Sunday, February 26, 2012

Grandpa and Candy

Carrie and I recently attended a writing workshop {lead by this lovely lady and this one} and it was held at a sweet candy store called Smeeks in downtown Phoenix {you should go there because it is awesome!!!}. There were 10 of us seated around a square table that had been scattered with candy - the perfect setting for some sweet creative flow.

To get things going, our facilitators asked us to quickly jot down five candy-related memories. It didn't take me long to do so, and I was surprised at the memories and emotions that simple exercise conjured up.

Next, we were told to choose one of those memories and write a story about it. We were given 10 minutes, and here's what I came up with:

{my grandfather's coffee cup ~ a treasured possession}

"My memories of my grandfather aren't all that pleasant. He rarely spoke to us when we came to visit, and when he did speak it was usually a gruff command. My mom would make excuses for her father, saying he didn't feel well or that his back hurt. As a child I never really understood why that would cause him to be so grumpy all the time. I figured he was the luckiest man in the world to live with my sweet grandmother, and that alone should make him happy.

During our visits we basically steered clear of Grandpa. Occasionally I'd muster up the courage to offer to refill his coffee cup and he'd always take me up on that.

At the end of every visit at my grandparent's house, we began our good-bye ritual. My siblings and I approached Grandpa, one at a time, exchanging a good-bye hug for a quarter and a roll of Lifesavers. Every. Time.

He was always smiling then, maybe because we were leaving, but I like to think it was because giving us candy brought him joy."

Can you think of five candy-related memories?
Which one would you share if asked to write a story
and read it out loud to a group of candy-eating women?

14 comments:

scrappyjacky said...

I remember each Saturday we had a thrupenny piece to buy sweets. We spent ages in the shop choosing...but my favourites were blackjacks which made your tongue completely black....or cough candy twists.
I'd never eat blackjacks now....but do still very occasionally treat myself to cough candy.
In the last few years 'old fashioned' sweet shops have become very popular over here....and most of the sweets from my childhood can still be bought in them.

Jimjams said...

Lovely story Deb - a softie inside your grandfather!
I can remember saving pennies to go to the sweetshop and buy single chews (not blackjacks - yuk - but fruit salad chews were nice) and tubes of aniseed balls and occasionally a sherbet fountain!

Maria Ontiveros said...

Sounds like a wonderful class. It's amazing what you can produce in a short period of time when you let yourself go.
My favorite candy memory would be sharing the wonderful Mars bars you get in the UK with our kids when we were in Ireland.
Rinda

debs14 said...

When I was growing up, you could take empty glass bottles back to the little sweet shop and they would give you back some pennies. I would be allowed to choose a few sweets to spend from the money we would get back. My favourites were either candy shrimps or rhubarb and custard boiled sweets!

Jo.C said...

My Grandad always used to have galaxy chocolate in his pocket and I was always amazed that it didn't melt. Now I know he disappeared into his bedside drawer and got some out but as a child you never realised that. He was just magic :0)

Melissa said...

That sounds like a wonderful workshop. I remember that we used to get those boxes with 10 rolls of Lifesavers inside every year for Christmas when we were growing up.

Karen said...

It's a great exercise. Two candy memories popped up immediately. I'll be thinking about this one.

Amy said...

I am so impressed with your ten minute lolly inspired story - it's fantastic!
Hmmm, I have to have a little think about a lolly story (we call candy, lollies) my paternal grandparents used to buy us an ice cream after church if we went home with them ... nothing like a little sibling fight straight after the calm of church to liven up the day!

Margaret said...

I'm blanking on candy memories. Hmm. I'll have to ponder.

Irene said...

My dad had a gumball machine that he said would only take quarters. Years later, we found out it took any size coins. Dad was always one to make extra money any way he could. LOL

Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita said...

What a neat story! When I was little, my big sister used to buy me Wacky Wafers. I loved them - they've stopped making them now. And my brother worked in a candy store one summer, and would bring me home treats - candy necklaces, gold nugget gum, those gum "cigarettes" and more!

Beverly said...

At first I was confounded that ya'll could think up five but as I was reading comments more and more candy related memories kept popping into mind....interesting assignment :) My great aunt that I spent much time with as a young child always had full size candy bars in her china cabinet. I was always thrilled when she'd tell me to go get 2 bars out for us...ones I only ever had at her house Paydays and Zero bars.

Lou said...

popped back to read this story before starting today's story.

Cate Brickell said...

do lifesavers taste as good now as they did then? I've put my thinking cap on - I have a few memories of lollies and grandad.

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