cookie jars

I PROMISED TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY COOKIE JARS, AND SO, HERE WE GO. WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I USED TO LOVE TO LOOK INTO MY GRANDMOTHER'S COOKIE JAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS A MAGIC COOKIE JAR, AS IT WAS NEVER EMPTY. I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT KIND OF COOKIES WERE IN IT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE PROBABLY WAS NEVER A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. SHE MADE LEMON COOKIES, SUGAR COOKIES, OATMEAL, AND ONE KINE I REALLY LOVED, THAT HAD FRUIT AND NUTS. AT CHRISTMAS TIME, THERE WERE DECORATED COOKIES THAT I HELPED TO MAKE, AND LOTS OF FUDGE. MY MOTHER ALSO KEPT A COOKIE JAR, BUT MY BROTHER IS DIABETIC AND THE COOKIE JAR WASN'T ALWAYS FULL. I WAS ALWAYS SO CAREFUL WHEN LIFTING THE LIDS ON THESE JARS, I DIDN'T WANT TO BREAK THEM. WHAT A SURPRISE, PEEKING IN TO SEE WHAT WONDERS WERE IN THE JAR ON ANY PARTICULAR DAY. MY GRANDMOTHER ALSO MADE BANANA CAKE, SO FABULOUS, AND OF COURSE ON THE HOLIDAYS, THERE WERE PIES; PUMPKIN, MINCE, CHERRY, APPLE AND BLUEBERRY. I REMEMBER TOO, THAT SHE MADE PINEAPPLE UPSIDE CAKE-AND PUT CHERRIES IN THE CENTER OF THE PINEAPPLE SLICES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DELVELOPED A LOVE FOR BAKING AND CONSUMING THE PRODUCTS OF MY EFFORTS. EARLY IN MY LIFE, I BEGGED TO BE ALLOWED TO BAKE SOMETHING. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS PATIENT WITH ME, AND HELPED ME, EVEN WHEN I MADE A MESS. ONCE, I GOT MY FINGER CAUGHT IN THE MIXER BLADE AS I WAS TRYING TO SNEAK A TASTE OF THE CAKE BATTER. MY BROTHER AND I LOVED TO LICK THE BOWL. WE WATCHED MOURNFULLY AS MOTHER WOULD SCRAPE AND SCRAPE TO GET THE LAST LITTLE BIT. BUT, THERE WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING LEFT BEHIND, THANK GOODNESS!
SO, AS I GREW UP, WHEN I WOULD SEE A COOKIE JAR, IT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL SO HAPPY. A COOKIE JAR REPRESENTED NOTHING BUT PURE LOVE TO ME. SOME LOVING HANDS MUST HAVE FILLED IT, (EVEN IF THE WORKERS AT THE OREO FACTORY DIDN'T KNOW IT). AS A CHILD, I DIDN'T EVEN REALLY LIKE STORE-BOUGHT COOKIES, I WANTED THE HOMEMADE KIND. IN THE DEPARTMENT STORES, I WAS DRAWN TO THE HOME SECTION TO LOOK AT THE COOKIE JARS. I DECIDED THAT WHEN I GREW UP, I WOULD HAVE LOTS OF THEM TO LOOK AT WHENEVER I WANTED! IN THE ORPHANAGE, ONE OF FAMILIES THAT I VISITED FOR A SUMMER, HAD A WONDERFUL CERAMIC CHERRY PIE HOLDER ON TOP OF THE FRIDGE. IT LOOKED JUST LIKE A REAL CHERRY PIE. I WAS FASCINATED BY THIS PIE, IT SO REMINDED ME OF HOLIDAYS WITH MY FAMILY BEFORE WE WERE SEPARATED. I WANTED TO TAKE THAT PIE HOLDER HOME WITH ME. I KNEW NOT TO ASK FOR IT, BUT IT STAYED IN MY MEMORY LATER, WHEN