Remember The Tape On The Bottom Of The Casserole Dish?
Do you Remember The Tape On The Bottom Of The Casserole Dish? Ok a short explanation needed here. I have been working on decluttering…not just my closets but kitchen ‘extras’ too. Anyway, deep in my dish pantry, I re-discovered a stack of casserole dishes and as I placed them on my counter to determine which I should get rid of and which I should keep, I found tape on the bottom of a couple of the dishes. One was on the bottom of a sheet pan and one on the bottom of a casserole dish. Obviously, I had not used these particular dishes in a long time. I had to smile in remembrance of why the tape was there.
I know many of you remember and perhaps still mark your dish’s bottom when preparing for a potluck. I am also sure you remember why we put our names on the bottoms of our potluck dish. Number one, we wanted our favorite dish back and as the assigned dishwashers washed the empty dish, they would set it on a special table to be picked up at the earliest convenience…. if you were at the church or at a family picnic. If you took your special chocolate sheet cake to the home of a bereaved family or a ‘just home from the hospital friend’, the tape determined which among the many other casserole dishes needed to not only be returned, but who to send a written thank you note to.
I asked myself why I had not been grabbing the tape and magic marker lately, … because I certainly have been taking dishes to potlucks at church and to friends’ homes. It was then I realized I had started using disposable pans. No tape! No Name! Just an aluminum pan to either toss or stick in the fridge for later use by the host or church.
I picked up my cup of tea and sat at my table with the metal sheet pan in my hand. As I turned the metal sheet pan over and gently rubbed my fingers over the weathered tape, I realized, sadly that yet another long time habit has slowly drifted away. And as families branched out and moved farther away, many of the family reunions at the park faded away too. I guess this is what we do as we get older…reminisce about the ‘good ole’ days. I wouldn’t necessarily call it good ole days especially when I hung clothes on an outdoor clothes line. It was quite a chore, but my mother and grandmother said I should hang cloth diapers, sheets and such on the clothesline because the sun gave such a fresh smell to those laundry items. However, with my second child, I had the luxury of pampers….(which my mother and grandmother didn’t really approve of). And now that I think about it, I never owned another clothesline after our first home.
Speaking of clothes lines…the days of wooden clothes pins are long gone too! Growing up I helped Mother do laundry every Monday like clockwork. I remember the 2X4 with the bent over nail on the end that we used to prop up the clothesline where it sagged in the middle… so our bed sheets would not touch the ground. Mother used an old Maytag washing machine with two rinse tubs sitting side by side. Anyone remember these?
Mother bought a newer washing machine much like we use today when I was about 8 years old. She was so happy to have it hooked directly to the home’s waterline, because that meant she didn’t have to fill the washer and rinse tubs using short pieces of garden hoses attached to the hot and cold water taps. However it was several more years before she was able to buy a clothes dryer.
Another ‘gone by the wayside item’ was the wall telephone. Remember those? When I married, my wall phone was yellow and hung in the kitchen. I remember I had to order an extra long cord so I could clean the kitchen with the phone receiver resting between my shoulder and chin while I worked around the kitchen hands free. I considered myself lucky to also have an extension ‘princess’ phone in a baby blue color in the bedroom.
The yellow wall phone reminds me of the yellow dinette set I had when I first married. I guess you can tell I liked the color yellow.
How about this? Do you know there was a time when TV programs ended at midnight and did not come back on until the following morning? When the TV went off the air, the following TV test pattern came on with a loud continuous whine and you knew it was time to turn the television off.
I have to share this Dr. Pepper Clock. ‘Only daughter’ drinks Dr, Pepper….when she gets up in the morning, she fixes herself a Dr. Pepper. One day I sang the little jingle about drinking Dr. Pepper at 10, 2, and 4 each day. She looked at me with ‘that look’ that only a daughter can give to her mother. When I explained that I was singing from an ad about her soda of choice, she just frowned. So I am showing on this post, a Dr. Pepper clock that recently showed up at a garage sale. Please note the 10, 2, and 4 hours are plainly marked.
I also remember when I did not have to pump gas…actually, I still don’t pump gas because the Captain always does it for me. But way before that, my uncle owned a full service Standard Oil filling station, and he always pumped my gas, checked the oil and washed the windshield and he and his employees did it for everyone. You never had to get out of your car, in fact it was discouraged. I miss those days.
OK, as long as I am taking a trip down memory lane…how many of these things do you remember?… OR were they long before your time?
Have a Blessed and wonderful day!
Psalm 111:4: “He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.”
