Last week the little guy on the left came to live at my house. I have known him all my life. He spent the last twenty or so years at my mother's house and before then, his entire "life" was spent at my grandmother's in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is 66 years old. When my mother was just twelve years old her father took her to a store that we loved in Kensington to pick out a gift. My mother chose this Mickey Mouse cookie jar. He has a small belly and never held that many cookies but he stood faithfully on the counter top and we were always rewarded with cookies in her kitchen.
My grandmother had wanted me to have him, knowing how as a young child, I loved him so. She gave him back to my mother and told her that when something happened to her, I should receive him. My grandmother passed away back in October and right away my mom said I could take him home. It was just too soon and I couldn't do it. Bringing him here signified that my grandmother was truly gone. Last week I summoned up the courage to go and get him. He has a new home, very safely above my kitchen cabinets. I would love to display him lower but Smokey the cat is a very curious soul and I wouldn't want to risk anything happening to him. Besides, after all Smokey is a cat and well Mickey is a mouse.
I'm sure somewhere there is a collector who would love to have him. To me, he is priceless. One look at him and I am transported back to so many years ago. My grandmother loved to bake and I loved being her assistant. She made matching aprons for herself and I for Christmas when I was about six years old and I think I still have mine somewhere. I have her rolling pin which she must have used for forty years. So many things that all remind me of the unconditional love she dispensed along with her cookies. I don't know if any of you have ever heard the song "I Know You by Heart" sung by Eva Cassidy. It reminds me of my grandmother. In any given situation I know what she would have said. Sometimes I hear her voice in my mind. I knew her by heart.....and her heart was golden.
5 comments:
Nelle, I think this truly is a collector's item. Mickey is usually portrayed as a black mouse, but this unpainted version has white arms and legs. The outline of the area below the ears should also be black.
Lovely story. (But now I'm hungry for a home-baked cookie!)
Susan,
I believe the original was black and white and then they slowly added color over the years. Someone told me he is very valuable but to me he is priceless. Wish you were close enough for me to bake cookies and drop them off for you. My grandmother's specialty were gingerbread cookies and these cookies she called sand tarts. They are very thin, sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar and have one almond on them.
I have something similar but I don't think it's valuable. It's a Howdy Doody cookie jar, and it's also on a high shelf in my kitchen. For a while I collected Howdy Doody stuff because my ex-husband's last name is Doody, hence it's also my kids' last name, and I thought I'd have fun with it.
Enjoy Mickey!
Ronni,
I am sure yours is valuable as well. I was a huge Howdy Doody fan! Watched it everyday with my older brother.I would love to see yours.
I'd hold onto Mickey too. He's makes a cute cookie jar.
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