Friday, July 4, 2008

Nanna's lolly jar.




This is a somewhat clumsy attempt to recreate my Nanna's lolly jar circa 1972-3.

But things aren't quite right, and Yoga Boy agrees with me on this one point at least.

Lollies were a good deal larger back then.
They were! Really they were!
And they looked better.

And it is not just relative.
I am well aware that I have grown, but lollies have altered too.

Wagon Wheels being perhaps the finest example of this evil global sweetie shrinkage crisis.
Is there some sort of confectionery inflation I'm not aware of?
With the range of sweets on the market, I fail to believe that manufacturers are looking out for the consumer's health, so I doubt it.

I can distinctly remember being in kindergarten and struggling to get through a whole Wagon Wheel at play lunch.
I remember honestly believing that they were just about exactly the same size as my face. I used to hide behind mine, although I can no longer remember what from.
Magpies, most probably. They still believe that my hair looks like fine nesting material.

Now, I haven't purchased or eaten a Wagon Wheel for maybe 6 - 1o years.
But even then, if I'd had the gumption to grab a passing 5 year old and thrust a Wagon Wheel in it's face, I am perfectly convinced that they would not have matched up.

Not even close. I've seen 5 year olds.

Try it yourself if you don't believe me.

Well now, seems to me I was going to make a point, what was it? Oh yes, Nanna. Sorry, I got distracted.
That and I'm typing with only one finger, I'm quite sure that my left arm is now not just asleep, but dead, and I have the chair arm digging relentlessly into my ribs because I'm sitting crooked, but at least Poppy is comfortable as she sleeps on my chest.

I can't work under these conditions!

Anyway, my story telling momentum is all screwed up.

So, bearing in mind childish wonderment and exaggeration, I'm trying to recreate Nanna's lolly jar.

It was (is) crystal and used to radiate the most exquisite Heavenly glow.
Each time I opened it, I swear I heard the kind of music usually played on a carousel.

Nanna kept it stocked with a very particular blend of lollies.

  • freckles
  • the crumbs left behind by the freckles (my favourite)
  • lemon sherbets
  • old school butterscotch (took me 6 weeks to find the right ones)
  • some sort of peppermint (not always)
  • those fruit bonbons with wrappers
Hooray! OK, Poppy's gone now, but I have gangrene and bruising.

This lovely container stayed with us after Nanna's sad and untimely death.
For reasons I cannot explain, it was then demoted to the cotton wool ball holder for a good number of years.
You know, those 1970's cotton wool balls...the blue, pink and yellow ones.
Do they still make those?
Why would cotton wool balls need to be blue anyway?
Far be it from me to reject the potential comedic impact of blue balls, but it really does seem silly, doesn't it?

Well, just a few years ago, perhaps when they stopped making multi-coloured cotton wool balls, I promoted this jar to being my I don't know where this goes but will probably need this again soon anyway jar, and placed it on my dressing table.

Usually I would tell you what I keep in it, but I'll spare you.

Except, you do need to know that I keep my Souths watch in it.
And the phone number of that lady who does Brazilian waxing, who I'm never going to visit.
And some Austrian stamps, some buttons, oh and stray earrings.
Sorry, I didn't mean to tell you, but that's not everything, I promise you.

But you know what?
No matter what I keep in here, every single time I open it, I imagine that I see freckle crumbs (100's and 1000's) at the bottom, and they make me smile.

2 comments:

gretchenaro said...

I definitely need an American/Aussie dictionary. Lollies? Wagon Wheels? Blue balls?

Auntie Simone said...

candy

a flat, round, marshmallow filled cookie which is chocolate covered, and shrinking

an "imaginary" sensation of pain described by horny young men (in their balls and general surrounds)due to with holding semen for too long ie. prostate back log.