Historical Item

Originally Written Between 2017-2020                                            

 

I can still picture it.  I’m in the small dining room in my grandparent’s home.  I see Grandma’s beautiful white curtains covering the small window and her lace tablecloth on the Duncan Fife dining table.  The door to the attic is in that room.  I open the door and instantly feel the cold air on my arms and face.  The freezing cold air.  The steep steps lead to the huge attic.  A cookie jar is placed on each of the first five steps.  

 

Grandma said that I could have a cookie from one of the cookie jars.  I look into each jar and picked my favorite.  Grandma’s famous molasses spice cookies.  These cookies are not very Christmas-y looking.  Some people call them Ginger Snaps.  But, they smell like Christmas to me.  

 

Grandma called the attic steps her second freezer.  She was a fabulous baker and spent days and days making various kinds of Christmas cookies and needed many places to store them for the holidays; hence, the five cookie jars on the steps.

 

When Grandma died, her cookie jars were divided among the relatives and I got one of them.  I never used the jar as an actual cookie jar because knowing my kids, I just knew it would be broken at some time.  So, I had it packed away until we moved to our present home and I could display it on top of our kitchen cabinets.  

 

About four years ago, I came across an article in the paper that read:  “I have a McCoy cookie jar that belonged to my grandmother.  It’s shaped like an apple and is yellow with red highlights.  The lid has a stem and leaf on the top.  I’d like to know how old it is and what it might be worth.”  The answer read:  “McCoy pottery was made in Roseville, Ohio.  The company made cookie jars from about 1940 until the pottery closed in 1990.  Its apple cookie jar was made from about 1950 to 1964.  It was also made in turquoise, a rare color that sells for more.  The value of your apple cookie jar is about $100.”  

 

My guess is that if my grandma bought the jar in 1950, it would be around 67 years old now.  Maybe it’s not what one would call an “antique” yet; but, certainly old enough to have some history – or at least memories -- in my family.  I should note that I also inherited some of grandma’s cookie cutters.  Mmmmm, I can still taste those wonderful frosted sugar cookies made with love from my grandma.

 

Now, I am not good – at all – at making cut-out cookies.  But, I do make a mean molasses spice cookie.  Enjoy!