Pragmatist
Pragmatist

Memory Lane
Fri Jan 09 2004

I took a trip down Memory Lane this evening. When I left Yetzirah the other day after lunch, she gave me a couple catalogs, and I finally got around to going through the one from The Vermont Country Store.

They have B&M Brown Bread, plain or with raisins. I remember keeping that on hand because it went so well with baked beans. Comes in a can. I used to put the can in hot water and let the bread heat up that way. Now, I'd probably dump it out of the can and microwave it. It was so good.


Anyone remember Ralston Cereal? It was endorsed by Tom Mix "that straight-shooting, Hollywood cowboy." It was great for breakfast on chilly winter mornings. And you had to add your own sugar.

Oh, yes, and Horlicks Malted Food Drink. And it really was malted. Very good sprinkled on vanilla ice cream, or mixed in milk. And Ovaltine. I never liked it much, but the company sponsored the Little Orphan Annie radio show, so, of course, I had to have it.

This shop also carries Aunt Jemima Buckwheat pancake mix.

Little sugary maple leaf-shaped candies. Made from pure Vermont maple. Haven't seen those goodies in ages. Beemans chewing gum (pepsin flavor). Oh, yes, and horehound drops. Supposed to soothe sore throats, but I loved them for their flavor.

On page 62 I see floursack towels. My goodness, I remember them from my grandmother's kitchen. Flour used to come in cotton sacks, not paper like today. The frugal housewife saved the sacks for all kinds of things. Dust cloths, dish cloths, and sometimes the printed (usually floral) sacks were converted to baby dresses, or maybe blouses for little girls. Oh my.

Oh, yes, and for you Brits who might read this, PG Tips breakfast tea is available. Not familiar? Ask your grandmother.

Ah, Holland Rusk. Oh, my! I can't remember the last time I've seen Holland Rusk.

Now this is *really* going back. Electric turnover toaster. You put the bread on one side, and close the door. Then put a slice of bread on the other side, and close the door. When the first side is toasted, you open the doors, turn the bread over and toast the other side. But you have to watch. The slices don't just pop up the way they do in our latter day toasters.

And there's the enamel steel breadbox. It's big enough for a loaf of bread on the top shelf and rolls on the bottom. Hinged door. Not made in the US any more, so the Vermonters had to go to Canada to get their supply for their catalog.

And something else that brought back a happy memory. Red longjohns. My grandpa wore them. I don't know why they were called Union Suits. My family always called them longjohns.

I saw some over-the-knee socks I thought I would order, but they're part wool, and I'm allergic. But on the same page I saw some cotton tights that I am going to order. My legs are always cold nowadays. There's another wool-blend tights that would be warmer, but again, I'm allergic.

Then I finally got to the back of the catalog and there were perfumes I haven't seen in I can't remember when. There's Tweed, which used to be one of my favorites; Evening in Paris (oh! so sophisiticated!); Joy by Jean Patou; Blue Grass; My Sin; White Shoulders; and about a dozen more. They're a lot more expensive now. I remember Evening in Paris was so popular because it smelled so nice, and it was cheap.

I'm going to sign off with Tangee lipstick. In the tube it looks pinkish, but it actually changed color to suit the woman's complexion. All my girlfriends used Tangee. I think it used to be something like ten cents a tube; now it's going for $12.95.

And that's it for Memory Lane tonight.

Shalom.

11 Comments
  • From:
    Thubten (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jan 09 2004
    Sounds like you've been 'time-travelling'. How sweet it is to remember small details about our grandparents!?

    I think we still can get the 'turnover' toaster here in Australia - at least I still have one somewhere which I bought not many years ago.
    I'm allergic to wool too, as are my children. So annoying, but thankfully there are plenty of cotton alternatives these days.
  • From:
    Yetzirah (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jan 09 2004
    I love looking at that catalog too.
    Every now and then they have a special section with candies that I remember OTHER people having at their house when we would go visit.
    My mother was not one to put candy out in little dishes. But you are right, for a trip down memory lane, you will have to write a hefty check to that catalog!!!

    Glad you had fun with it, I thought you might :-)

    Y.
  • From:
    Monstergue (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jan 09 2004
    *smiles* A pleasant trip down memory lane is always a good thing.
  • From:
    Fairywishes (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jan 09 2004
    I bet it was interesting browsing that catalogue, it's funny how products bring back different memories.

    You'll be pleased to know that in this tea-drinking nation of mine PG Tips are still HUGE, I would think probably one of the best, if not THE best-seller and one I have personally bought for a long time. They are my stand-by tea-bags when we are feeling poor or just need regular tea, otherwise we have Twinings Assam, which are much stronger but more expensive. Ooh I love my tea, in fact I am off to brew a pot now...

    take care

    *fairywishes*

  • From:
    TraumaMama (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jan 09 2004
    ~Hello~
    I'm catching up with your week, which sounded nice.
    I am so glad I don't have to deal with cat boxes, although I bet once all the snow melts there will be some surprises out there.
  • From:
    Ozone (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Jan 09 2004
    Good memories....I didn't know they still made most of that stuff. There is nothing like Horhound drops for a sore throat. I will have to check that place out.
  • From:
    Ozone (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Jan 10 2004
    I just ordered one pound of Horehound drops for $6.95. Just in case you wondered....they are on line at Vermontstore.com
  • From:
    Ozone (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Jan 10 2004
    That is: Vermontcountrystore.com sorry
  • From:
    Becoming (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Jan 11 2004
    Holland Rusk is something I am very familiar with! Living near Holland, Michigan where they celebrate the Tulip Festival each year (and where I worked at a convention center for five years) we got to experience a lot of Dutch Heritage. I have a lot of Dutch blood in me, as a matter of fact! Holland Rusk can still be found on the grocers shelves in Western Michigan right next to the windmill cookies.

    Boston Brown bread with raisins was an old standby at my house. My mother also served it with baked beans. Yummy! There is also a chocolate bread in a can we would have as a dessert sometimes with a scoop of vanilla icecream.

    What a fabulous catalogue! It is nice that those old favorites can still be found.
  • From:
    Becoming (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Jan 11 2004
    Oh! We got some old fashioned sassafras candy from my husband's nephew for Christmas, also yummy!
  • From:
    Calichef (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Jan 13 2004
    My Nana used to wear Evening in Paris. My grandfather got her a huge set for their anniversary around the time I was born, and she still had bits and peices of it when she died.

    I really like the maple sugar candies, too. When I worked at the stop and rob one of my bosses friends went to Vermont and brought some back for him. I was the only employee that actually ate them. They just didn't know what they were missing!

    As for the B&M Brown Bread, I myself used to buy that when I lived at my (now ex-) husband's job site. We didn't have electricity there, and so we had to have all sorts of oddball canned goods. The raisin variety makes wonderful French Toast! I used to buy canned bacon, and whole canned chickens, too.

    Love,
    ~Cali