Back, what seems many years ago, in January 2020 BCE (Before COVID Era) I dropped into an antique store. No, not an old store – a store that sold antiques. It was my 61st birthday, and feeling bit archaic, I entered nominally looking for “corn cob dishes.” Really, I was “just looking” for my past.
The corn cob dishes were my mother’s – our everyday dishes – sturdy, a bit novel, and dishwasher safe. My mother’s friend, Peg, was an avid antique hunter. When Peg found a corn cob dish, she brought it to my mother.
The corn cob collection has dwindled over the years and now consists of menagerie of pieces (see picture). I still try to use them for everyday dishes, but they are not microwave safe. Meaning the sparks they generate light up the microwave like the 4th of July. And, that could burn down the house.
I returned to the past in my hometown, Ellicott City, MD – an old mill town lying in a valley at the confluence of the Tiber and Patapsco Rivers. After two floods in the last 4 years, the town was coming back to life with antique stores and restaurants – that was BC.
I entered the store looking for the past - turns out my past had left the store. In my mind, antiques are my parents and grandparent’s stuff – 100 years old. Antiques today are yesterday’s stuff. Stuff from my childhood and my kid’s!
Oh, the hand printed signs were appealing. Drinking glasses were “Mid-Century” and clothing had a “Terrific Mid-Century Look!” Apparently, I am no longer a “baby-boomer,” I am “mid-century.”
Another sign read, “Mason jar with lids.” To quibble, it was a Mason Jar with rings - lids are sold separately. To quibble further, Mason jars are still sold new – for canning. If you don’t know about Mason jars or canning, I will pray for you. One of God’s greatest gifts are canned green beans.
After an hour, I walked out of the store without buying a thing. I felt bad, and I was tempted by the mid-century drinking glasses. But my past is not ready for the antique store – not yet. What I found was the future.
My parents and grandparents lived through World War I, the Spanish Flu, the Depression, and World War II. They bought dishes that last a lifetime so they would not buy dishes again. Friends replaced broken dishes. They canned food because it was the only way to survive the winter. These strategies worked for them.
In May 2020 CE (COVID Era) we are still looking for what works against the virus. And, we will figure it out. In the meantime, perhaps we can learn from our past: Be sturdy (safe), take care of family and friends, and be prepared for the winter. We, like corn cob dishes, will survive. And someday, I will continue my search for corn cob dishes.
How about you? What is in your past? Share a Story!
Taste the Food - Second Helping
Technically, corn cob dishes are “Shawnee Corn King Pottery.” Shawnee Pottery produced pottery from 1937-1961 in Zanesville, OH.
Mason Jars & Canning. Speaking of drinking glasses, Mason jars make great drinking glasses – I prefer the wide month Mason. Note – Ball jars are an able substitute to the Mason jar.
