Today I heard that Woolworths was going to drop down the black hole of retail at the end of the month in the UK.Granted the ones in Canada closed first years ago and then the ones in the US followed suit a few years later but I do not think anyone does not have at least one  great memory of Woolworth’s

I bought my first black Lady Jane eyeliner and mascara there that had more alcohol content than a an expensive martini in the 60’s.Yes it burned my eyes but looked great with the orange, red, pink or white lipstick they had.Oh the horrors of having only four shades to pick from, but we thought it was great.A few years later I would buy my first pair of pantyhose to go with my mini skirts relieved that I would no longer have to wear garter belts and hose.

Fales eyelashes,scarves,umbrellas or a cold drink at a moments notice.Woolworths had it all.How many kids put a nickle in the bronco pony and rocked on it for about 2.5 minutes? Then there was Santa in December who sat in the toy section on a red velvet covered wooden chair. He was not a deluxe Santa like the department stores,but  a skinny Santa with a large  Woolworths pillow  packed  under his suit and smelled of one too many cigarettes or an occasional beer.But he was Santa and king of the toy department where they had hundreds of colouring books , pale pink plastic dolls and teddy bears filled with straw.

The thing I  will always remember about Woolworth’s was their counter lunch bar.My grandmother and I would go to Montreal to buy her wigs for her sparse head of hair and we would always go there for lunch.Kresge’s would have booths but Woolworth’s would have the rows of chairs around  U shaped  counters.The waitresses were about skinny as Santa and some of them tapped their pencil on the order book while you went through their menu to order.

I always got the same thing.The turkey dinner with one scoop of potatoes ,a couple pieces of turkey with dressing underneath and gravy on top and of course some canned green beans on the side.Then for dessert we would each have a slice of one of their layer cakes that graced the glass containers on the counters.It was such a treat and there was always  a roar of conversation and men flipping their newspapers.

The thing I will always remember about Woolworths was something I can still  see in technicolour today  even at  the age  of 57.I used to go to the small local one after school every day to look at the toys on the way home.I was about 6.5 years old and the lady with white hair who lived across the street from us used to work in the toy department and shook her head at me as I touched everything.

It was an ordinary day, and the sun was shining..I fondled the toys and was just about to go home when I needed to use the restroom badly.I just couldn’t hold it and there in the middle of the toy section at approximately 3:40 pm that day I peed my pants all over the floor.I saw the lady with the white hair go into a closet to get a mop and shake her head and headed towards me quickly.

I ran out of there faster than a speeding bullet, and never darkened their doors again for at least a year.I can still see it frame by frame to this day.

So people moved on.They bought cell phones and plasma TVS and Woolworths just never grew with the time.People didnt need their turkey dinners anymore as they had fast food.No one wanted memories anymore,they had moved on to Walmart.Children had the internet and webkins and no longer needed to ride the Bronco Pony machine.

So where do our memories come from now? Will the next generation recall the day they got a great deal at the Circuit City that was closing down? Or will they recant years later to their grandchildren about the great Super Nachos that Taco Bell has added to the menu last month? I think, from now on everyone should write their memories down for I fear memories are slowly going down the same black hole as Woolworth’s.And there is no coming back.

Linda Seccaspina
copyright 2008
SAVANNAH DEVILLES

I realize times are tough and money is scarce ,I truly realize that being one the zillions that are affected.
BUT,there is just no reason to be mean. According to my friend Katie in Wisconsin meanness has arrived there too.In fact it has arrived everywhere and it is catching faster than a speeding light with no known Walgreen’s ‘flu shot’ for it..:)

To me there is just no reason to be mean to people.Where is that Christmas spirit folks? In fact let’s forget Christmas, where is your compassion to your fellow man?

Yesterday I filed a non paying bidder form on EBay for someone that had a ONE feedback and had not paid in 14 days,and had heard anything from her.
Within 5 minutes,yes 5 minutes, she replied to the claim saying I was an IMPATIENT SELLER and all the rest  of the nasty message was in “caps” too.That she had no credit card and she would have to pay with a money order sometime.SOMETIME? IMPATIENT? I wrote a very kind email back saying ‘what was what’.She replied within 5 minutes saying she usually took care of things faster than that.FASTER than what?? Your other lone sale?

