Collage of Fall 2007!

The Tale of the Newfie Peppermint Nobs

The suspense has probably"bored you to tears!"

Among the many fond memories I have of my paternal grandma, enjoying the succulent, sweet taste of peppermint nobs with her is my favourite! Grandma Elsie always kept a stash of peppermint nobs ( and gingerale) handy for her grandchildren when we came to visit. These unique candies were hard to come by where I grew up, although at times you could find them at the local Newfie store for an outrageous sum of money (and stale). So, I was excited at the prospect of being able to stock up on peppermint nobs when I travelled to "the Rock" for Grandma Elsie's funeral. I know that statement may sound strange but Grandma was 97 years old and lived a great life. We were there to celebrate !

And celebrate we did! Before the funeral, my dad took me into her room at the Nursing Home so I could say good -bye. Much to my surprise, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of her crystal candy jar resting on the window ledge - yes, it was filled with peppermint nobs, waiting to be eaten by her grandchildren! Even in the last days of her illness, she made sure her candy jar was filled with our favourite candy! How could I resist from dipping my hand into the candy jar, carefully taking out a nob in order to suck it slowly in memory of Grandma Elsie! What a sweet moment!!

One afternoon I had some free time so I walked to the local supermarket in order to purchase an assortment of Purity Peppermint Nobs! As my peppermint nobs waited patiently on the conveyor belt for the young cashier to ring them through, and before I even uttered a word from my mouth, this friendly cashier asked me in her broad Newfie accent, "are you from the Mainland?" Do you suppose the truckload of Purity Peppermint Nobs resting on the conveyor belt was a dead give away!!! "Yes, " I said. She then asked if I was up for Elsie Whalen's funeral. Wow...she is good!!! As I walked away, I suspected this young cashier had visited Grandma Elsie too and enjoyed a few peppermint nobs!