I love modern conveniences. Everything from clothing to groceries can be ordered online and delivered to our front door.

The microwave is used much more than our oven, and the air fryer is becoming indispensable. We’ve almost forgotten how far we’ve come in a few short years when it comes to home conveniences.

One of the things my grandchildren don’t have a clue about is a clock radio with a snooze button. They have cell phones with that capability, but they will never understand the satisfaction in slamming their palm down on a beeping clock radio without opening their eyes.

Those clock radios also had big numbers that were illuminated at night. No matter where you were in the room, you could tell what time it was.

Now, I have to pick up my cell phone, turn it on and try and make out those small numbers without my glasses.

One of the things I don’t miss are ice-cube trays. Those of us who grew up in the 60s and 70s remember the frustration of reaching into the freezer for a few ice cubes and finding out the metal tray was empty.

This is because the last person to take the ice cubes had to have enough consideration to refill the tray, carefully put the metal compartment back and carefully put the tray in the freezer.

It was a nice day when the plastic ice-cube trays came along. We’d twist the tray and ice cubes would pop out.

Just like with the metal trays, we soon realized if you didn’t put more water in the plastic ice-cube trays, you’d have empty trays in the freezer.

Now we have an ice-cube dispenser in the refrigerator door. I thought that would be a great luxury until I found out our refrigerator dispenses one ice cube every 30 seconds, groaning and clanking away in the effort.

Snacks have come a long way. One of the trickiest treats my mom bought was Jiffy Pop Popcorn. A metal pan contained popcorn kernels. The kernels were covered by a twisted foil top. We had to heat up the stove coil and shake the Jiffy Pop Popcorn over the burner until the popcorn started popping.

As the popcorn popped, the foil balloon got bigger. That sight was a lot cooler than watching a paper bag expand in the microwave.

Of course, we usually burnt the Jiffy Pop Popcorn because there’s a fine line between popping all the kernels and burning the popcorn.

I still can’t shake saying Sugar Frosted Flakes and Sugar Pops. We had Sugar Frosted Flakes for breakfast every single Saturday, munching away while we watched Bugs Bunny and Quick Draw McGraw on TV.

We ingested sugar at every turn. Our nightly drink was Kool-Aid made with a packet of flavoring and a cup of sugar. Dessert was usually a piece of cake with lots of frosting or a Popsicle, and a late-night snack was another bowl of Sugar Pops.

Now that I think of it, maybe all that jumping on the couch we did could be traced back to a sugar high.

We learned how to spell bologna watching a little boy sitting on a dock with a Fisher Price fishing pole. He was eating a sandwich as big as his head, and he sang “My baloney has a first name. It’s O-s-c-a-r. My baloney has a second name it’s M-a-y-e-r. I love to eat it every day and if you ask me why I’ll say, “cause Oscar Mayer has a way with b-o-l-o-g-n-a.”

Those of you who grew up with School House Rock were singing that last paragraph – don’t deny it.

What goes around, comes around.

Jiffy Pop is available online and can be delivered to your house the next day.

What a great way to mix the old and the new.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.