For you my dear I have a recipe for you.Enjoy !
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THE IMPATIENT PERSON COOKY RECIPE

Ingredients
1 cup butter unsalted, softened
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups sugar 
1 each egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 cups flour, all-purpose 
1 teaspoon baking powder 

Directions
1. Cream butter and cream cheese in large mixer bowl. Beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder. Chill several hours.

2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with a glass that has been dipped in vanilla sugar (sugar in which you have stored a vanilla bean) or plain sugar.

3. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
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Then before I left yesterday that MTV show MY SWEET SIXTEEN was on and I just could not believe the stuff coming out of the TV box.
Sixteen year old  ‘party girl” wants a Mercedes SUV  for her gift and nothing else.At her 1000 plus person party a beautiful Toyota SUV rolls up for her.She starts screaming at her mother that she does not want it,  and to take it away.My mouth dropped as her friends were laughing at her because she got a Toyota.She started screaming obscenities at her mother when lo and behold the Mercedes SUV with rhinestone encrusted Mercedes logo pulls up.They had duped her.Sixteen ? SUV ? Mercedes?

Shaking my head I leave to go look for things with my three wheeled cart.
I arrive at my destination and fold my cart (actually its so broken I practically have to jump on it to fold) and hand the folded up cart and bag to the 22 year old ‘dude’ that is looking after the “check ins” at the local music store.He shoots me a look much like a participant from MY SWEET SIXTEEN  and says VERY annoyed at me,

“You want to check in all of this in?”

I just wanted to blurt out,
“No my SUV is parked outside let me just bring that in too ”
So last night while I worked I wondered why people were so mean sometimes especially during the holiday season.

Then I had a news flash.

If you are a SEINFELD fan you know George’s mean father did not celebrate Christmas.  In the original “Seinfeld” rendering, broadcast Dec. 18, 1997, Festivus was invented by Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller) as a “holiday for the rest of us.” Having waged a department store tug-of-war with a fellow shopper, Frank went bah, humbug on Christmas and began his own holiday tradition. Its rituals came to include an aluminum pole in place of a tree, a public listing of all your relatives’ disappointing habits, and a wrestling match with the head of household, not deemed over until someone cried “Uncle.”

 Now, many people celebrate Festivus in addition (or in lieu of) the traditional winter holidays on December 23.   

Festivus did not get its start with Seinfeld. It was the brain child of Dan O’Keefe, who in 1966, coined it to celebrate the anniversary of his first date with his wife. Years later, O’Keefe’s son, Daniel, was a writer for Seinfeld, and brought the holiday to national attention in “The Strike” episode.

At Harvard College’s Cabot House, the aluminum pole went up shortly after Thanksgiving in anticipation of a holiday tradition that began four years ago. A few hundred students turn out Festivus fete, featuring a variety of ethnic fare and cheesey pop tunes. The brainchild of house administrator Susan Livingston , a longtime “Seinfeld” fan, the Cabot House party is one answer to Harvard’s traditional dilemma of how to celebrate the holidays in an age of diversity and multiculturalism.

Creative fans have built upon the “Seinfeld” blueprint. Pastimes like washing-machine tossing, Frisbee golf, limbo , and the crowning of Miss Festivus have become popular. New Fesitivus carols crop up every year.A special “Seinfeld” contest on “Jeopardy” featured a whole Festivus category. Can it be long before department stores put up aluminum poles in their accessories department s ? Office parties pause for the Airing of Grievances? (I suggested that one to Steve and he said “I think not”

So you see mean people? Being mean has nothing to do with Festivus either so smile at your fellow man and oh yeah here is a Festivus recipe for you.:)

And remember there is almost nothing you can glaze a ham with that makes it taste bad.
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JUNIOR MINT CHEESECAKE  

6 oz. Junior Mint (two 3 oz. pkgs.)
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Graham cracker or chocolate crumb crust for a 9 inch springform pan

1. Place Junior Mints in freezer.
2. With electric mixer or in food processor, combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour into crust.

3. Chop cold Junior Mints and sprinkle onto cheesecake.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until just set. Cool on wire rack, then chill several hours or overnight.

Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: For crust, combine 2 cups crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Press into bottom and up sides of pan

MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY HANANEKAU
JOYEUX NOEL
BONNE NATALE
AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS
LINDA SECCASPINA
SAVANNAH DEVILLES