This Used To Be My Playground

Last week when the kids were away, I had one of those flashbulb memories as I was relearning how Marsh organizes their groceries on the aisles. I still think like I’m in Polly’s Country Market. But, as I passed an island of baked goods in the produce area, I spotted something altogether heart-warming: Roslyn’s Bakery pecan tea cookies. There cute as can be, shaped like little gears about the size of a silver dollar with a big dollop of pink or white icing in the middle. I bought them even though they were not in my budget.

As the sweetness crumbled over my tongue, memories of going to Roslyn’s with my mom were every bit as rich and strong as those little cookies. She used to take me there after my dentist appointments, cavities or no cavities. As a kid, I loved this irony. Take that, you mean ol’ dentist! Ha! I’m eating cookies! She would occasional indulge, too. She’d always get a chocolate eclair. As a diabetic, she was very careful about when she’d indulge, and there was something special about watching her eat sweets. So as I ate my little tea cookies, I did what I do when I’m alone with my food and can’t compliment the baker. I clapped. I couldn’t decide if it was the memory that was the most delicious part of the experience. Or maybe it was that this will stay tucked away as a memory, since Roslyn’s is no more. Somewhere between my childhood and adulthood, the storefronts all shut down. I even tried  to find a photo on the Internet, but couldn’t. It’s funny; I know that if I hadn’t had those cookies as a child, then I would have been like, these are expensive cookies and they’re tiny and too rich!