How fun Kari, taking a trip down memory lane. Yes, that makes me old. Ha ha. It’s so funny to look back at the previous decor, habits, etc. My /grandma had an old washing machine like that. She had 9 kids. I usually drank root beer. Sometimes friends and I would go to the A&W root beer place and have a ice cold root beer with a licorice for a straw. Thanks for the memories.
Linda, I always drank cokes but if we went to A&W, I had to have that frosty mug of root beer…so cold and icy and so refreshing. AND it didn’t hurt if I had some hot salty french fries to go with that Root beer. I also have another memory and that was the outdoor movie in the little town I grew up in…the whole town came on Saturday night and for 10 cents we got to sit on old wooden benches and watch some movie from 20 years before. When we got to go the 13 miles to the nearest large town and go into an actual movie house…we thought we were really in the big time. LOL Thanks for stopping by….and Happy September!
Oh Kari, what a trip down memory lane! I remember my mom having to do laundry with a similar washer in our basement. As for the phone, I had a red one like your yellow one and oh my how we stretched that cord around the kitchen to talk and do our chores! Aren’t we spoiled now with our smart phone that we can put on speaker and not have to use our shoulder?? My own beloved late husband was a gas station attendant on the weekends when he was in High school for 25 cents an hour. Of course I would take my parents’ car for a fill just to see him! Thanks for the memories, Kari! xo
Hi Kitty…we did stretch that phone cord didn’t we? Mine hung clear down to the floor. I also had a little stool that sit under the phone for the rare times I could sit and talk. Most of the time I was moving around our kitchen. I also remember when gas was 29 cents a gallon and a dollar bill could take us a long way…Now we are lucky to get around the block. LOL Thanks for stopping by my friend. Have a great week-end.
A lovely reflective post. Even though I didn’t grow up with these exact things, I can appreciate the feeling of looking back at how daily life has changed.
Oh Diana…how sweet that you can appreciate the feelings of us ‘mature’ ones looking back at an almost forgotten time. Believe it or not…they were good times even tho we did not have many of the modern conveniences. Thank you for your kind comments…I appreciate you. Have a blessed and wondeful week-end.
What fun recalling all these things from the past. I just washed a large serving spoon that has my name and address label on the handle. I added the label after leaving numerous utensils behind at potlucks and never getting them back. I had forgotten about the test pattern that came on the TV at midnight. Of course back then the TV was only in black and white and we had rabbit ears to get better reception. We had a chrome dinette set with a gray table and orange seats. When we moved into our house, the kitchen was newly wallpapered with a gray brick design with pink flowers climbing over the bricks. I got a Magic Marker and colored all those flowers orange to coordinate with the chairs. Thanks for all the memories.
KU players are sure to be excited about playing in London. Hope it’s a good week for them.
Jan, what is even better is we didn’t realize we were not well-to-do because all our friends were in the same boat…so we never felt deprived. I love that you painted your flowers with a magic marker to match the chairs. We did things like that didn’t we? And I get a little nostalgic just looking at the tape on the bottom of my sheet pan…it usually held a thin cocoa cake (Texas sheet cake to some) and it always came back home empty. I do hope KU can adjust to London…so many of the NFL say they never got over the jet lag and before thery knew it…it was time to come home with more jet lag. LOL. You know we will be watching. RCJH! hugs!
Kari, I remember all of these. Does that make me old, I guess so?! I remember a particular day when Mother hung the bed sheets on the line and the three little boys next door didn’t want to go inside for a bathroom visit, and instead lined up, and you guessed it, visited the sheets hanging on the line. My Mother saw their shenanigans and went out to have a talk with them. They said they were sorry and they wouldn’t ever do it again. They loved my Mother and were thankful she didn’t tell on them. We had a yellow telephone hanging on our wall in the kitchen when we first married with a very long cord. As a child, I remember a red table and chairs like the yellow. And yes, always placed masking tape on the bottom of corning ware with my name on it. Thanks for the memories, Kari. I so enjoyed reminiscing with you. Have a wonderful week, my friend!
No Pam, I do not think that makes us old. We are just ‘seasoned,… mature…’ and carry the wisdom we have learned and been a part of over our years on this earth. I believe God has blessed us with being born at just the right time to be able to witness and experience the modern technological innovations of our world. Of course that makes me think of Esther and Mordecai, Chapter 4:14…”Yet, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom …for such a time as this”. Granted, Esther carried the weight of her people in her hands while we, today, frequently shoulder multiple roles in a complex world which makes modern conveniences a welcomed blessing. I love the story of the little boys, the sheets and your precious mother. What a wonderful example she was, not only to you… but to the little boys. And that is another reason we are here, to be the best we can be to everyone, showing God’s love and grace.
