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Nictuku

(4,129 posts)

125. My mother was a skydiver back then

Sun Mar 30, 2025, 09:57 PM

Mar 30

Back when streaking was popular, the skydiving team she was on "The Stardusters" actually did a streaking jump. Of course they had their parachutes and helmets and boots, but otherwise.... They did have a camera man (camera attached to helmet) who exited the plane last. Mom said that he must have had quite a view from there.

Boy has skydiving equipment changed since then! Nowadays they have these lightweight 'wing' parachutes (mom had the old fashioned type back in the 60s) You have so much more control over the landing, they don't even require heavy boots any more.

A packed parachute these days is about the size that the reserve parachute's used to be.

A related story: Reserve parachutes used to have to be packed by a professional once a year, and one year after getting hers packed, mom sewed a patch to it. She didn't find out until the next year that she had SEWN IT CLOSED! She was jumping without a reserve every weekend for close to a year.

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Wiz Imp

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Highlight:

Can you remember a fad from the 60's or 70's? Mine is the troll doll. What about you? [View all] debm55 Mar 30 OP

Pet rocks PJMcK Mar 30 #1

HAHAHAHAHHAH. Wow, Thank you PJMcK debm55 Mar 30 #3

i had one or 2. AllaN01Bear Mar 30 #41

I still have one too! MontanaMama Mar 30 #60

Mary Quant SARose Mar 30 #2

Thank you SARose. My troll doll is long gone. I do remember the others. Had a Twiggy hair cut. debm55 Mar 30 #6

Yardley soap is still available. mwmisses4289 Mar 30 #86

Yep. Bought some the other day in fact. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Monday #146

I played with Kiddles! FM123 Mar 30 #4

I think I remember them. We just called them little Barbies. Thank you FM123 debm55 Mar 30 #13

Love the trolls. Tie dye shirts were pretty. TommieMommy Mar 30 #5

We used to make our own tie dye shirts at the playground. debm55 Mar 30 #9

I have some trolls dolls in my bathroom shelf that I look at to start my day with a smile and laugh! kimbutgar Mar 30 #7

Wow thank you kimbutgar. debm55 Mar 30 #14

I loved troll dolls. My last dog chewed mine up (found it in storage from years past)... hlthe2b Mar 30 #8

Thank you hithe2b. That's a bummer. debm55 Mar 30 #17

Pet Sock craze unraveled before it began BoRaGard Mar 30 #10

I like the sock puppet. It's cute.Thank you BoRAGard. debm55 Mar 30 #18

Mood Rings no_hypocrisy Mar 30 #11

I didn't have a Puka Shell necklaces, But I did have a Mood Ring. Thank you no_hyprocrisy. debm55 Mar 30 #20

Fads were a fad. There were a lot of them. Ocelot II Mar 30 #12

Thank you Ocelot II , I had all three. debm55 Mar 30 #21

Creepy Crawlers chowmama Mar 30 #15

Oh you!!!!!!! Thank you chowmama. debm55 Mar 30 #23

I am laughing while picturing this. 3catwoman3 Mar 30 #137

So Many Chasstev365 Mar 30 #16

I had all of those. My favorite in you list was the Drinking Bird. the least favorite--Clackers. Thank you Chasstev365 debm55 Mar 30 #24

I LOVED Wacky Packages! Prof. Toru Tanaka Mar 30 #102

Bell Bottoms Emile Mar 30 #19

Thank you Emile. I remember them and the hip huggers.. debm55 Mar 30 #25

Loved them. sinkingfeeling Mar 30 #30

And the platform shoes to match! 😆 mwmisses4289 Mar 30 #87

Made in jeans or Indian bedspreads! flor-de-jasmim Monday #145

Thank you flor-de-jasmim. I remember the Indian bedspreads. Beautiful. debm55 Monday #174

Clackers (Klackers) EYESORE 9001 Mar 30 #22

Thank you EYSORE 9001. I clacked myself with them once. I never used again. some kids could really get them going. Mine debm55 Mar 30 #27

My elementary school banned them as both a breakage and projectile hazard. Eugene Mar 30 #72

I was in high school when they appeared EYESORE 9001 Mar 30 #99

STILL HAVE a pair (in blue) DaBronx Mar 30 #129

My mom collected troll dolls! MyMission Mar 30 #26

Thank you MyMission for your selection. And those jeans are not cheap. debm55 Mar 30 #29

Clacker balls! lastlib Mar 30 #28

Thanks lastlib. I could never get them to work. Same for the Duncan yo-yo. debm55 Mar 30 #32

