Does Anybody Else Remember Mayberrys?

Real quick - I am knee deep in book two now. I really am enjoying this new one a lot. Even more than my first book attempt for sure. And I am excited because I have signed up for a writing workshop this weekend. That's pretty exciting too. I'll meet several authors who have been published as well as a local publishing house. I might take a cd with my book on it and my pertinent information with me in case there might be someone there who would be willing to look at it. I don't know though.


OK, so now on to one of my favorite childhood memories. When I was at my parent's house on Tuesday, my dad asked me if I remembered Mayberry's. And I certainly do. This was one of the best places to frequent when I was a kid. It was an ice cream parlor. You heard me. A real honest to goodness ice cream parlor. It had big huge "fancy" (i.e. gaudy) pink vinyl benches with high curved backs. If I remember right (I was probably 5 or 6 the last time I was there), it had a mirrored wall, and it also had a "bar" with pink vinyl covered stools that you could spin around on. The name Mayberry's was on the windows looking all old fashioned and quaint.


We'd go and get ice cream there occasionally. We lived close by. One of the things I'd get was some sort of cake. It was chocolate. It was rolled up like a jelly roll and it had whipped cream and hot fudge all over it and of course a cherry on top. But the funny thing was, I dont' think I actually liked them all that much! What I always really wanted was coffee ice cream (shocker). And my parents wouldn't let me get it, but daddy would let me have a taste or two of his on occasion. They also served old fashioned ice cream sodas and root beer floats. Yum.


I searched the Internet to see if I could find a picture of one, because I know I am not doing the place justice. It was such a magical place when I was a kid! To me, it felt, and of course I wouldn't have used these words at the time, but as an adult, the words over the top and luxurious come to mind.


And no, pink vinyl isn't exactly luxurious. But I just felt like I was in a different time when I sat in that ice cream parlor. No, you know what it was? I felt like I was on a TV or a movie set. It was so over the top, that it was almost like it wasn't real. I felt like at any minute, someone was going to yell "cut"! And they'd take it down like it was a set on the Andy Griffith Show or something.


I talked to my sister on the phone, and she remembered a couple of other things. The outside had an old fashioned pink and raspberry striped awning. None of the other stores had awnings if I remember right. And she said the cake roll was like a big swiss cake roll with ice cream instead of the fluffy filling inside. She also remembers daddy giving us bites of his coffee ice cream. AND she remembers eating peppermint ice cream in there. It had little bits of peppermint candy. Which is funny because I remember that now. And guess what's in my freezer right now? Edy's slow churned Peppermint Ice Cream.


I loved that place. I wish it was still there. I would have loved to have taken Joshua there. And then ask him for his memories when he is older. Just to compare.  And now I have to go.  The peppermint ice cream in my freezer beckons me to come and take a bite.  And so does the coffee ice cream right next to it.  I hope you all have one of these magical places tucked into your memories somewhere.  If you do, I'd love to know about it!  Happy reminiscing, friends!