May 1961

I cannot say I really remember May 1961. Let's just say I was very young ( a lady never tells her age). But apparently, even though I don't recall all of this - 1961 was a very good year.

On January 20,1961 John F. Kennedy was sworn into the office of the president. But it was Jacqueline Kennedy who changed fashion. The pill box hat was the fashion must have. Oleg Cassini, who designed her inaugural dress was "the" designer.

If you were watching t.v. in 1961 - and weren't we all. You had a choice of 3, yes count'em on one hand, 3 channels. your favorite shows were "Wagon Train", "Bonanza", Gunsmoke", "The Twilight Zone" and my personal favorite ( back then) "Mr. Ed." Clearly, mom and dad must have been into pop culture - top shows = westerns - cleaners name = cowboy. Do you remember this - "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat"? That was the opening for the new Saturday afternoon show with Jim McKay - "The Wide World Of Sports".

The movies that year included " The Absent -minded Professor","101 Dalmatians "( still my husband's favorite dog) "Breakfast at Tiffany's","judgement at Nuremberg", The Guns of Navarone" and "The Pit and the Pendulum". The Broadway musical "West Side Story" was made into a film this year starring Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno. ( the American Romeo and Juliette) .Are you humming "We want to live in America?" or "Tonight"?

On the radio , you were listening to "Moon River" by Henry Mancini ( the theme song from "Breakfast at Tiffany's).Pete Seeger sang "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", Roy Orbison recorded "Crying". And my two all time favorite songs "Crazy" recorded by Patsy Cline and written by Willie Nelson ( yep the same Willie Nelson) and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" recorded by the Shirelles - Thankfully re-recorded by the song writer in the 70's , Carole King.

In 1961 construction began on the Berlin Wall. (amazing some young folks never saw it in their lifetime). Texas introduced the state sales tax. (oops) The first Six Flags was opened in Arlington. Proctor and Gamble introduced and test marketed Pampers in Peoria,Illinois. Coca-Cola had a brand new soft drink - they called it Sprite. TWA showed the first in-flight movie. Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space. ray Kroc had bought the rights to McDonalds and had opened 230 stores.

The average cost of a new home $12,500.00
The average income $5315.00
Gas per gallon $0 .27
The average cost of a new car $2850.00
Pound of bacon $0.67
Dozen eggs $0.30

This was when Mom and Dad decided to open the first Cowboy Cleaners. Fifty years later McDonald's is world wide ( to some the scourge of America - to the rest of us a quick, tasty burger and dang good fries). If there hadn't been pampers -millions of kids would literally have been butt-naked.( no way was I going to use a cloth diaper)."West Side Story" is a classic. And Cowboy Cleaners is still here . The company has grown but we still follow the same ideals that dad started. We do the best job. We take the the time and care to make the clothes we are entrusted with look their best. So if you look at the picture on the home page and think who are those folks? That would be us - Dad, Shannon and I and the next generation of Cowboys and Cowgirls.