When I was a tween we wore scarfs in our hair applegrove Mar 30 #31

Thanks applegrove. That sounds neat. debm55 Mar 30 #35

45 RPM records sinkingfeeling Mar 30 #33

Thank you sinkingfeeling. I remember those. Thank you. debm55 Mar 30 #36

Super Elastic Bubble Plastic terip64 Mar 30 #34

HAHAHAHAHHA. Thank you terip64 debm55 Mar 30 #38

I was a troll doll for one Halloween! Nittersing Mar 30 #37

That's neat. Thank you Nittersing. debm55 Mar 30 #39

Chewing gum wrapper necklaces or chains. I'm livetohike Mar 30 #40

I think I still have one. I also don't remember how to make them. sinkingfeeling Mar 30 #43

Thank you livetohike. I made and wore back then. I don't think I would remember how to make now. debm55 Mar 30 #45

clakers . AllaN01Bear Mar 30 #42

Thank you AllaAN01Bear. I remember them. Do you remember the Magic Eight Ball? debm55 Mar 30 #46

played with one. never had one. AllaN01Bear Mar 30 #78

I was looking for a reference to leisure suits. TomSlick Mar 30 #114

here ya go. AllaN01Bear Mar 30 #115

My husband has one. Keeps telling me that they might come back in style. Thanks TomSlick. debm55 Monday #175

I hope he's wrong. TomSlick Monday #186

Me too. debm55 Monday #191

This! The first thing I thought of Ilikepurple Monday #142

drove my mom crazy AllaN01Bear Monday #158

Super Ball. rsdsharp Mar 30 #44

My brother had one of those. It didn't live up to expectations. debm55 Mar 30 #47

Friends and I used to play jacks with them EverHopeful Mar 30 #55

Isn't it kind of cheating when the ball bounces twelve feet high! rsdsharp Mar 30 #56

had one when i was in first grade. AllaN01Bear Mar 30 #116

A fad when I was in 5th grade! Freddie Monday #182

Pulling the loop on the back of a shirt off LogDog75 Mar 30 #48

I remember that fad for the guys. debm55 Mar 30 #67

At my junior high, they were called "fairy loops." 3catwoman3 Mar 30 #138

We called them fruit loops. One girl Emile Monday #147

I haven't thought about this in YEARS, but.... some_of_us_are_sane Mar 30 #49

I never made. but my friends did. I was always afraid that they would explode. debm55 Mar 30 #69

The kind of thing you used to get at state fairs: A heated and stretched Coke bottle, filled with layers of colored sand Aristus Mar 30 #50

I remember them filled with sand. HAHAHAHAH . do you still have your pop art glass bird? Thanks Aristus. debm55 Mar 30 #71

No. It was my sister's. It broke and disappeared decades ago. Aristus Mar 30 #124

Pop rocks. yourout Mar 30 #51

AGREE, Thanks yourout. debm55 Mar 30 #74

Don't eat them and drink soda at the same time MorbidButterflyTat Monday #141

Ben Casey blouses (looked like the shirts doctors wore back then) yellowdogintexas Mar 30 #52

Lava lamps SheltieLover Mar 30 #53

I loved Lava lamps SheltieLover JMCKUSICK Mar 30 #119

Me too, John... SheltieLover Mar 30 #120

Slinky, they were never as much fun as advertised...I had clackers too...as a teen worked at a place that made them... wcmagumba Mar 30 #54

Great add though. yourout Mar 30 #95

Thank you , yourout. Yes I remember the toys and the jingle. After a bit , it became sort of boring though. debm55 Monday #197

The Afro Eugene Mar 30 #57

Agree on all counts. Thank you Eugene debm55 Mar 30 #89

I also had Bell bottoms... wcmagumba Mar 30 #58

Hot Wheels DBoon Mar 30 #59

Shrinky Dinks. MontanaMama Mar 30 #61

I loved Shrinky Dinks. You are right though. A real pain getting them off of the sheet of the toaster oven. debm55 Mar 30 #85

Avocado Green Appliances Wiz Imp Mar 30 #62

Omg! That was almost as bad as the mwmisses4289 Mar 30 #88

Wiz Imp. that's for posting , but the is ugly. debm55 Mar 30 #91

Silly Putty Doc_Technical Mar 30 #63

My sister was crazy about Liddle Kiddle Kalonge Dolls pandr32 Mar 30 #64

Streaking Wiz Imp Mar 30 #65

I remember the streaking fad. It was pretty popular at sporting events. college campus, etc. Thank you for the reminder, debm55 Mar 30 #83

