Monday, September 20, 2010

Pipe Dream

I have always liked black licorice.   Well I cannot lie.  I love black licorice.  Especially the licorice from a long time ago.  The licorice taste was dark and intense, you could smell and taste the flavor at the same time.. they were unwrapped in a box, free from plastic wrap, they were shaped just like a small pipe, their luscious pipe bowls had little red candies on the top of the pipe bowl to simulate a flame. You reached right into the box and grabbed how many you wanted and plopped them down on the counter..where the clerk counted them again.  Then someone apparently got sick or something and rigorous candy handling standards were implemented.  For years we found them in Canada.  Then they disappeared completely until someone reinvented them and wrapped them in plastic. They were almost the same..very close to the original.

My Uncle knew of my passion for licorice.. He was a traveler, during his many travels he would look for licorice pipes. He would tuck them into the side pockets of his suitcase..then he would dole them out throughout the year..he knew that a licorice pipe would get him a big old hug.

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During one of these trips, he died.   My Aunt found licorice tucked into a side pocket of his suitcase.  She called and said “Otto bought you some licorice, I found it in his suitcase, it must have been for your birthday.” 

I had one six year old licorice pipe left from Lake Tahoe, in a Christmas tin upstairs.  Hard as a rock, from my Uncle’s suitcase back in 2004.

IMG_7441  Then my daughter Jen gave me a package for my birthday.

IMG_7594 I am good to go. 

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Happy Birthday to me!  Thanks Jen, Andy, Noah and Adam!

Yes, today is that dreaded day I turn one year older or perhaps it is just that I am ageing to perfection:)

26 comments:

Changes in the wind said...

Happy Birthday to you!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Connie! John and mother also LOVED black licorice. I had never seen/heard of the pipes though. I'll have to ask John if he remembers these. What a thoughtful gift and sweet memories of your Uncle. Enjoy your day.

Emma Rose said...

Happy Birthday my friend! I have never seen one of those pipes. I love black licorice too, but cannot eat the red stuff - yuk :)

I hope you have a great day.

The Duchess

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

A very happy birthday to you my friend! I have the motto, 'If it's not chocolate, it's just not worth the calories' but my MIL is the Queen of Licorice. Whenever I run across some of the 'old time' good stuff I buy her a bunch but oh baby last time she sat down and ate the whole mess after I walked away. Let's just say she didn't have to eat prunes for awhile. Heeehehehehe! :o)

Hope you had a great birthday Connie and you have a greatly blessed day!!!

DJan said...

Happy birthday to you! And what a great way to put it: you are aging to perfection! I never saw one of those licorice pipes before, but you reminded me of a childhood favorite: little wax coke bottles filled with a sugary substance, you just bit the top off and chewed up the whole thing. I haven't thought of them in a LONG time! Thanks for the memory.

Leah said...

Happy Happy Birthday Connie! -- Great post and a great find..... Superb job Jen!

RURAL said...

If I had been paying attention, I would have know it was your B day, and sent you a card. Never mind, consider these B day wishes to be the same thing. Hugs to you Connie, and many more.

I don't think of them as getting older, just another fun day to celebrate something special.

Have you tried Dutch licorice? Wow, salty, sweet, sour, black, and pungent. Addictive. Find yourself a Dutch import store and go crazy. There has to be some around somewhere.

Touching story about your Uncle, sad, but so touching. We used to get those black pipes when we were kids also. See we are very close in generations/age. Remember when chocolate bars cost less then a dime?

Happy B Day to you!

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Covnitkepr1 said...

I'd take a bad piece of licorice over a good piece of chocolate any day. I love the stuff.
I’ve been following and enjoying your blog for a while now and would like to invite you to visit and perhaps follow me back. Sorry I took so long for the invitation.

West Side of Straight said...

Happy Birthday Dear Friend. Those pipes were my fav as a kid too. The candy store in town used to have them, but not anymore.

Linda said...

Well happy birthday you pipe sucker you! I'll take licorice anyday too!

Maery Rose said...

This is one I haven't heard of. Happy birthday!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday from licorice lover to another....I, too, loved the pipes as a kid. Did you ever have a strip of licorice with candy dots on it? These eventually evolved into paper with dots .... dumb the best part was the licorice. HH

Karen said...

Happy Birthday!
I remember those pipes, they were okay, but not my favorite. I used to like some english candy. A pale yellow tube with some powdery stuff in it, and a piece of the old style black licorice stuck out of the top. You put the licorice in your mouth to wet it, then stuck it in the tube to get coated with powder, then sucked the powder off the licorice stick.
My dad liked black licorice and chocolate, together, and I liked that too:)

Country Gal said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! I see it as not getting older, just getting better ! I remember those pipe candy's , we used to get them from the country general store when I was a kid. I am in Canada, born a Canadian, and back then they were the in thing. I liked the package of flavored powder and the candy stick, you lick the stick and dip it in the powder YUMMY ! Great post, thanx for the memories.

Country Gal said...

I just remembered the name of the flavored powder and candy stick, FUN DIP , thanx again for the memories .

Patsy said...

Happy ,Happy Birthday to you and glad you got your pipes.
Patsy

Merry Mary said...

Happy Birthday Connie! May the next year be blessed. Your daughter is a good gift giver to find you something you love!

Gail said...

I can't find any black, they always have that red awful kind.

Happy Birthday!

Lynda said...

Aging to perfection - - - I am going to claim that when I turn 60 next year!!!! I haven't dreaded other birthdays but 60 is the decade when we remember our parents getting "old". I'm not ready to be old yet.
Speaking of parents - - - - my mom LOVED licorice - - - - but I can't stand it - - - rather I love the "red awful kind" that Gail referred to! ha ha ha It goes to show that God gave us all different taste buds.
So your scrapbooking weekend was an early birthday celebration - - - - they planned it just for you!!!!!

Rita said...

I can't stand licorice, but this was a heartfelt, touching story--and the best gift! Happy Birthday! :)

The Retired One said...

Happy Birthday HONEY! I love black licorice, but I have never seen these that look like little pipes before! I like NIBS too because of the licorice taste.
Hope you had a wonderful day and got to do something special on your birthday!

lisa said...

Happy Birthday, Connie! I have to admit, I hate black licorice, but for you that is pretty awesome that they got you a box of your favorite! I have never heard of the pipe licorice! I do love the red kind though! I hope you had a wonderful day!

linda m said...

Happy Birthday, Connie!!!

Connie Peterson said...

Happy Birthday, Connie! I love those, too. My mom finds them somewhere and gives them to me but they must be as old as your uncle's pipe. Hard to chew, so I have to cut them and suck them in little pieces. Those black sticks (black twizzlers) don't have nearly the licorice taste.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! Licorice pipes are a nice way to celebrate your perfection!

Licorice Lover said...

You can purchase real licorice from around the world from Licorice International (www.licoriceinternational.com)
Their licorice pipes are here:
https://www.licoriceinternational.com/licorice/pc/showsearchresults.asp?pageStyle=H&resultCnt=10&keyword=pipes