Postum

Something I remember from my childhood was Postum.  I didn't really know much about it, but I knew Dad had it once in a while, now and then; I think Mom was more of a coffee drinker.  In fact, I can clearly remember being just a little taller than the kitchen table and asking her if I could have a sip of her coffee.  No decaf back then either!  Anyway, Postum was always there in the cupboard, right next to the cinnamon brown sugar shaker, just in front of the Sucaryl (remember that stuff?).

The product was originally invented by C. W. Post in 1895 at his Postum Cereal Company, but the instant mix we all knew of started production in 1911.  I never knew if Mom and Dad actually liked Postum, or maybe if it was something Grandma or Grandpa Calkins liked.  During WWII, coffee was rationed and I wonder if they "converted" to Postum during that time as they paid for it with their steel pennies.

The Postum Cereal Company eventually became General Foods (which this jar is from) who was bought by Philip Morris who also bought Kraft Foods, who discontinued production of Postum in 2007.  I guess people just liked coffee better.  This picture is of a jar I got probably back in the late 70's (about 35 years ago).  Note the old spelling "caffein" which now carries an 'e' at the end of the word.  It has a Walco price tag on the bottom of $4.29.

Believe it or not, I have been drinking this stuff lately!  Every time I make a cup, I am aware I am making a cup of the "original" instant Postum.  Who knows, I might actually have the last few grains left on the planet of this great historic product!  I looked around and believe it or not, someone actually started making it again, albeit with a slightly different recipe than the original.  Today you can buy an 8 oz. jar like this one for about $18.00.

The Thermostat

OK, someone has to revive this blog site!  It has now been over 1 year since anyone posted something.  So, I will do it.  Thom and I were exchanging emails recently and he mentioned certain sounds he remembered while living in Flat Rock.  That got me to thinking about that, too.

What first came to mind for me was the sound of the really old thermostat turning on.  Not turning off - turning on.  Big difference.  I could remember on cold winter days sitting there in the living room and hearing a "clunk" from the thermostat as it signaled the furnace for heat.  The memory of that, of course, spawns memories of the sound of the furnace as it warmed up and came on.  If it was the first time the furnace had run in a long time, there was also a distinct smell of what must have been burning dust when it started pushing the warm air.  Sitting by the heat register in the living room (there was only one) was, I believe, the warmest spot in the house, since it was located right above the furnace in the basement.  A possible exception to that might be the heat register in the 2nd floor bathroom which could also get quite warm.


The picture above is what I remember the thermostat looking like.  It had a sliding temperature setting arm on the bottom.  I remember Dad turning down the temperature at night, and turning it back up in the morning.  When I was little I remember the temperature adjustment lever being strictly off-limits.  Then, as I got older, it was almost a rite of passage when Dad showed me how to do the down-at-night up-in-the-morning adjustment.

As time marched on, and we upgraded the furnace, we got more modern thermostats.  I think the next one was a dial one, and then finally a digital one.  The newer ones, especially the digital one, didn't make any characteristic "clunk" as they turned on.  But who cared?  We were a high-tech family!