Nerds in a Bowl

My dear husband just brought me a bowl of Nerds. What would seem like a bizarre or benign act to someone else actually means the world to me. Nerds themselves are laced with many a childhood memory.

Why Nerds? They aren't a particularly spectacular candy. Perhaps the fact that we were never allowed to eat Nerds in the house growing up is what made them so alluring. If you wanted Nerds you had to eat them outside the house. There was no way that my mum was going to want to vacuum up a bunch of spilled Nerds (her words). I can picture myself right now at the age of 8 eating a package of them by our bicycle racks on the side patio after being banished from the house with an open box of the offending candy.

As a young adult I bought Nerds all the time and revelled in the fact that I could eat them whenever and wherever I wanted even if that was inside. I recall a specific time in fact of eating Nerds inside that made my mums hatred of them all the more clearer. It is that specific time that involves Nerds...in a bowl.

Rewind about 6 years...

That day I had purchased 3 boxes of Nerds from the Dollarama. Each one a different combo of flavours. Later that evening as I was choosing which to break into first a revelation came to me. Why not dump them all into a bowl? I said to myself. I proceeded to do just that. I was impressed with myself. It was a beautiful collection of yellow and pink and green and blue and purple and who knows what other colour. Little tiny pebbles of coloured and sour and sugary goodness. 


Grinning from ear to ear I walked out of the kitchen. My dear love looks at me and says "are you sure that is such a good idea Jessica?". I begin to retort with "of course, that is the best way to get the best flavour distribution"......


What happened next was both a comic and tragic event. Literally, as I spoke those now immortal words, by whatever cosmic or karmic twist of fate my wrist gave out (as if a bowl of Nerds is all that heavy) and dropped the bowl. As if in almost slow motion the bowl landed completely on it's bottom and POOF!!!!! Out popped a mushroom cloud of Nerds. Up into the air and down. 


I immediately knelt down and began trying to rescue them all but it was a feeble attempt. I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear. After picking up the bulk of them I got out the vacuum and sadly watched them be eaten up by that electrical beast. 

When I have Nerds now I am transported to many memories. Those of childhood. Those of our one bedroom apartment where the Nerd debacle took place. When I was handed the bowl of Nerds not long ago, be danged if it wasn't the same, small, green plastic bowl.

For the record I do not hold any ill will towards the Nerds as my mother did. In fact my boys will enjoy a bowl of Nerds alongside me. It is STILL the best way to get the best flavour distribution.

Having memories like these and making new ones with my children makes me very happy.

Hey what's you favourite childhood candy?