While folding clothes in the laundry room my eyes were attracted to the one-pint Ball jar on the shelf between the detergent and the bleach. The jar is a third full of thumb tacks for our bulletin board on which BBBH and I post reminders, then promptly forget to check the board again. That is, until after a decision has been taken due to expiration of the notice, so to speak.Anyway, what really caught my attention was the gizmo atop the tacks. I know my mother had one of these, and used it frequently. What I couldn't find anywhere in the house was the 12-oz. aqua-colored RC bottle with the red and yellow logo. And that is a must-have if the item here is to be utilized.
Scarce there be a person who yet today uses one of these for its intended purpose. In addition to the minimal cost for this appliance, there was an additional 2 cents for the cost of the bottle, for each purchase of the product required a bottle deposit, and if you didn't return the bottle, you bought it.
While Mom kept such a bottle with her laundry supplies, my favorite thing to do with one was this. I would go to the corner grocery with a dime, buy a bottle of RC and a bag of Planters Peanuts. While still in the store (remember, I didn't have the two cents for the bottle) I would swig heartily a couple times, rip the peanut bag open with my teeth, then pour its contents carefully into the throat of the bottle. Then -- aaaah! Such pleasure. What a memory!
(It rather seems in memory that Mom's gadget was aluminum rather than the colorful avocado green plastic. Yeah, that green is so sixties, Mom's must have been aluminum.)
[Bottle photo, rccolainternational.com]
5 comments:
I loved coke and peanuts growing up in a glass bottle, of course.
andrea
I also used to put nuts in my soft drink.
Bob
I used to love RC. Haven't seen it for a long time. I mixed the peanuts and pop (soda for the folks out east) in my mouth.
This item was used for sprinkling clothes while ironing - before the steam iron. Many now don't even own an iron and think anyone who uses one loves punishment.
Never had the nuts and soft drink "treat." Now I feel deprived!
Testimonies from Andrea, Bob and Chuck suggest that I wasn't the only one who enjoyed the pop'n'nuts treat.
Chuck, I recall that I was clueless when I first heard the term "soda" when applied to "pop" because to us, a soda was a treat drawn at a fountain. Pop came in a bottle.
Vee, you're right. Right, too, that those who iron may be masochistic. We do it though. Hate wrinkles.
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