I remember staying overnight at my grandparents house 3-4 nights/week from the time I was 7-8 until I was 17.
One of the things we used to love to do was listen to mystery radio theatre:
Summertime, with a thunderstorm, and grandpa would turn out all the lights, and we’d all get snacks (like a coffee mug of ice cream, or cheddar cheese slices with season salt/Lawry’s), and he’s turn in the radio for the episode.
It was great (and in memory is even greater) because so many episodes were from the good old days. Some kind of preternatural memory that things used to be better a long time ago.
We’d watch the lightning flash serenely (somehow) as we were trying to be the first to solve the mystery. The back door open, so we could hear the rain, or crickets, or sounds of the city,
This pleasant memory was lost to me for decades, and somehow I recalled it tonight...during a thunderstorm.
I grabbed a couple of the boys and brought them out to the garage, and played this:
All the memories came back. We had snacks, and I broke out my old Uncle Jerry’s pipe and the tin of black cherry cavendish, and nobody said a word. The kids loved it. No boredom. They were into the radio mystery.
Once in a while I would pause it, and tell a little story from the old days at Grandpas house.
Anyway, passing along to any who might like to wean their kids from video games and TV, but couldn’t find any substitute compelling enough to draw their attention. Give it a whirl.
Now that I remember this pleasant bit, we’re going to make our own (Friday night?) tradition:
Snacks, pipe, mood, memories.