Life Saver candies. Grandma always carried them in her purse. She was a fan of the five flavor roll -- back when that meant orange, pineapple, and cherry but also lemon and lime. Those last two are gone now, replaced by watermelon and raspberry. I'm not complaining. The raspberry one is now a favorite and a few decades ago maybe Grandma and I wouldn't have gotten in trouble had it been in the roll...
We were in church. We were trying to be good, but the guest minister was going on a little long. The church was warm. To perk up a drooping granddaughter, Grandma pulled out the Life Savers and nudged me with her elbow. I took the roll, peeled back the paper, and popped one in my mouth. But as I started to pass it back, I saw the red one was next. Mmmm. Cherry. Grandma saw me hesitate and read my mind. Red was her favorite too, so just to be funny she tried to snatch back the roll and get the red one for herself. However, she only managed to knock my hand and that red Life Saver went sailing. I swear it happened in slow motion -- a small rising circle lit for a moment like a stained glass window before it began to fall. It bounced off of one lady's sleeve before it hit the floor with a surprisingly loud clunk. But it didn't stop there. Nope. It rolled. It rolled all the way up the uncarpeted main aisle until it tilted and looped in several wide and surprisingly noisy circles right in front of the pulpit. Grandpa leaned over and looked at us with his eyebrows raised -- which was all it took for both of us to suddenly realize that under no circumstances could we make eye contact with each other in that church. I was trying so hard not to laugh out loud that tears were streaming down my face. Let's just say we were both utterly grateful for Kleenex and a rousing hymn accompanied by a loud piano.
Both my grandparents (pictured above) have been gone almost fourteen years now, yet they remain a strong part of me even down to the silly, warm memories and shared Life Savers. This spring when our family has been on road trips and needed to use the restroom at gas stations, we make a purchase to thank the business owner. A roll of Life Savers is just the thing. Eli slurps along, eagerly reporting every few minutes on how thin his ring has become.
Eli's first Life Saver was wintergreen. Since it is a fairly strong flavor, I expected that within a few seconds he would try to pass back a wet and rejected piece of candy. Instead he exclaimed, "Oh, Mama! That is the best flavor EVER!" Later that night, he was duly impressed that they spark in the dark when you awkwardly chew them with your teeth showing. (A windowless bathroom with a mirror is very helpful.)
On our next trip we got a roll of 5 Flavor. The red one promptly became Eli's new favorite. Atta boy!
Guess what? Life Savers are 102 years old! Click HERE for a brief history. Wikipedia, if correct, lists some fascinating Life Saver flavors of yesteryear -- molasses, malt, and violet?! And if you know where to buy a roll of Butter Rum Life Savers, let me know!
For other goofball adventures with my grandma, click HERE.