… my early life … | Writing My Life

This past week I received an email from JibJab – the site where you grab some photos and lop the heads of friends and family and stick them on site’s videos or postcards for a hilarious effect. The site had all kinds of funny options customers could send their moms, and I will probably send one to my mom.

However, I couldn’t help but think about cards I used to make for her. Here are a couple I created for Mom in 1956 and 1957 or ’58. You will notice the “clip art” is either non-existent or lacking and Spellcheck failed to correct a few words, but the sentiments – strange as they might be came from my 7 and 8 year-old-heart. Well, maybe I “copied and pasted” one or two lines for the first poem.

Connie and I probably created this poem in 1958 when I was in third grade. I was still writing "r's" like Mrs. Quidor and the Palmer method taught me.

I went to a little more effort to create this card when I was in 4th grade in 1959. The front of the card is on the left and the inside verse is on the right. I even included a little Hallmark logo on the back to make it official! After all, didn’t card companies create Mother’s Day? (By the way, neither of these creations were school assignments!)

Because of the drawing, complete with halo AND horns, as well as the guilt-ridden verse, I have to guess that I must have gotten into some big trouble a day or two before Mother’s Day!

My mother NEVER hurt my EAR, but hey, it rhymed with DEAR!

Notice the "horns" on the anGLE's head holding up her halo. Interesting.

The first photo I took on our trip to Bryce Canyon was of a candy bar – I’m serious. We walked into a Chevron mini-mart after gassing up the car to grab a snack. As I perused the aisles, I experienced a blast from the past.

Settled in next to Reece’s Peanutbutter Cups, Hersey bars, KitKats, Twix Bars, etc. was an Idaho Spud. NO, not one of those potatoes that have made Idaho famous, but that incredible confection that combines “a light cocoa flavored, soft marshmallow center drenched with a dark chocolate coating and then sprinkled with coconut.” DE.LI.CI.OUS.

THE One AND Only Spud!!!

The shape is SUPPOSED to look like a POTATO!

I hadn’t enjoyed one of these delicacies since I LIVED in the Gem State, and so I didn’t care that it cost more than 5 times the amount I used to pay for the candy bar. At first, I worried that it wouldn’t live up to the memories I have of biting into chocolate-covered softness, BUT IT DID! It was every bit as scrumptious as I remembered.

I think this retro-version was smaller than the candy bars I bought back in the day, but it was just as messy. I was covered in coconut and so was the car seat!

I also enjoyed reading the snippets of history found on the wrapper, but in researching the Idaho Candy Company, home of the Spud, I learned the candy dates back further back than 1930, the date printed on the packaging.

On the way BACK from Bryce, we stopped again, and I bought one of the bars for Mom. She was as excited as I was – doesn’t take much to please us Idaho women!