GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS

A REMEMBERAMBLE for 2/10/2026

First, before you ask, "where's lil Merle," this image was made just before he got us.! Well now, good morning, it is good to see you this morning. You know, I doubt there is single, solitary kid in America today who has any outgoing mail in the postal system. But when we were kids, our generation almost kept the postal system as busy as most businessmen did. We ordered X-Ray glasses, submarines, toys, and other items from Bazooka Joe bubblegum wrappers, from the back cover of comic books.

The biggie being the offers from cereal companies requiring box tops or proofs-of-purchase to be mailed in to get neat stuff. There were also "clubs" devised by kids' heroes, like The Lone Ranger, Little Orphan Annie, Rin Tin Tin, Roy Rogers, and others to pedal goodies from their sponsors. Also, kids wrote letters back then, to lil ole school house sweethearts, and family members who had moved away or were away, serving in our armed forces. Shopping to get premiums was not a behavior confined to kids, nope, not at all. Our mamas and grandmamas would buy brands of items at the grocery store to get premiums from the makers of some brands that gave premiums they could send for, or was already in the package with the item. Laundry detergents like Duz had the items of glassware or plates in the box. But most had to be sent for with proofs-of-purchase. Complete settings of dishes for an entire family could be accumulated, the same with glassware.

Tetley Tea gave their famous emerald green glassware for decades and it is highly prized even today.

Then, the grand dame of free "gimmies" for housewives were trading stamps. S&H, Top Value and others were given by many merchants, such as grocery stores, gas stations, and other retailers, and allowed wives to save them in books that were redeemed at stamp store redemption centers. Mama got quite a few items for our household with Green Stamps. Okay, before I go, I want to be sure to let you know the joy you bring to me. It is life sustaining and brings joy to my heart.

Numbers 6: 24-26,KJV

we boyz three, babee conway, lil merle, & me