*WARNING* I’m about to age myself, but who care’s right…it’s your outlook and attitude that matter, right.  But I digress…when I was growing up I used to love to watch the Ozzie & Harriet show.  For those of you who are now asking yourself, what television show is that again? …The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet ran on ABC for 14 years between 1952 and 1966.  Early this year David Nelson passed away, the last of the family that starred in the series.

I was only 2 years old when the show premiered so I didn’t see it until much later, but then I watched all of the old episodes the network would rerun.  I was in ♥ love with Ricky, the younger sibling of David, and was a huge fan of the lifestyle they acted out on their show.  I’ve read that the genial life they performed was pretty accurate to their real lives, at least for the most part.  If you want to read more about the show and the family members visit HERE.

When I read about David’s recent passing I thought about the show and remembered why I enjoyed it.  The show created the “ideal” lifestyle using a real family.  In fact one of the frequently used colloquialisms I heard as a young adult was “it’s so Ozzie and Harriet”, which I’m sure was a stab at the perfect lifestyle that was projected.   For me I had conjured up an image that to this day seems doable and at the very least something to strive for.  (A married couple raising 2 sons in a neighborhood where most everyone gets along).

I find I still use the “…so Ozzie & Harriet” phrase when I see a really traditional neighborhood or a very traditional home with a well manicured lawn and maybe a basketball hoop on the garage.  I imagine (perhaps wrongly) that there is a perfect little family living there!  There are still a few of those neighborhoods in Orange County and its fun to drive by to admire the architectural style and see what they’ve done to the landscape.

This is the real Ozzie and Harriet house

So, am I wrong to dream the dream…delusional?  I hope not, I’m working hard to live that dream!