My mother was a skydiver back then Nictuku Mar 30 #125

Beatles wigs/boots. rubbersole Mar 30 #66

Thank you rubbersole. I remember the boots. debm55 Mar 30 #76

Earth Shoes Borogove Mar 30 #68

Man oh man I had those too, they were very comfortable... wcmagumba Mar 30 #70

I had a pair of knockoffs too. At the time, everyone was wearing them.Thank you Borogove. debm55 Mar 30 #73

I miss these shoes!!!!! DaBronx Mar 30 #126

Platform shoes catbyte Mar 30 #75

I remember the platform shoes. Made me look taller. debm55 Mar 30 #77

Yeah, I thought that too, especially when I was barely 5'1" and my boyfriend was 6'4" catbyte Mar 30 #84

Thing Maker (flowers) Nictuku Mar 30 #79

Thank you Nictuku. That is very neat. debm55 Mar 30 #112

Born in 74 but still remember this ILikePie92 Mar 30 #80

Flower power stickers, bell bottoms, Hang Ten shirts, and Keds. MLAA Mar 30 #81

This message was self-deleted by its author BigMin28 Mar 30 #82

Go Go boots MuseRider Mar 30 #90

HAHAHAHAHAH. MuseRider. I remember the gogo boots and pale pink or white lipstick. debm55 Mar 30 #92

Danish go rounds, candy cigarettes, mwmisses4289 Mar 30 #93

Fizzies mwmisses4289 Mar 30 #96

Hula hoops, and fizzies 4TheArts Mar 30 #94

Garbage Pail Kids. Kinda sick images, but funny. brush Mar 30 #97

GP kids came about in 1985 JMCKUSICK Mar 30 #118

Was it that late? I know they followed up on the Cabbage Patch Kids polularity. brush Mar 30 #121

Super Stuff, by WHAM-O! Mike Nelson Mar 30 #98

Karate (1960s), Kung Fu (70s) and nunchucks (until they were outlawed). Eugene Mar 30 #100

Creepy Crawlers and Easy Bake Oven! woodsprite Mar 30 #101

"Flip" hairdo like Marlo Thomas in That Girl. Diamond_Dog Mar 30 #103

HAHAHAHAH. Diamond_Dog. I had curly hair. So I was no Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) I loved doing macrame. I had the P.O.W, debm55 Mar 30 #109

Lawn darts RainCaster Mar 30 #104

I remember a cousin had them. Kids were getting hurt and they were taken off the market. TY, RainCaster. debm55 Monday #196

Pet Rock ZDU Mar 30 #105

Thank you ZDU. I never bought one. I made it myself from a rock. I don't know if that counts. debm55 Mar 30 #107

Crafty! ZDU Mar 30 #113

hallucinogens nocoincidences Mar 30 #106

Oh you, nocoincidences. debm55 Mar 30 #111

Pogo sticks Oldbrat4567 Mar 30 #108

Thank you Oldbrat4567 for sharing with us. Welcome to DU. debm55 Mar 30 #110

Welcome to DU LetMyPeopleVote Monday #181

Shit on a shingle JMCKUSICK Mar 30 #117

HAHAHAHAHHAHH. Thanks , John. debm55 Monday #180

Spirograph WestMichRad Mar 30 #122

Thank you very much, WestMichRad. I had the Etch-a-sketch and Spirogragh. I liked the Spirograph, but hated the Etch-a debm55 Monday #172

Hai Karate cologne for men. Every dude under 19 swore by it. ... marble falls Mar 30 #123

Thank you marble falls. I remember. debm55 Monday #171

Rubix Cube BlueKota Mar 30 #127

Rubik's cube hit the market in 1980. Wiz Imp Mar 30 #134

That will teach me to skim. BlueKota Monday #149

Little Abner Shoes DaBronx Mar 30 #128

Thank you very much for sharing with us, DaBronx. debm55 Monday #170

PET ROCKS Captain Zero Mar 30 #130

I was going to say that! Bluepinky Mar 30 #139

HAHHAHAHHAHA. Thank you Captain Zero debm55 Monday #169

Does anyone remember asking the telephone man for colored wire? terip64 Mar 30 #131

I did and we made rings out of it too. Thank you terip64, Brings back good memories. debm55 Monday #166

I was 6ft tall at 12 years old kozar Mar 30 #132

Thank you kozar for sharing with us. debm55 Monday #164

chia pets WhiteTara Mar 30 #133

YES!!! Thank you WhiteTara. I do remember them. debm55 Monday #161

Gunne Sax clothing. Went shopping at their warehouse in SF. 58Sunliner Mar 30 #135

