Mind Ooh sha
The mind is fickle and it's weird what memories it decides to keep or purge. As a kid we'd travel by train to Mexico. On these trips I remember loving the dining car. It was always spacious (for a kid) and well lit with natural light from windows on both sides. It was exciting heading over to the dining car because we had to cross cars and I found that adventurous. As I hopped across the walkways I would catch a quick look at the blurry ground below.
There was always that diner smell, sort of a mixture of ham and toast or something. What really stands out in my mind was the appreciation I had, already as a kid of five or so, for the heavy, well made, railroad china. The dishes were an off white and had maroon trim. I also remember dark green and cobalt blue trim on the different trips over the years. My mother would get a tiny little ceramic creamer for her milk. I always wanted to take it, it was so cute. The butter would come on tiny little plates. I did managed to swipe one of these at one point. I remember taking it and putting it in a white, cardboard lined, toy purse. I felt incredibly guilty and I remember being very paranoid about the whole thing. I still have it! I even buried it once, along with a few other treasures.
My brother and I were really into putting a few treasured items into cigar and jewelry boxes, wrapping them in plastic or foil then burying them. We'd make little maps and then dig everything up months later. It gave us something to think about when it would finally rain. We'd wonder if our little boxes were getting wet and what about the items in them.... It was hard not to dig up things after a rain to check and see. There was a feeling of success and achievement to find our items intact.
But I digress... Some sites on railroad china:
The Railroad Commissary
Cabin Class
I also remember being on a trip once and seeing a girl running around with this cute little plastic purse with a doll. I really wanted one. Never forgot it. I now know they are Remco Pocketbook Dolls.
There was always that diner smell, sort of a mixture of ham and toast or something. What really stands out in my mind was the appreciation I had, already as a kid of five or so, for the heavy, well made, railroad china. The dishes were an off white and had maroon trim. I also remember dark green and cobalt blue trim on the different trips over the years. My mother would get a tiny little ceramic creamer for her milk. I always wanted to take it, it was so cute. The butter would come on tiny little plates. I did managed to swipe one of these at one point. I remember taking it and putting it in a white, cardboard lined, toy purse. I felt incredibly guilty and I remember being very paranoid about the whole thing. I still have it! I even buried it once, along with a few other treasures.
My brother and I were really into putting a few treasured items into cigar and jewelry boxes, wrapping them in plastic or foil then burying them. We'd make little maps and then dig everything up months later. It gave us something to think about when it would finally rain. We'd wonder if our little boxes were getting wet and what about the items in them.... It was hard not to dig up things after a rain to check and see. There was a feeling of success and achievement to find our items intact.
But I digress... Some sites on railroad china:
The Railroad Commissary
Cabin Class
I also remember being on a trip once and seeing a girl running around with this cute little plastic purse with a doll. I really wanted one. Never forgot it. I now know they are Remco Pocketbook Dolls.
posted by Tera at
10/08/2008
