Peas on Earth for Christmas
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All I really wanted was an egg beater that Christmas when I was 5 five years old.
Since I rarely asked for anything special, and was always happy with whatever presents I got, I thought there might be a pretty good chance that I would get one. My parents apparently took this request to be a hopeful sign of emerging domesticity, and somehow interpreted the wish as an interest in cooking and other household tasks. They possibly hoped that I was growing away from the fascination with cap guns, cowboy regalia , pirates and rubber knives.
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Norpro Hand Beater
Price: $10.99
List Price: $19.99 |
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Progressive International Egg Beater
Price: $9.99
List Price: $11.95 |
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HIC Harold Imports Egg Beater Deluxe Chrome
Price: $8.99
List Price: $12.50 |
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Kuhn Rikon Rotary Egg Beater
Price: $19.95
List Price: $22.00 |
When Christmas morning arrived, I got a little toy sink, toy stove and refrigerator, tiny pots and pans and plastic groceries. Among the other toy utensils was a TOY eggbeater. All of these were nice, but I was a little disappointed because they had missed the point.
I had actually wanted a REAL egg beater of my very own. It wasn't that I was interested in beating eggs. I was merely fascinated by the marvelously complicated yet logical mechanism of meshing gears that turned a slow revolution of the crank into a blinding blur of motion with the beaters. If someone turned the crank very slowly you could see how precisely and sensibly every part worked together to create this magical motion.A collector who knows way too much about egg-beaters.
I wasn't supposed to use the real egg beater because I "could get my fingers pinched in it". Bummer. I knew I wouldn't get my fingers caught in it, just like I knew it wasn't dangerous to climb the fig tree, which I did often when no one was watching.
The other gift I remember was from my big sister Bobbette, who had an idea for what she thought would be a very good joke. Even with it's festive wrapping it looked and felt like a tin can... and when I unwrapped it... it WAS a can, a can of green peas...my least favorite thing in the world. I burst into tears. Bobbette said Mom was mad at her about that for weeks.
A couple of years ago I found a "vintage" egg beater at a flea market. It had to be at least 50 years old, but was in good condition and had a price tag of $12. I bought it without haggling.
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Comments
It is very interesting how we all seem to have childhood memories that last a life time. How powerful that desire to have the egg beater was to you as a child? I can only imagine what the feeling was for you when you baught the vintage egg beater.
I remember little miniature bake sets I used to get for Christmas. The first one, the starter kit, had toy-sized round cake pans, a loaf pan and a little cookie sheet, and it included tiny boxes of mixes. Until I learned to cook "real" cakes I got more of the tiny boxes of cake mixes for Chritmas and birthdays.
Great post! I remember having a toy eggbeater that went with my Suzy Homemaker Oven. Things went well until my cousin and I decided it would be fun to curl hair with it as well. Yeah, that doesn't work so well. DO NOT try it. I'm lucky to have hair left.
Donna-- was that one that had the light bulb oven? I don't think I got that far in the toys-- though when I was a teen I would make cookies and bread, I learned how to make in home ec. classes.
My mom had lot of talents in sewing, gardening and others-- but she wasn't a gourmet cook.
KCC-- Isn't it fun to remember young adventures and experiments? Some of them will ALmost curl your hair.
LOL I don't recall ever wanting anything domestic! Chocolate and books worked for me then - actually they still do LOL Nice hub
Rochelle great whimsical look at Christmas. Yes Christmas does bring back many memories, tears, laughter, joy, those special and even strange presents. Lovely hub.
I was smiling reading your hub! :) You are the first person I know who wanted an egg beater as a 5 year old child. Cute...
Sometimes we just have to settle for second best "Peas on Earth for Christmas". lol
LOL Rochelle, I wanted one of those too. My mom used to bake cakes and I not only was trusted to not pinch my fingers, but I was allowed to lick the batter off. :) The second I saw you write that you wanted one, I new exactly why. Those things were awesome. Great hub.
Apparently there are two kinds of people-- those who wanted an egg beater, and those who didn't.
Thank you all for commenty so kindly.
My mother had one of those eggbeaters and I remember watching her use it often to whip cream for desserts. Even though she eventually got one of those electric hand-held mixers, when it came to certain things, she preferred using that hand cranked beater. I always loved the sound it made...so I understand why you would want one. :) Luckily, my mother never kept it off-limits so whenever I wanted to chase my sister around the house with it, I knew where to find it!
As for the peas...that was unforgiveable. Unless of course they were those yummy Lesieurs baby peas in the silver can. Then I probably would have enjoyed that. :)
Great hub...loved the whimsy!
What a wonderful story and I am certain that it is funny now , but a can of peas would have been something I would have done to my little sister too.:) I love your humor and this is one holiday you never did forget.:)
Rochelle, Great Stories!!! Have been reading a few this morning...Looking forward for the next.
great peas for the special season.
I always appreciate your comments, Benson Yeung.
lol! Very cute!
ps, always haggle;)
Thank you, belatedly.
Patty Inglish, MS says:
13 months ago
I like your full-sized eggbeater very much and this story is very good to read. At age 5, I received a toy meat grinder, of all things, which "ground" marbles. Tiring of that quickly, I took my small, old, metal toy cars with gear driven action apart, and attempted to fashion a jet aircraft of them. I never forgot that odd meat grinder though.