Hugs my special and dear friend.
I remember all those things (except the Dr. Pepper clock, but I had a Tab clock and that no longer exists, either! We hang laundry outside at the lake and I love seeing it on the line, At home, my Italian neighbor still hangs out sheets for the “airing.” And gas attendants (and gas at 25 cents a gallon — yes, it really was. You’d get a dollar’s worth of regular and be good for ages!). I still have my yellow table like that! Right now it’s at the cottage in the garage but I have been thinking about bringing it into the utility room and swapping it out with that is currently there. And Rick STILL has his (non-working) wall phone. When the grands were little (well, younger!), that was their favorite thing to play with. They’d “call us” or each other on the punch dial or “use” it as a remote. I loved this post!
Hi Jeanie…For some reason I just knew you would be able to relate with me. I do remember gas for 25-29 cents a gallon and when mom let me take the car, I always found a dollar for gas to haul my friends around.
I do miss that yellow dinette table and chairs. So easy to keep clean when the little ones did their thing at the table. My aunt had a pink one. LOL Hugs and blessings always to you and Rick.
I remember everything Kari. Oh my goodness. My grandmother and mother always did washing on Monday. I got my hand and arm caught in that very same washer. I was lucky my mom was there to get me out of it. Also, my mom always drank Dr. Pepper. Oh my gosh, I just can’t believe all your memories are the same as mine. I remember the wall phone and how all your neighbors could listen to your conversations. Amazing! There were no secrets in our community. lol Maybe, we’re reversing back with technology.
Thanks for the memories, Kari!
Sandy
We have to admit it Sandy…we are ‘mature’! I like that word better than old altho, I have earned every wrinkle and frown/happy line and it does not bother me to say I am older than dirt. Thanks for stopping by my sweet friend. Stay cool up there…Only Daughter says the temps are almost unbearable.
Kari, Ron says he’s older than dirt all the time. lol Yes, the weather is unbearable here. We stay in most of the time.
Hugs,
Sandy
You took us down on memory lane today! ☺️
I remember everything you posted here.
We still have the phone that hung in our kitchen here at the LakeHouse. It hangs in the basement now.
My Mom use to hang out wash out to dry very often. My neighbor still does every so often.
Fun memories!
Nancy, I did buy a little gizmo for drying a few of my unmentionables and have to take it down and put it up when I am hand washing. For some reason our fair city here in the Cape does not allow regular clothes lines in one’s yard. I guess they think they are unsightly but I like to see clothes hanging on a line. However, I do remember a neighbor of my grandmother who never seem to remove her clothes from the line unless needed. LOL. The clothes line acted as a chest of drawers. hahaha!
Oh, that’s too funny!
Oh a walk down memory lane! I remember most of these especially the wringer washer. Thats how I first learned to wash clothes with my mom! Thank you. I honored you and your blog on my FB page this morning. I hope you don’t mind. Maybe you’ll get more followers. Thank you for Reminding us of the “good ole days”.
thanks Cookie! Of course you are welcome to share my post. In my mind…these things happened recently when in reality it has been over 20 years ago. 🥴 Time flies when you are having fun, huh? Thanks for stopping by, and stay cool!
Oh my goodness Kari, I remember all of these things. The wringer washer is a vague memory as I only remember my mom talking about hers, as she got a conventional washer and dryer when I was very young! Wall telephone was in our kitchen with a very long, stretched out cord, so we could go in the porch for ‘private’ conversations as teenagers! And, Dr. Pepper is still my beverage of choice, so I remember that commercial well. Thanks for the trip down memory lane….there are so many things I miss from those days!
Maureen do you feel as ‘dated’ as I do? LOL My grand kids and great grands are fascinated by the ‘ole days’ stuff. My daughter drinks several Dr. Peppers daily but as of yet not at 10,2 & 4. Thanks for your kind comments and enjoy the rest of your week.
I don’t remember the washing machine you showed but I do remember the gas station attendants, guess that was a lot of jobs lost. Here in Pennsylvania the Mennonites and Amish still hang their laundry outside. Even if it is raining they hang it on their porch!
Oh Maryann it is sad to think of the jobs lost as you said. Even today, we see such automation at our McDonald’s with the kiosks replacing people. Efficiency drives and structural changes create unintended burdens rather than support, but I guess they call that progress. Thanks for stopping by and Blessings always