Saturday, July 16, 2011

The Fish Man

I grew up in Detroit. I still remember the neighborhood where we lived. I loved our neighborhood. You knew everyone and everyone pitched in to help each other. I can remember the Cunningham Drug Store where you could sit at the counter and order a soda. It came in little paper cones with a silver holder. The little store around the corner from our house was where my "Aunt Mary" lived. Her and her husband owned the store and lived in the apartment over it. Any time that we went in there I always came out with a little paper bag of candy. My dad worked as a body man, doing bumping and painting on cars. Needless to say, during the summer months he didn't have alot of work so money was tight.

We used to different people roaming through the neighborhood selling things. One day I came running into the house asking my mom if I could get an ice cream from the ice cream truck!

"Oh honey, that is the fish man!" she told me.

Huh, the fish man has a brightly colored truck that plays music just like the ice cream man. I would sit at the curb waiting for the ice cream man, waving to all the fish men driving around. Boy, there sure were alot! When I got older my mom told me about it cause she felt guilty. I thought it was funny.

After I had my daughter, we lived in a similiar small neighborhood. She came running in one day all excited about the ice cream man! I giggled and told her "oh honey, that's the fish man!" She bought it and ran out the door to play. Wow, that worked?! I was going to get her an ice cream too, I just couldn't resist.

A few days later, she came running into the house. "Mommy! Mommy! The fish man sells ice cream too!" So that turned into our joke.

The other day here comes the ice cream man. There is Bitty One, "Mommy! Mommy! Can I get a ice cream?!" Before I could say anything else her loving older sister replied "Silly! That's the fish man!" She looked at me and smiled.

Boy, that apple didn't fall far from the tree....

I have no ice cream recipe to share, I am way too lazy and HOT! I just can't resist a great party celebrating this frozen nectar of the gods!

Posted @A Musing Potpourri's Ice Cream Social

11 comments:

Beth said...

How cute, Maggie! We saw an ice cream truck roll through our neighborhood recently...I think he was on his way to an event/flea market/fair etc...Stay cool!
Beth

TexWisGirl said...

oh, this was sweet! too cute that the tradition continues...

Lynn said...

In our family the saying is... the NUT doesn't fall far from the tree! Cute story:@)

La said...

Oh Maggie, this is such a fun ice cream memory. I will remember it next time the fish man drives down our street.

Thanks for linking up! La

Julie said...

What a fun ice cream memory!

Jacqueline said...

What a fabulously fun memory! I can just see
her sweet innocent face as she explained to you that that lowly fish man also sold ice cream. Just adored this family memory.

Anita at Cedar Hill said...

That's too funny!

Anonymous said...

What a cute story!

When I was a kid, we had an ice cream woman who rode a three-wheeled motorcycle with built in coolers on the back. We all wanted to grow up and be ice cream women. ;)

I don't think we have an ice cream man here...sad.

Designs on 47th Street said...

Very cute story. :) My mother would never let us buy fish from the fish man...she was never sure he kept it cold enough. LOL!!

Funny about your husband and never getting in the kitchen. It is so unlike my husband normally!
Donna

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

This story is better than any sweet icy treat... and a whole lots less fattening! Oh, how cute!
xo Yvonne

Young at Heart said...

oh my so cute...we used to have a guy who drove around selling Corona....bottles of fizzy soda in lurid colours...what joy in a fairly dull rural England in the 60s!!