Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Yarn About Yarn


The store with everything.
At just the right price . . .

Dad was running an errand.
For his mother.
It was 1937 and the family had just recently moved to Lethbridge from Glenwood, Alberta.
He enjoyed the independence of being able to walk the few blocks downtown to the big stores and was happy to have an excuse.
Plus, his mother paid well.
She handed him a quarter and he set out.
A little background . . .
The yarn that his mother wanted him to pick up for her at Woolworths cost fifteen cents.
Which left ten cents change.
All his for running the errand.
Also, the candy store came first on his route.
Moving on . . .
Dad happily calculated how to spend his newfound wealth.
Planning ahead is everything.
Then, bag of candy in hand, he continued on towards Woolworths.
Only to discover that the yarn that his mother had sent him for was now seventeen cents.
He had already spent the change.
He didn’t have enough.
Rats.
Dad looked down at his bag of candy.
No way was the store going to take it back.
And no way he could go back and confess to his mother what he had done.
How to fix this?
He stood outside the store for some time.
Dismay apparent.
Finally someone inside the store next door noticed him and came out.
“Something wrong?”
Dad explained.
“Oh, no problem, we have the same yarn. We’ll sell it to you for fifteen cents.”
Dad stared at them.
Surely his problem wasn’t going to be solved this easily?
But it was.
And in the right colour.
Happily he trotted home.
Clutching both candy and yarn.
I don’t know if his mother ever found out.
She had her yarn.
And Dad had his candy.
All was well.
The part of this story I have a hard time believing is not that someone noticed a forlorn little boy out on the sidewalk of a big city and helped him solve his monumental problem.
No.
It was the fact that yarn cost fifteen cents.
And that he could buy a bag of candy for ten.
The cause of so much trouble . . .
I’d liked to have lived in those days . . . 

18 comments:

  1. Well, I don't know how much yarn cost when I was a kid but I DO know I could get one heck of a bag of candy for a dime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mmmm. Candy. I remember licorice babies three-for-a-penny. And orange bubble gum. But I don't know if I could have filled a bag. I certainly would have tried!!!

      Delete
  2. If I could go back in time with all the money I have right now... I'd probably still be in the same boat I am now... :P

    Sigh. Times were simpler back then...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Simpler. And cheaper. But no money now is the same as no money then . . .

      Delete
  3. I recall going on errands to the store when we were little. There was a small grocery store where you could be home with the eggs before mom hit that part of the recepie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember that in our house, too!!! Mom would start a recipe and realize she did't have such-and-such. Off we would go on our bicycles. Actually, I never got to go. My older sister and brothers did. See what I missed? Sigh.

      Delete
  4. Diane, I was living in the Caribbean when I was in my early twenties and would you believe Woolworth's still existed? For some reason, I loved that shop! I still remember when my mom used to take us to buy a scoop of ice cream for ten cents! I too miss those days! Try buying yarn and candy today for fifteen cents! ha! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The store my dad went to was still there for several years when I was growing up. I loved it! Memories!!!

      Delete
  5. Unfortunately I remember penny candy, lol. This was a trip down memory lane, thank you for posting Diane:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's wonderful that you remember, too! Everybody, lift your penny candy bags high and proud!!!

      Delete
  6. Great story you are so good with details:) how do you remember all these great family stories?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I come from a family of story tellers. We sit and tell these stories over and over. And laugh like it's the first time. Sigh. I love my family . . .

      Delete
  7. Diane,
    Your stories are irresistible and I enjoy them so much! Another hard thing to believe - no more Woolworth.
    Your kids are blessed to have a mom who can tell stories - it's such a wonderful way to build the spirit of family.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sigh. I loved Woolworths. And I love telling stories. My whole family are story tellers. We can sit and talk for hours. And I do mean hours! It's so much fun!!!

      Delete
  8. I remember buying my first car. I drove it off the lot and to the gas station where I filled it- for .42/gallon. I'm sure many people remember it even cheaper.

    The deal with your dad. It sure sounds like one of those tender mercies we take for granted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I first started driving, I paid .29 cents per gallon. Soon after it went up to .39 and I thought that was highway robbery! Hmmm . . . I think I see a blog post from this! :)

      Delete
  9. I really enjoy your stories Diane. You are a diamond my friend.

    ReplyDelete

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