Category Archives: Memories

A Ring

September 27, 2024Memories, ThingsFound items, jewelryDona

I don’t know when I bought myself this double-gem ring, but I’m pretty sure I was around 17 and working at Ben Franklin, saving for a trip to England. It is also possible I got it from a vending machine. I’d forgotten about it until I went through a bag of costume jewelry I’d given my daughter who gave it back to me. I’m pretty sure it had both stones in it when I gave it to her.

Of course it is not real. The ring part is sterling silver. So maybe it didn’t come from a vending machine. The ‘gemstones’ are made out of glass or possibly plastic and painted with stripes of blue, pink, and green. Perhaps the glass is colored that way — who knows. I do know, though, that I liked wearing it. I especially remember finding my hand attractive when I was wearing a dress shirt with button sleeves and when I lifted my hand to button my sleeve and my fist was slightly closed. I didn’t find any part of me attractive, so that was an unusual feeling.

I’ve been going through photos but cannot find any in which I am wearing the ring. Oh well. I have the image in my head.

I think I will save it just for the glass stone. It does not take up much space.

That time I was a Karen

March 30, 2024Memoriesletter of complaint, lipton tea, wood shardDona

One day in 1977 I opened a packet of Lipton loose leaf tea and found a long piece of wood. I was surprised and a little upset because I was afraid to drink the tea. Of course back then there was no Twitter to post a complaint to the Lipton PR person so I did the only thing I could do. I wrote the company a letter of complaint. I think it was a little humorous — I don’t remember exactly what I said but I think I used the phrase “imagine my surprise…”.

Well, imagine my surprise when I received a personal letter from the Lipton Tea company, including a coupon for a free package of loose leaf tea and the Lipton Newsletter. And of course I saved it.

Letter from Lipton tea manager apologizing for the shard of wood I found in my tea with an explanation about importing tea in huge crates.

Mom’s metal recipe box

March 23, 2024Memories, Television, Thingsmoms recipe box, the middleDona

Mom kept her clipped and hand-written recipes in this metal recipe box. She consulted it when she needed a recipe she didn’t make often enough to have it memorized. I think she switched to an older, wooden box because that’s where her handwritten recipes are now. The metal one just contained a few items that came from newspapers, magazines, food packages, or appliance inserts.

This box, though, is special to me because I remember it from as far back as I can recall. It was probably a bridal shower gift from a friend or family member.

You won’t be surprised, then, when I was excited to see it in the kitchen of the TV series, The Middle, that I binged on a while back. The show took place mostly in the kitchen, so the recipe box was featured in nearly every episode.