Pixie Sticks and Special K

By Kathy Koches

Pixie Sticks

 

Ah, “Pixie Sticks!”—those paper straws filled with flavored sugar, that we sucked up in our youth, much to the delight of many dentists I am sure.  Just thinking about them I can taste the tiny sugar crystals as they dissolved on my tongue. 

My great granddaughter just had her eighth birthday, and I ordered her present on Amazon.com.  It was a cute little doll called “Pixie Doodle.”  The doll has bright blue hair, angel wings, and a dress with butterflies and flowers on it and she comes with marking pens so you can color her dress.  I thought this sounded like great fun, and told my friend, Pixie Frayer about the doll, thinking she might want to order one for her granddaughter. That is when she mentioned “Pixie Sticks” candy and got me thinking about the special foods we had as children.

There were many favorites, like Necco Wafers, Abazaba bars, Life Savers and of course, my very favorite, “Special K” cereal.

I must have been about five when Kellogg first introduced this cereal. I remember clearly going grocery shopping with my mother at Safeway and seeing this big white box with a huge red “K” on it.  Since my name is “Kathy” I was immediately drawn to this big red “K” and asked my mother, “Why is my initial on the box?” My mother, always a quick thinker, said, “Why that is the cereal they made especially for YOU!” I couldn’t believe it! “Well, she said, you are very “special” and they made this cereal just for you and named it “Special K” for Kathy.”  Really? Yep, I bought the whole story, hook, line and sinker.

We bought a big box and I carried it home in my lap. When we arrived home, my older sister came out to the car to help unload the groceries. Of course I would not let her even touch the box of “my” special cereal.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, I proudly announced that I was going to have my “special” cereal, and proceeded to tell my sister that Kellogg had made it just for me and SHE couldn’t have any! 

My mother must have talked to her when I wasn’t around, because she didn’t say a word or even laugh at me (although I’m sure she wanted to!) As I remember, no one else in the family was even allowed to taste this “special” cereal for at least a year!

I just went to Costco the other day, and there it was – a big display of “my” cereal with the big red “K” on the front.  I grabbed a box, put it in my cart, and was, just for a moment, that little five year old girl again, whose mother had made her feel very “special” that long ago morning.

 

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