The magic of the supermarket

Everything was so magical as kids. And just one of those everyday things that was full of wonder and awe was the grocery store. 

There was so much to see. Rubber balls in display racks if it was summer. We used to be able to see live lobsters in tanks depending on where the store was. (Anyone remember them?) Those little balloons on sticks--they didn't even float. Even the food was fun to look at. I evidently called pickles "peekles." I liked the aisles full of milk and how creamy it looked like it tasted. It was always a great thrill when you wandered through the produce aisle at the same time it was being watered. 

What was your pick from the candy at the aisles? I think my dad bought me a pack of Chicklets gum once---the actual name is escaping me. They were in a yellow packet. But it was truly a treat when I got to pick up a Wonder Ball and see what character's face appeared on Sweet Tarts inside. 

But the real treat also happened at check out. I always got a sticker from the cashier at the end. I would place them under "my" window in my dad's Volvo. I had quite an impressive collection. When it wasn't raining and I was watching raindrops "race" down the window to see which one "won," I studied my stickers. Of course I don't remember what was on any of them. Do they still do this? 

And if we didn't go to the store that week, there was always the joy of watching Mom get home on weekend mornings. After she put everything on the counter, we would get to see what she bought that week.

I wish regular life was as magical as it was then! Wouldn't that make everything better? 

School libraries

Forgive the capitalization here! My l key isn't working so well and having to copy and paste every time is tedious. Sticking to lowercase for now. 

I was recently looking through one of my old favorite school library books on the internet archives. It was called Guide to Owning a Poodle. The pages were super glossy and of course, featured pretty pictures of poodles! Back then, while I found many interesting library books, I mainly stuck to reading them on bus rides home. If library day was also pretzel day, I would often read the book on the bus with a soft pretzel in hand.

I have many memories of my school library. The top floor housed the bookshelves and some computer cubbies; the bottom floor was a computer lab and group work rooms. (In fifth grade two of the boys liked rummaging through the drawers for junk in one of those rooms as we worked to complete a power point presentation.) Maybe it's why it's such a prominent location in my dreams. I remember watching a Hallmark version of Alice in Wonderland during library time. Maybe that's also why my dream world reminds me so much of Alice (in addition to the dark color palette)...funny the things you remember!

In elementary days, the library "teacher" had an odd rule of sitting in a circle, boy girl boy girl. She'd read an often boring book, then we were free to browse...unless it was the first day, in which we'd decorate our card stock library cards. My best friend and I would often race to books about math games and take turns reading from them. Those books taught us about the magic of writing words on calculators!

Other books I liked in the library: Wacky Wednesday (a Dr. Seuss style picture book); American Girl books (my first was Kirsten but I discovered the worlds of Molly and Samantha through the school library); a book called The TV Kid, remembered for its scenes of the kid getting bit by a snake; one called Draw where I copied instructions on a tiny notepad and actually made 3D art successfully; and others I can't recall. Said BFF would check out a book called How to Beat Your Dad at Chess. I think sometimes it worked! 

Althought I went to a K-8 school, library time ended after fifth grade. library time was now time for study hall, gossip, and looking at our crushes' homes on Google Maps. Good times, but different times. Today I spend lots of time at my local library. The books aren't quite the same, but I have discovered many good ones. 

long live libraries! 

Grandparents part 1: The old days

This year marks a turning point in that my grandparents really aren't able to go out anymore. After thirty years of going out to eat, shopping, mini golf, and sleepovers, 2024 brings a new page. As we begin a new chapter, I'm choosing to look back and write things down!

So their first house was in a neighborhood about half an hour from us in our hometown in PA. I still dream of this neighborhood a lot; in particular the lazy-L shaped pool next door. I really wanted that pool...

It was ugly-charming, is my way to describe it! It was what the real estate sites called a Dutch Colonial. We always entered though the side door in the laundry room. Grandma had this vintage sign up of a laundry lady. I can't find this sign today. I don't remember what was written on it or what brand it was for, but I do remember a black and white lady with small eyes, a smile, and a kerchief in her hair. (If anyone can locate this sign, or an image of it, I will send you one million brownie points!) It smelled like Dove soap and Downy fabric softener, which permeated the house. 

We'd then enter a small kitchen (counters to the left, table to the right) before going into the living room. This was also fairly small. The wall facing us, coming in, featured a brick fireplace that covered the entire wall. The hallway was perfect for playing "ice skating," which Grandma and I loved to do. She would narrate and then, after the show (aka when we arrived at the stairs or in the kitchen), the crowd would "go wild!" Meanwhile, a small powder room was perfect for playing with water toys with Grandpa. Sometimes I would even incorporate fake pink flowers. I don't remember where they came from. 

Their house was dark; the room my sister slept in had either black or very dark blue walls. But my bedroom was sunny---it had yellow walls and a blue/white bedspread (Grandma's signature colors). We'd have tea parties for the teddy bears there by making tea cakes out of Play Doh. My favorite of these was I Love You Bear, named because of the words on her shirt. In the closet there were other treasures---the knockoff barbies we'd play spelling bees with, the toy animals (they were mother-baby sets), and a mysterious box of squishy rubber figurines that my dad used to play with. They looked creepy but they did feel good! 

Leaving had a routine of its own: we'd all have a big group hug. Before that, though, we were always invited to pick something out of the candy drawer. Grandma would then send us off with a pack of Kleenex, and she would pretend to follow us home as we pulled out of the driveway. 

The next owners sold the house a few years ago. While they lightened up a little, it looked largely the same...but I could recognize a hotel room I used to dream of frequently as the old master bedroom with floral walls. I was especially amused to see a parrot in the kitchen. No way Grandma would go for that!