April 2. The Iceman Cometh

[Tinker]

The ice Man Cometh

As A kid I always loved  
going to my grandmothers house.
She was my father’s mother,
(but we all called her Mom.)  
and his three grown brothers
still lived there.
The house vibrated with energy. 
Today. I’d call it testosterone.

I spent a lot of time 
in her kitchen. Tea parties
and helping Mom and Mama
prepare meals for the pack.
Against the back wall
was a rectangular white box
with two latched doors
and every Thursday
the ice man would come.
He wore a brown leather apron 
with his sleeves rolled up,
he carried huge prongs
that gripped a big block of ice
that he then put into the top of the box.  
In summer, Mom 
would chip off some shards
for me to suck on.

I was about ten when,
the brothers, including my dad,
pooled their money
and bought her an electric
refrigerator!  It was a big deal. 
A surprise, almost a holiday.
But I think I preferred
the old white icebox 
and the shards of ice Mom would gift me.
             ~~  Judi Van Gorder
  
 
Prompt - breaking the ice

[dr_con]

Fantastic and increasingly rare memory. Wonderful;-)

[Tinker]

Haha, yes Juris, I'm old.   ~~Judi

[tonyv]

Yes Judi, even I have only heard of ice (and coal) deliveries. "Back in the day ... "

Tony

[Tinker]

Ha Tony,  I was there on several delivery days, I think it was my grandmother's babysitting day.  I remember being in awe of the delivery man's huge muscled arms.  My memory may be playing tricks but, I really think his name was Tony.   She also had milk delivery.  My mother had milk delivery too.  But she always had a refrigerator and a ringer washing machine, I got to crank it.  We didn't have TV until I was 12 and we were the 2nd on the block to get it.  So many advancements in my lifetime.  We think history is in another world but my mother was born before women had the vote.  And I voted for Nixon. Oh my! 

~~Judi

[Tinker]

Looking through old photos ran across this one of me from 1964 taken right after Bob and I bought our home. Note the one and only TV in my home, purchased brand new. And the rifle in plain sight in my living room. How things have changed.