Thank you very much. I loved Gunne Sax clothing. And Laura Ashley clothing too. debm55 Monday #157

That was my senior high school prom dress--Gunne Sax! crimycarny Monday #194

Good times. It's a pity the line was discontinued. I loved it!! 58Sunliner Monday #198

That's neat, crimycary. I wanted a Gunne Sax dress for my wedding. I couldn't find any in my area. They were beautiful debm55 Monday #200

How about tintinvotes Mar 30 #136

Thank you very much tintinvotes. debm55 Monday #156

Rat Fink... Historic NY Monday #140

Thank you, HistoricNY. I don't remember but it sure looks gross. debm55 Monday #155

Car culture Big Daddy Ed Roth. Hot Rods its was all over the place Historic NY Monday #173

Peasant blouses MorbidButterflyTat Monday #143

Thank you very much for your selection, MorbidButterflyTat. Very good selection. debm55 Monday #154

Whacky Packages Ilikepurple Monday #144

Thank you IIikepurple. But what are Whacky Packages? debm55 Monday #151

They might have actually been called Wacky Packages without the "h" Ilikepurple Monday #206

Miniskirts and Peace Symbol ✌️ Emile Monday #148

Thank you very much, Emile, And Smiley Faces. debm55 Monday #150

Bell bottoms surfered Monday #152

Thank you surfered. debm55 Monday #153

Pull tab chains Earl_from_PA Monday #159

Yes, I remember those. Thanks Earl_from_PA debm55 Monday #160

So much fun reading through all of these! Fish net stockings to go along with those white go go boots; KitFox Monday #162

Thank you so much. KitFox for sharing with us. Great choices. debm55 Monday #163

Thanks for all the great threads! Hoping you are feeling well today. How's KitFox Monday #165

91-92 range. I am so tired of using that Oxygen machine. But I do what I do. Thank you KitFox for asking. debm55 Monday #167

A minus! Good deal! Admire your courage !!!!🩷 KitFox Monday #168

Backgammon walkingman Monday #176

Thank you walkingman debm55 Monday #177

Stocking caps SWinter Monday #178

Yes, I remember them SWinter. And if they were long enough, you could use as a scarf. debm55 Monday #179

Exercise Sandals gay texan Monday #183

I agree with you gay texan. Wasn't the base made of wood? debm55 Monday #195

Yep n/t gay texan Monday #199

Chinese jump rope Freddie Monday #184

HAHAHAHAHa. We did the same. I liked playing . It was somewhat different then regular or Double Dutch.Thanks Freddie debm55 Monday #189

Fuzzy Wuzzy soap and Pillsbury "Space Sticks" crimycarny Monday #185

I had a Fuzzy Wuzzy Soap. It was a blue bear. Thank you for sharing with us crimycarny. debm55 Monday #193

CB Radios & 8-Track Tapes Wiz Imp Monday #187

Yes, those were popular. Trucker songs too. debm55 Monday #192

K-Tel Compilation Albums of Hit Songs Wiz Imp Monday #188

HAHAHAHHAHAHA. That is so funny and yes I remember them.Thank you Wiz Imp debm55 Monday #190

I made a house for my trolls and took it to show & tell. Way funner than barbies. Clouds Passing Monday #201

Somewhat better. I am at an Oxygen level of 91-92. Can't get it to 93. Until then I have to stay on the Oxygen machine. debm55 Monday #202

Peace Beads. debm55 Monday #203

Can pull tops JPK Monday #204

Thank you JPK. I remember making jewelry from the can pull tops. Doorway curtains sound creative. debm55 Monday #205

Colorforms LudwigPastorius Tuesday #207

Thank you very much LudwigPastorius. I remember both. I really liked the colorforms debm55 Tuesday #208

Bralessness & Halter Tops Emile Tuesday #209

Yes I remember, women burning their bras. Thank you Emile. debm55 Tuesday #210

Are roller rinks still around? sakabatou Tuesday #211

Thank you sakabatou. They were popular during the Disco Era. Haven't seen one since. debm55 Tuesday #213

flocked black light posters eShirl Tuesday #212

Oh yes, I remember them, eShirl. I had a white horse painted on black flock. debm55 Tuesday #214

The not so flatware "spoon rings" Niagara Tuesday #215

Hi, Niagara. Great to see your post. I never had one, but I knew people that did. Some were beautiful. I like the one in debm55 Tuesday #216

I have a troll from Denmark. milestogo Tuesday #217

Thank you milestogo. debm55 Tuesday #218