Years ago, a dear friend upgraded me to a Piggy Bank as she was tired of watching me put my nickels and dimes into a mason jar after my weekly grocery shopping. Only nickels and dimes went into that jar, a habit I’ve had most of my adult life.
I was about 6 years old and living with my aunt and uncle in Aberdeen, Wash., during the 1940s. Uncle was a shingle weaver at the sawmill that abutted our property and earning less than 40 cents an hour as a shingle weaver.
Uncle decided that I would have a weekly allowance of 15 cents that I could spend on anything I wished. Each Friday evening, uncle would reach into the pocket of his blue denim overalls, and sort through his change for a nickel and a dime. My grubby little hand would close tightly over those coins that uncle had given me, not realizing how hard uncle had worked to earn that money, for uncle’s job at the sawmill as a shingle weaver was the most dangerous one…many hands had been injured by the blade of those saws, and many lives were lost as well.
Uncle had lost parts of two fingers on his left hand and a third seriously deformed by those dastardly saws. Forty cents an hour was a small pittance for one’s life or limb.
On Saturday mornings, uncle would drive aunt and me to town…aunt to shop for food staples and fruit only, as produce and chickens were raised in our backyard. Aunt never bought anything that she could raise or make herself. Aunt would buy a beef roast at 15 cents per pound if any was available due to the war in Europe and only if she had enough food stamps in her government issued food stamp book.
Downtown Aberdeen, population of 13,000 with its main street, Wishkah, which meant stinking river, was named by the Chehalis Indian tribe. The grocery store where aunt shopped was on a side street, just next door to the pharmacy, which had a large magazine rack. And up Wishkah street was Kress Five and Dime, a magical place for a 6-year-old.
Entering Kress my nose instantly filled with the wood smells from the wooden floors and display tables, which were filled with everything imaginable, all for only 5 or 10 cents. There were two tables where I spent most of my time “just looking,” I would say to the saleswoman asking if she might help. Learning to embroidery, I would first go to the embroidery thread table where hundreds of skeins of every color imaginable were contained in little cubbyholes, side by side.
Three for five cents those skeins of threads were. My hand would squeeze around the nickel in my pocket. Should I spend my nickel for threads of a new color or hold off for the five penny sticks of licorice I loved?
Having made my decision, I would move on to the perfume counter where the small heart-shaped bottle of Blue Waltz perfume was nestled in its white satin box. The ad read “Waltz into His Heart” for only 10 cents.
I had an older friend who purchased the single 10-cent bottle and her father bought the bottle from her for a quarter. The bottle was never to be seen again. I figured her father didn’t like the smell nor wanted anyone to “waltz into his heart.”
The rest of the morning while waiting for aunt to finish her shopping, I would wander back, passing the local beer hall where I would carefully peek in to where uncle would be sitting at its bar, slowly drinking the one beer he allowed himself. In the 1940s women were frowned upon in bars and were only allowed to sit at tables and must be accompanied by a male companion; children were not allowed.
Knowing I still had time, I would go into the pharmacy nearby and sit at the base of the magazine rack, where I would take my time looking through the comic books that sold for 10 cents, trying to decide between Looney Toons and Merry Melodies, Little Orphan Annie or Donald Duck.
On the way home I would pride myself if I still had my nickel that I would spend at the hotdog stand near our house for those five sticks of licorice.
Life in 1940 for me as a child was wonderful indeed.
Aunt’s Quick Pickle and Onion Recipe
(If buying cucumbers, I like to use the English variety. Only takes one English cucumber for this recipe.)
Scrub the outside of 5 small and very firm cucumbers or enough to fill a quart jar, and one small red onion. Slice the cucumbers (do not peel) and onion into 1/8 in. slices. By keeping the peel on, the cucumbers remain crisper.
In a glass canning quart jar add:
1/2 tsp. whole mustard seeds or pickling spices.
1/4 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
2 whole garlic cloves
Brine.
In a saucepan add:
1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. gran. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
Bring ingredients to a boil and immediately pour over the jarred cucumber and onion slices. Make sure the ingredients are well covered.
Refrigerate and wait 24 hours until eating. These will last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at [email protected].
