I grew up in the 60’s on a farm in SW Ohio. My parents were literally like Oliver Wendell Douglas and Lisa on the comedy TV show Green Acres; Dad was a city boy lawyer and Mom was a dress designer turned housewife — really. 

In 1963, Dad bought a 10-acre farm for $12,500 that came with a Ford tractor and a two-bedroom house (for 5 people, I might add) that only had one toilet and a sink — no shower. 

He did this on his own, without consulting my mother when she was on a trip to visit her frail mother in California.  He was and is very impulsive.  My mother was livid.  My childhood was very interesting to say the least.

Our kitchen had a flesh-colored ceramic clock on the wall above the sink.  Years later, I learned that it was an authentic Russell Wright retro clock and the color was called “coral”, but I didn’t know it at the time.  It was just an ugly clock that did not go with the rest of our furniture. 

I loved that retro clock.  It played an important part in our lives when we were growing up; not just for me but my brothers, as well.  I can’t tell you how many times we share the story of one of them shooting off its second hand with a dart gun.  We never did find that second hand.

I don’t know whatever happened to that retro clock.  After my mother died and Dad moved to a smaller place, it just disappeared. 

Years later I found out from my sister that Mom was quite fashionable in her day and she had other modern retro furniture that did match that Russell Wright retro clock; before she married Dad.  Wow.  I even found out that she made more money than my Dad did before they got married.  Who knew?

That explains a lot.  That explains why I have a haunting fascination with retro kitchen items, retro furniture, retro plates, retro fabrics…  It’s in my genes.