A December 13 memory, a small-town corner, and a nightcap line worth keeping close.

Good evening, Jack Reynolds checking in. December 13 always makes me think of how one bold moment could turn into a memory you carried for years. You will see what I mean when you get to that little slice of hometown America, I can almost smell the coffee and hear the door chime. Then I will cap it off with a plainspoken quote that still fits work and family. Brings it all back, does it not?

December 13, 1950 is when 19-year-old James Dean showed up in a one-minute Pepsi-Cola TV spot, years before he hit the big screen. That one made me smile. IMDb even lists it as a 1-minute short released on this date. Click to see the little start that turned into legend, can you believe it?

This 1957 Bel Air hardtop in Canyon Coral and India Ivory was the kind of beauty you stared at twice in the grocery lot. New ones ran about $2,290, and this very car later brought $121,000 at auction. With fuel injection, that 283 V8 could make 283 horsepower. Click for the auction story and the specs that made it a dream.

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That bright white roof looks like a wave frozen in time, and I can almost hear the doors thump shut on payday. This Mount Clemens Savings and Loan photo was shot in 1961, and the building still stands at 77 South Main. It even has 21 skylights up top. Click for the full-size photo and the exact spot on the map.

The animated 1956 *“I Want My Maypo!”* spot turned a maple-flavored hot cereal into a pop culture moment, with the cowboy-hatted Marky Maypo boosting sales by roughly 78 % and, in some markets, as much as 186 %. It later inspired other iconic taglines in advertising history. Click to watch the full minute-long classic and see why it still makes viewers smile.

Back in 1975, the Pet Rock was the perfect deadpan “pet” for folks who didn’t want the mess—nearly 1.5 million sold for just under four bucks, with about 95 cents profit each. Then in 2022 a toy company bought the rights and brought it back. Click to read the whole unlikely journey.

Tonight’s “Your Memory” comes from Maggie in Wisconsin, thinking back to the county fair in 1958, because it sounds like pure hometown joy. She remembers her dad lifting her up so she could see the Ferris wheel lights come on at dusk. Her mom pressed a warm ticket stub into her hand like it mattered. It did.

Tonight’s Quote comes from Charles M. Schulz, who had a gentle way of saying big things, like “Happiness is a warm puppy.” I read Peanuts with the morning coffee, and that line still feels true on a hard day. It reminds me to notice the small blessings at home. You can learn more about him here. Click and see what kind of man drew all that heart.

See you tomorrow. Same time, same station.

– Jack

Images are AI-generated or sourced from public-domain archives. Reader photos used with permission.