TV Dinners and Grandma Pearl
Almost two years ago now, I had a really crappy New Year's Eve. I mean, they tend to run in our family, but this one beat 'em all. It was bad. The next day, I went to the bookstore and found The Awe-Manac: A Daily Dose of Wonder by Jill Badonsky. It must have been some kind of divine inspiration because this book was exactly what I needed. If you have never heard of it, I strongly suggest purchasing it. It's awe-mazing. (See what I did there?)
Anyway, just like a real almanac, it has a page for each day of the year. These pages include quotes, interesting holidays, celebrity birthdays, and writing prompts. The entire book is meant to free up creative energy and get your spirit in a good place. It does the job well. Today's page included the following journal prompt: "Talk about your relationship to or any memories of TV dinners." (It's the anniversary of the sale of the first Swanson tv dinner sale.) As soon as I read that, I thought of my Grandma Pearl. So this entry is about her and TV dinners. Mostly her though.
Grandma was not actually a huge fan of the frozen tv dinners (sorry, Swanson...), but she was a fan of TV. And eating on her metal tray tables while watching television was a staple of visits to her house. There was also usually some fingernail painting and eating of brown cow ice cream pops. But the tray tables are definitely a clear memory. They weren't the sturdiest pieces of furniture, but they served their purpose. I still can't watch anything on Lifetime without thinking of them. I remember she often made a macaroni casserole that is still one of my favorite comfort foods. And she would almost always make lemonade if she knew my sister and I were coming over. For a time, she lived across the street from a little convenience store. After dinner my sister and I would run over and get cheap candy - mostly sour straws - and then head back over to watch whatever Movie of the Week Grandma had on. Even after the meal was over, those tray tables stayed out. They were good for spreading out candy or working on a puzzle of some sort. She had a bigger table she would bring out for actual puzzles. There was always one of those in progress. Always. But you were also guaranteed to find a crossword book next to her seat on the couch. Right next to the TV Guide. She was easy to shop for at Christmas time, as you can probably tell.
I know it's a big deal to have family dinners around a table, and we did that quite a bit actually. But I think there was something special about eating at Grandma Pearl's on those tray tables. It was a different sort of ritual. I always felt rather adult sitting like that, watching movies that were - let's be honest - probably a bit mature for my sister and me. But that was our version of being spoiled I think. We didn't have grandparents on either side who could do the spending spoiling. But we got grownup time with Grandma Pearl, with movies and nail polish and candy. And I think I remember those times more than any objects I could have ever received.
Anyway, just like a real almanac, it has a page for each day of the year. These pages include quotes, interesting holidays, celebrity birthdays, and writing prompts. The entire book is meant to free up creative energy and get your spirit in a good place. It does the job well. Today's page included the following journal prompt: "Talk about your relationship to or any memories of TV dinners." (It's the anniversary of the sale of the first Swanson tv dinner sale.) As soon as I read that, I thought of my Grandma Pearl. So this entry is about her and TV dinners. Mostly her though.
Grandma was not actually a huge fan of the frozen tv dinners (sorry, Swanson...), but she was a fan of TV. And eating on her metal tray tables while watching television was a staple of visits to her house. There was also usually some fingernail painting and eating of brown cow ice cream pops. But the tray tables are definitely a clear memory. They weren't the sturdiest pieces of furniture, but they served their purpose. I still can't watch anything on Lifetime without thinking of them. I remember she often made a macaroni casserole that is still one of my favorite comfort foods. And she would almost always make lemonade if she knew my sister and I were coming over. For a time, she lived across the street from a little convenience store. After dinner my sister and I would run over and get cheap candy - mostly sour straws - and then head back over to watch whatever Movie of the Week Grandma had on. Even after the meal was over, those tray tables stayed out. They were good for spreading out candy or working on a puzzle of some sort. She had a bigger table she would bring out for actual puzzles. There was always one of those in progress. Always. But you were also guaranteed to find a crossword book next to her seat on the couch. Right next to the TV Guide. She was easy to shop for at Christmas time, as you can probably tell.
I know it's a big deal to have family dinners around a table, and we did that quite a bit actually. But I think there was something special about eating at Grandma Pearl's on those tray tables. It was a different sort of ritual. I always felt rather adult sitting like that, watching movies that were - let's be honest - probably a bit mature for my sister and me. But that was our version of being spoiled I think. We didn't have grandparents on either side who could do the spending spoiling. But we got grownup time with Grandma Pearl, with movies and nail polish and candy. And I think I remember those times more than any objects I could have ever received.
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