I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO CERAMICS, I LOOKED AND LOOKED FOR A CHERRY PIE MOLD, BUT NEVER FOUND ONE. WHEN I WAS WORKING MY WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD A COOKIE JAR OF MY OWN. IT WAS SIMPLY A GLASS JAR WITH A LID, BUT I BAKED COOKIES AND HAD THEM FOR FRIENDS. COOKIES MEAN FRIENDSHIP TO ME. I MARRIED AND WE TRAVELED WITH THE ARMY. I HAD JESSICA, AND DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A COOKIE JAR FOR HER. WE HAD BOBBIE JO, AND MY DEAR MOTHER SENT A COOKIE JAR THAT LOOKED LIKE A CROCODILE, SITTING UP AND EATING A COOKIE. HE WAS SO CUTE, ANDHAD THE WORDS "COOKIE CROC" PRINTED ON HIS TUMMY, BUT THROUGH THE YEARS, HE GOT BROKEN. THE OTHER DAY I SAW ONE JUST LIKE HIM ON EBAY, AND IT WAS GOING FOR 400.00! DON'T GET ME WRONG, I ALWAYS HAD A JAR AFTER THAT, BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER TO ME WHAT THE COOKIE JAR LOOKED LIKE, JUST AS LONG S IT WAS FUNCIONAL. ONE DAY, AS WE SAT DOWN AT LOLA'S FOR A HOLIDAY MEAL, SHE SAID SHE HAD FOUND SOMETHING AT A GARAGE SALE. SHE BROUGHT OUT ONE OF THE PIES IN A CERAMIC CHERRY PIE HOLDER. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! FORGIVE ME, BUT I IMMEDIATLY THOUGHT, "WHEN SHE DIES, THAT PIE HOLDER IS MINE!" WELL, THAT'S WHAT I GET FOR BEING GREEDY, WITHIN A FEW MONTHS SHE HAD GIVEN IT TO A FRIEND OF HERS. ONCE AGAIN, THE PIE HOLDER HAD SLIPPED MY GRIP!
TO COME TO THE PRESENT, WHEN BOBBIE JO DIED I WAS JUST SO DEVASTATED. I SPENT LOTS OF TIME BLOGGING, AND ONE DAY, I GOT ON EBAY, JUST TO LOOK AROUND. TO MY SURPRISE, ON THE OPENING PAGE WAS A CERAMIC STRAWBERRY PIE HOLDER! IT WAS NOT A CHERRY PIE HOLDER, BUT IT WAS BRIGHT WITH RED SHINY STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM, AND BELIEVE ME, IT CAUGHT MY EYE! IT WAS GOING FOR 16.00 AND I CAREFULLY WATCHED, PUT IN MY BID, AND TO MY UTTER DELIGHT, I WON IT! I FINALLY HAD MY PIE HOLDER! THEN, LOOKING IN THE CATAGORY OF CERAMIC PIES, I FOUND A BLUEBERRY ONE, THEN A PECAN. I GOT THEM ALL. I GOT ENTHUSIASTIC, AND CHECKED UNDER CERAMIC CAKE. I FOUND A HUGE STRAWBERRY CAKE THAT WAS A CAKE HOLDER. UH OH, I THINK I AM HAVING A BIT TOO MUCH FUN! MY HOUSE ISN'T EVEN DONE YET FROM THE HURRICANE, AND I AM BUYING CERAMIC BAKED GOODS! I THOUGHT, WELL IF I HAVE A CERAMIC CAKE AND SOME PIES, WHY NOT FIND A CERAMIC CUPCAKE TOO? I DID, IN THE COOKIE JAR SECTION. UH OH, I ALSO FOUND A CERAMIC ICE CREAM SUNDAE AND A STACK OF OREOS THAT WERE CERAMIC COOKIE JARS. TIME TO STOP, BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ME HERE. WHILE BROWSING THE COOKIE JAR LISTING, I BEGAN TO FIND COOKIE JARS THAT WERE TOO CUTE TO RESIST. SOME OF THEM COST SO LITTLE, AND I JUST HAD TO HAVE THEM. I FOUND A HERSHEY COW, FROM THE HERSHEY FACTORY, A HEN SITTING ON SOME