By Gina Mazza
Was your favorite toy as a child an Easy Bake Oven? Where did you hang out with your high school friends? What would you pick as the best slow dance song of all time?
You are invited to share pieces of your personal sentimental journey in our new column, “Walking Down Memory Lane with Vintage Debbie.”
Hosted by local vintage history buff and performance artist Debbie Smith Wagner, this new column is all about sharing a love of nostalgia about our lives and younger years. Vintage Debbie makes it fun by posing throwback questions about years past and inviting our readers to share their answers via her Facebook group page, Vintage Debbie’s World.
Debbie began interacting and collecting memories from her community on social media in 2021 and has gotten a big response from what she calls her “Vintageastas.”
“They give such fabulous answers and memories on my Facebook posts that I knew I was onto something,” Debbie comments. “I am thrilled to bring this column to the Pittsburgh Senior News audience.”
For the past three years, Vintage Debbie has been entertaining at local senior centers and high rises, retirement facilities, and historical societies with her unique style of era-specific music, dance and dress. “Seniors are at the heart of everything I do, and I plan to do this work all my life now! It is truly a labor of love.”
To learn more, follow
Vintage Debbie’s World on Facebook.
Walking Down Memory Lane with Vintage Debbie
Who baked in an Easy Bake Oven as a child? What are your memories of childhood baking?
* I loved my Easy Bake Oven! When I was a little girl, I used to make birthday cakes for the seniors in my neighborhood. I’d go to their doors with the cake and sing songs for them. Yes, it started back then! I have so many good memories of cooking and performing for seniors. I love to talk about it. My memories are sweet just like my treats from my Easy Bake Oven!
– Vintage Debbie
* I loved ours. But that little bulb was the bane of my existence several times. – Diana McCormish
* I did and I can still smell that faint vanilla fragrance. Oh I thought it was marvelous! – Betsy Elenbaum
* I loved my Easy Bake Oven. My baked goods didn’t rise very well, but I didn’t care.
– Debbie Black
* I burned the hell out of my finger on my friends little sister’s one. It was bad! – John McCann
* I loved the Easy Bake Oven. Fun creating
connoctions! – Colleen Wietmarschen
Were you a Boy Scout or a Girl Scout? Did you have anyone in your family who was a scout? Do you remember the uniforms? Memories?
* I was in Girl Scouts as a Brownie. My mom was the leader & was a Scout too for years. My girls were in GS until they went to middle school. My Father & his twin both were Eagle Scouts, as well as my brother.
– Sabina Kaminski Simpkins
* This is a memory that is always with me. As a Junior Scout, I got to help my little sister “fly up” from Brownie to Junior. I loved the Girl Scouts!
– Holly Mathias
* I was a Girl Scout as was our daughter Jessica, my sister Tria, Mom a Girl Scout Leader. I absolutely remember the uniforms & still have my sash & some of my badges. – Kathy D. Royer
What’s the best slow dance song of all time?
* Unchained Melody-answered by Ross Jennings
* High On A Hill- Scott English-Al Mazuch
* Going Out of My Head – Little Anthony Linda Keller’s answer
* Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- answered by Betsy Ellenbaum
* I remember my parents dancing to “Could I have this dance?” by Anne Murray.- answered by Donanne Seese
* Go back to Glenn Miller’s Seranade In Blue.
* Few years ago Alabama’s There’s No Way- Al Mazuch’s answer
* John Popovich’s answer
* And I Love Her~ Beatles answered by me
* I Only Have Eyes For You. Husband would say Led Zeppelin’s Thank You. answered by Holly Mathias
* Always and forever. answered by Sherry Smith
* The lady in red answered by Craig Gleason
* “You Send Me” Sam Cooke- answered by Kimpa MoFatt
Who taught you to cook? Memories?
* Best answers- I got my first cookbook when I was in elementary school and still have it! My mother was so confused one day when I went outside to ask her where an ingredient was, as I was getting ready to make cookies from it. She was hanging clothes up on the line. I asked her where the MOLE ises was. After me saying it 3 times, and her asking what I wanted it for, she realized it was molasses! 🙂 – Carrie Havranek
* I cook the things my Mom cooked. Basic polish and German food…nothing fancy. So I guess I picked up from here. Now I wish I would have paid better attention. -Adele Fatur
* I think it was…her name was Mother…ah, what was that? Oh yeah, Mother Necessity. -Steve Wagner
* Better Homes & Gardens cookbook taught me. My mother didn’t enjoy cooking, although her pot roast was to die for. Now I like to find recipes for ethnic Irish & British foods (yes, they do exist). -Holly Mathias
* I watched my mother and grandmother, later my two older sisters. We were surrounded by good homemade food. That’s one reason I opened my Eatery. People like that stuff! -Jackie Fullen
* I loved watching my Mom, her Mom & Dad Mom (& helping on the sidelines) & (they always made it look like fun)plus Home Ec courses, Cooking Shows & Culinary Cuisine Magazines! I envied the culinary classes taught by an amazing chef that they had at Hoover High School in N. Canton that was over the top. They even had their own restaurant for faculty, celebrations in different depts. plus outside excursions! -Kathy Royer
* I taught myself too Lucy…Mom spent more time with her flowers and music and dad… -Sherri Smith