A Wise Old Owl

Yes, I know it is not Monday. Haven't gotten that far senile YET. But, with yesterday being my birthday I waited a day for my Memory Monday.

It was 1955 and we were living in a house in an old section of Seattle, Washington. The place was furnished but there's no washer and dryer (except a line out back). Oh, and a stove that every time I opened the oven door, the door fell off. 

But, this isn't about a stove. It's about doing handwash in the kitchen sink.

I had a 3 year old

I couldn't run to the laundromat every time she dirtied her clothes. 

(So now, I've set the scene).

My husband's ship went out for 3 weeks and was in port 2. He told me, while we are in a grocery store aisle I might add, that he had heard on the radio while he was at sea, that there was a Folger's Coffee rep going about knocking on doors.

If you had a can of Folger's coffee and it was already open, and you answered a question you could win a prize.

"Let's buy some", he said.

I don't drink coffee, never have, never will, but I did make it for him so we bought the coffee and on Monday morning I made him his usual cup of coffee (which meant I had to open the can)... get it? 

Later in the morning I was standing at that kitchen sink with my little mini rub board washing out Marie's dirty clothes.

KNOCK... KNOCK

I went to the door and there's a man standing there with a clipboard in his hand. He introduced himself as the rep from Folgers. Now, let me ask you, what's the chances of that happening in a million years. We'd just bought that can. I had just opened it and the man is at my door. 

So, I get him the can to show him it's open. And, he says "can you answer this question? What bird is old and wise?"

Well, durn, any dummy would know that! right? 

I said "Owl" thinking there was some kind of catch but no, he happily announced that I had just won a Westinghouse Laundromat Washing Machine. 

Well, durn, again!! 

I about fell over. 

I called my hubby at the ship and he didn't believe me. Thought I was pulling his leg. But, soon we had that fancy washing machine sitting right in my kitchen. Goodbye rub board!! 

A week later we went to a new grocery store grand opening and lo and behold I won a deep fryer. I was liking living in Seattle pretty well by this time.