You see it pictured there. The wrapper of this candy has not changed since I first saw it as a toddler. That wrapper, that candy, is the connector to many of my early memories. Funny what triggers memories.
Every time I see this candy, immediately I remember back to 1969, 70 and a neighbor of ours, Mrs. Kruger. We lived in Chicago on the 3rd floor of a large apartment building. Our back porch (if you could call it a porch) was shared by our neighbor next door, Mrs. Kruger. Picture Mrs. Cunningham and then visualize what she would have been like as a Grand Mother; that is Mrs. Kruger.
Several of the memories that occupy the wing of my brain which holds my earliest memories involve Mrs. Kruger. One of my favorites is her love of prunes. It was not uncommon for me to wander over to Mrs. Kruger's side of the porch and peek in her back door. Often she'd be sitting at her tiny kitchen table eating a bowl of prunes. She let me try one once and of course I thought it tasted like yuck!
For some reason I liked talking to Mrs. Kruger, I wish I could recall what we talked about. Being Mrs. Kruger she wasn't going to let me sit there while she eats alone. In 1969 what did you feed a fidgety four year old? That's right, candy! Mrs. Kruger also had a love for hard candy, specifically strawberry hard candy. She must have, because she always had a bowl heaping with just this strawberry hard candy nearby.
It would come to be that if I caught her while she was eating her bowl of prunes, she welcome me in to sit next to her at the table, she'd place the bowl of candy in front of me, and we'd eat and talk. After a few pieces she'd take the bowl away and that was good timing. Remember I was four, as nice as Mrs. Kruger was I only had the capacity for a few minutes of chit chat before I had to get going somewhere else to play.
I also have memories of the neighbor down stairs, Mrs. Heller; but they have nothing to do with candy and they aren't fond memories either. Perhaps another day I'll let you back into that wing of my brain for a Mrs Heller moment. More likely though I'll share more of Mrs. Kruger, actually, mark June 14th on your calendar for another Mrs. Kruger snippet.
Memory triggers... strawberry hard candy triggers fond memories for me.
What is it that when you see it (or hear, smell perhaps), what is it that triggers distant memories to instant recall for you?
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When I smell onions, it reminds me of my grandmother and the iron skillet she used to make one of my favorites: fried potatoes with onion. A lot of my favorite foods remind me of my grandmother as she was a phenomenal southern cook but she was also one of the favorite people in my life. She died in 1991 but I still feel the warmth of her love and her care for me. She was the one who nicknamed me Sunshine, and I still use that on my blogs.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me of my great aunt and grandmother. I remember when we visited their house there would always be chocolate covered cherries but they had to be the clear liquid kind not that thick white stuff my aunt would always say lol. We always played scrabble or yahtzee too and my aunt would help us with our letters :) Great memories thanks Patrick for bringing them to mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with old people and those strawberry candies???
ReplyDeleteMemories for me are almost associated with food.
Liver & onions take me to my mom...every time.
ReplyDeleteWOW...I remember those. My grandmother always has a bowl of them her coffee table in the living room.
ReplyDeleteOf course she had to refill them after we left. ;)
Awesome post. When a screen door slams it instantly reminds me of my grandparents old house. I really have a lot of memory triggers.
ReplyDeleteSarah
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Love this post & I liked those candies too! Such a neat thing for the good memories!
ReplyDeleteCertain foods or smells bring back memories of my parents - now gone. Passover always reminds me of the amazing fried matzo my dad made & other holidays make me think of food that they both made. Yes, in my family, it was not just the woman cooking! ;-)
Peppermint. I had bronchitis a lot as a child and my grandmother always gave me King Leo peppermint to ease my cough. Recent studies have proven Granny right!
ReplyDeleteLori
Neapolitan Taffy - The sight of it but more so the smell reminds me of my Grandma Louise's house. :)
ReplyDeleteThe smell of a pig farm (believe it or not) reminds me of my youth in Indiana. :)
ReplyDeletePRELL SHAMPOO (remember that?)
ReplyDeletereminds me of my first boyfriend :)
Cheap face powder. When I was in 2nd grade, I adored my teacher, Miss Murphy. Sometimes I would ask her if I could kiss her goodbye, and when she bent down for that kiss on her cheek, I was always overwhelmed by the scent of her sweet powder. I don't think anyone wears that stuff anymore except very elderly women, but once in a great while I catch a whiff of it on someone, and it always makes me smile.
ReplyDelete