We'll take walks and look at lights and if its snowing, hopefully get to make a snowman!

Love the ones you're with, whoever or whatever four legged too they may be or just your wonderful self!

Re: Family Times

OKPrincess — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 20:07:32 GMT

How about watching slides on a projector screen? My first 17-18 years are on slides.

Re: Family Times

proudlyfromNJ — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 20:12:26 GMT

Not me. When I grew up there was no way we could have afforded this equipment. I only got a bike as it was the only way I could get to school which wasn't close. But we did have a few board games. Fun times most of the time.

Re: Family Times

LTT1 — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:21:16 GMT

@on the bay

So happy for you that you never lost your sense of wonder!

@OKPrincess

This is good to know! Come to think about it, you are very lucky having your youth on slides!

Re: Family Times

newjerseygirl — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:34:31 GMT

@LTT1

Yes, I remember watching home movies.

In fact, when my mother passed away and I was cleaning out her house, I kept her old movie projector and many of the films/movies.

Re: Family Times

LTT1 — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:48:31 GMT

@newjerseygirl

Love this!

This morning I was looking for a picture portraying a family all watching home movies together and showing the equipment. There were quite a few ads for the projectors and screens, etc.

Re: Family Times

RedTop — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 22:06:30 GMT

My mother’s friend is the only person we knew who had a movie camera; she put the footage of our deceased family members on a VHS tape for us.

Re: Family Times

OKPrincess — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 22:18:50 GMT

After mom died I took the slides (400+) and had them put on DVDs as gifts to my siblings since there weren't many photos as children. Priceless.

Re: Family Times

LTT1 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 00:16:29 GMT

@OKPrincess @RedTop

I am surprised that it may have been rare to own movie equipment “back in the day.”

I would hope that DVD’s remain a long-term form of technology.

My mom and dad had those home movies put on a VHS tape for us. I have shared this with my cousin, who had no pictures of her childhood.

Re: Family Times

Cakers3 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 00:31:14 GMT

I remember slide projectors and the carousel would sometimes get stuck.

Re: Family Times

on the bay — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 01:24:09 GMT

@LTT1-

What a lovely thing to say-thank you-I guess I never have-Christmas has always been my favorite time of year.

I never heard of the movie projectors growing up and only saw them on tv.

But my father did have a wire recorder, that they recorded their hoedowns on-it was a big music family and my grandmother could play anything by ear; my aunt was in the opera,and my other aunt sang in the choir. and one day they all got together and had a "hoedown", with some other neighbors and friends. My father got it on tape later and made copies and I gave them to a lot of family members.

My mother had those "78" records and we played them a lot-lots of musicals-Gigi, My Fair Lady, Carousel, Music Man,Peter and the Wolf, Danny Kaye's-Don't Drink the Water-(very funny).

What a lovely thread sharing these ideas!Thank you!

Re: Family Times

LTT1 — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 22:58:01 GMT

@on the bay

What a great thing to have that very special family event for everyone to enjoy!

My own family was not much for card games or board games, but the few times we did this together created so many memories for each of us!

I think the part of today’s world that is missing to create a warm sense of family is that of “shared experience.”

When our DD was in high school, it never occurred to me to stop the pace and share game-playing or movies, etc.

When did life start to move so fast? As the mom, I should have been more aware of family traditions!

Re: Family Times

Mary Bailey — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 23:18:55 GMT

My Dad always took movies, 8mm, then videos. In fact a huge amount of photos, my Dad has a camera on his shoulder. (Dad also volunteered for our town's cable station. He was "Man About Town" and did interviews etc)

I took a few of the VHS tapes and transferred to DVDs. Most is still on the reels or VHS. Mom still has the projector, screen, tripods and some cameras.

Movie night was so fun. Dad would run parts of it backwards for a laugh. He'd pause a side view of Mom very pregnant with twins.

Re: Family Times

on the bay — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 23:23:55 GMT

Hi @LTT1-

Well you know, it was really my daughters and son who started and liked all the board and card games, esp card games like Balderdash, ever since they were middle school age.

I pretty much only liked monopoly cause I always won lol!

Most of the time we were laughing so much with all the silly answers.

For my youngest' birthday this year, she wanted to get together to play card games.

And this Christmas, we all decided to give something that everyone could enjoy, so she is bringing a card game, and I'm bringing ginger bread making houses, and my sil is bringing a puzzle (I said we'd need wine for that one!) but we'll do that one while watching Christmas movies or snacks and stuff,and we'll see what the others come up with.

I like this idea cause people can use their creativity and we don't have to think of something for each person and its not expensive and we'll spend time together enjoying things together.

Except for that first grandchild-we'll try but probably no holds barred for presents but my daughter wants him to feel its all about being together, not tons of gifts. (grandma here, -moi will try not to be a bad influence!)

And for all of us, traditions have changed over the years due to moves, marriages, etc. and at first I always wanted Christmas just like it always was at my mother's house but I've learned to embrace and look forward to new traditions, and that change in attitude has helped me look at change as an exciting surprise rather than a sadness.