Update on the Nico Bowl or La Olla de Nico

I was just chatting with my mom and she asked me to read her the blog about Nico. She liked it. But then she asked me why I didn't put the story about how the Nico Bowl came to be. I told her, "cause I don't know how the Nico Bowl came to be."



This is the story. . .



Remember these?

You do if you grew up in Arizona in the late 50's early 60's. These are S & H Stamps. You used to get these for free everywhere, from grocery stores to the five and dime stores and gas stations. I remember licking hundreds of pages and being totally anal about lining them up perfectly on the pages of the books you used to place them in.

When you had enough books you could exchange them at the S & H Redemption Store.

And that is where the Nico Bowl came from. My mom saved enough stamps to snag the Nico Bowl and she gave it to Nico. I always remember Nico keeping panesitos or tortilla's or Bizcocho's in this bowl. My mom says that after Nico passed Tia Leonor used it to boil the beans. Every time my mom would go to Eloy to visit Tia Leonor she would tell Tia, "Hoyes Leonor, cuando me vas a dar la Olla de Nico". And Tia Leonor would say "Talk to the hand!" No, not really, but she would put her hand up the same way and tell my mom, "Esperate, esperate". (Wait, wait)

One day I guess my mom caught Tia Leonor in a good and generous mood and when she asked for the Olla, Tia Leonor told her to go ahead and take it. . . and that is where the Nico Bowl came from. So Nico and Leonor have both used the bowl, then my mom, then my brother Fred.

A free bowl, from S & H Green Stamps? And Hallmark thinks they have the market on wonderful memories?