EGGS, A TUG BOAT, (AN ANTIQUE) A NOAHS ARK, A BOWL OF FRUIT, AN ANTIQUE TRAIN, A COVERED WAGON, A MAMA DRAGON, A GIANT HAMBURGER, A TURKEY ON AN EAR OF CORN, A TURTLE FROM THE '60'S, AND OTHERS INCLUDING A CHUBBY HIPPO IN A BIKINI AND A FLOATY THAT LOOKS LIKE SHE IS READY TO DIVE IN A POOL. THERE ARE OTHERS TOO, INCLUDING A TOOTSIE POP OWL AND MARTIN BEGAN TO TEASE ME ABOUT MY OBSESSION. EACH DAY, THE UPS MAN OR THE MAIL MAN WOULD BRING ANOTHER BOX. I NEVER SPENT MUCH MONDY ON ANY OF THEM, AND NOW, MY SEWING ROOM WINDOW IS FILLED WITH MY "COOKIE JAR FRIENDS". MY FAMILY ASKS ME EVERYDAY, WHAT IS COMING TODAY? THE LITTLE GRANDSONS ARE OVERJOYED AT ALL THE BUBBLE WRAP THAT ACCOMPANIES EACH JAR AS IT IS SAFELY WRAPPED. MY SWEET NEPHEW IN CALIFORNIA CALLED WITH EXCITEMENT THE OTHER NIGHT, HE HAS FOUND ME A SCHOOL BUS COOKIE JAR! IT MEANT SO MUCH TO ME THAT HE DID THAT. I HAD TO BUY A BAKERS RACK FOR THE KITCHEN TO DISPLAY THE PIES AND CAKE. I REALIZED THAT INSTEAD OF MANIFESTING MY GRIEF BY TURNING TO ALCOHOL, DRUGS OR OTHER INSIDEOUS HORRORS, I HAVE FOUND AN OUTLET BY ADDING TO MY COLLECTION. ONE JAR THAT I TRULY LOVE, IS A GRANDMOTHER HOLDING COOKIES, DONUTS AND OTHER GOODIES, AND HER APRON IS PRINTED WITH,"BAKED WITH LOVE". I BEGAN TO FEEL GUILTY ABOUT BUYING THEM, BUT THEN AS I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, WHY? THEY ARE LOVELY, AND THEY MAKE ME FEEL SO HAPPY. EACH ONE IS SPECIAL, AND MAYBE ONE DAY I WILL PASS THEM ALONG TO OTHER LOVED ONES. MARTIN SAYS THE LEAST I CAN DO IS FILL THEM UP- BUT I DO HAVE ONE IN THE KITCHEN, A GIANT OREO, THAT I KEEP FAITHFULLY FULL OF COOKIES, MOSTLY HOMEMADE, SOMETIMES STORE-BOUGHT. THE LITTLE BOYS KNOW THAT THE COOKIES ARE THERE FOR THEM, AND ARE VERY CAREFUL WHEN OPENING THE LID. I GET LOTS OF COMPLIMENTS ON THE CERAMIC PIES AND STRAWBERRY CAKE, AND THE OTHER DAY A FRIEND CAME OVER WITH HER LITTLE THREE YEAR OLD SON. I WATCHED HIM AS HE SURREPTIOUSLY LOOKED AROUND, AND, FINDING NO ONE TO CATCH HIM, TRIED TO GET A FINGER-FULL OF FROSTING OFF THE CERAMIC STRAWBERRY CAKE. HE POKED IT, FOUND IT HARD, AND POKED IT AGAIN. HE WIPED HIS FINGER OVER THE SURFACE OF THE "CREAM" AND CAME UP EMPTY. THE LOOK ON HIS LITTLE FACE WAS PRICELESS! SO, ALREADY MY "CERAMIC BAKERY" IS MAKING MEMORIES. I GUESS I AM GOING OVERBOARD, BUT IT IS TRULY HELPING ME THROUGH MY GRIEF. ANYTIME YOU WANT TO COME AND SEE THE COLLECTION, YOU ARE WELCOME. COME AND ENJOY THEM WITH ME. I PROMISE TO SHARE A COOKIE WITH YOU AS WE SHARE OUR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP. TILL TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE.
PS- I AM GOING AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS, SO IF I CAN'T GET TO THE BLOG, PLEASE KEEP CHECKING BACK, I WILL PICK IT UP AS SOON AS I RETURN.