Thursday, August 23

Something to Count On

It was a metal box.

I can still see it in my memory, sitting there on the front porch. The logo from the neighborhood dairy emblazoned upon the front panel. When the lid was lifted the thin metal would bow and wobble just the tiniest bit. And when the lid was dropped? There was a satisfactory clang as the top slapped the squared edges of the box and jangled back into place.

It was our milk box.

Lid open--little wobble.
An evening chore to place the empty glass bottles inside; the box's inner metal rack holding them tightly. Six bottles standing at attention.
Lid closed--clang.

Lid open--little wobble.
An early morning discovery of bottles full; foil tops pressed and sealed onto the narrow rim. A careful lift and carry to bring the newly delivered milk into the house, bottles nestled on the refrigerator's shelves.
Lid closed--clang.

Every week it was the same; empty bottles in the evening, full bottles next morning.

Fresh milk delivered.

To the top step of my porch.

In a metal box.

15 comments:

  1. Jenn, this is precious. It evokes such a warm feeling. I love this post.

    (And I love the haiku!)

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  2. We had a milkbox, too! I still remember it so fondly. That was a great post.

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  3. Lov-e-ly! We had a milk box to but got cartons of milk, not glass bottles. We also had some a lid in the ground to throw away the trash.

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  4. great post - love those milk bottles and their foil caps - and the way the cream would float to the top!

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  5. Beautiful post, Jenn. Where was this? Here in Utah???? We had milk delivered similarly when I was a kid in London, though it came in a crate. But never in Utah. Maybe you're just of a *ahem* different generation...

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  6. When I lived on the farm, we just got ours from the cow!

    Lovely imagery and haiku!

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  7. Wow! Where did you grow up? I remember this from my Grandmother's house in Jersey City, and I know I'm older than you are!

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  8. leslie, whom I call buck-
    I had a feeling you would find the haiku!

    lori-
    I sat down to write something entirely different and this is what came out. I kinda think it must have needed to...

    jennifer-
    LOVE the new picture of you. Yes, yes, yes!

    SMID-
    After glass bottles the dairy did a stint with big plastic bags full of milk (think ziploc with a spigot) which then went into a holding container in the fridge. Cool, but not nearly as cool as the bottles.

    rebecca-
    Gosh, I've missed ya. Yeah, LOVE the cream!

    brillig-
    This was Utah, land of my youth. And yeah, perhaps a different generation. That was a nice way for you to tell me I am frickin' brackin' old! Thanks for that.

    fa-
    I have had a turn getting the milk right off the farm from the cows (and the goats) too. Down to the choice I'd go with Winder Dairy delivery every time.

    mnm-
    Thanks!

    jen-
    No, you're not. As Brillig says you are just from a *gasp* different generation...

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  9. How I remember that! The Sunshine Farms milk man and that wonderful (to me) insulated dairy box. I had forgotten about the foil lids though. Thanks for the great memory. I *love* "the old days" of my early childhood.
    Blessings,
    ~Toni~

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  10. Simple things can give you such wonderful warm memories.
    Love this post.

    Hugs,
    Connie

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  11. I'd forgotten about ours until you reminded me of yours. Lovely post.

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  12. People still get milk delivered on my street, if you can believe it. When I walk my dog in the evening, I see a white sign with an 'F' for Farmer's Dairy in the front window of some houses. I'm never up early enough in the morning to see the actual deliveries...

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  13. I'll bet that was great milk!

    However, it's my opinion that milk is for cats and babies. Adult humans have no business drinking it!

    Lovely way you expressed the memory, though, babe. :)

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  14. I miss this kind of delivery from my childhood. Sigh. How wonderful.

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