You Call It Fridge; I Call It Icebox

Today’s generation calls this essential piece of kitchen equipment a refrigerator or fridge. But I’ll always call it an “ice box,” as in my mother’s stern command: “Close the ice box door!”

Staying Cool in the Kitchen

One of the first things my mother often did upon arriving home was to open the refrigerator door. It was like being away from an old friend with whom you needed reacquainting.

Sometimes she’d grab a nibble of cheese or a glass of iced tea. Sometimes she’d just check in, maybe to see if the bacon had run off with the eggs or a burglar had absconded with the leftover Salisbury steak.

I still maintain my mouther’s attachment to the fridge and often peek inside upon returning home. My fridge and I have things in common: I hang out in the kitchen and I’m cold all the time.

Got Any Snacks?

My friends and family even open my refrigerator door to see if there’s anything of interest lurking alongside the condiments that take up half the space. Recently, when Robin took a peek to see what might be available for a midday snack, all I had to offer was a bowl of leftover turnip greens.

“Never mind” she said, “I think I have a power bar in my purse.”

The Ice Man Cometh and Goeth

When I was a wee lass, my grandmother had an actual block of ice delivered by the ice man to cool her small refrigerator. Only a few items needed to be kept cool: milk, butter, eggs, leftovers, a water bottle, ice cube tray, and several condiments. There were no freezers back then; women canned what they wanted to preserve.

Electric fridges were just coming on the market. They were awkward to maintain, but easy to inventory. (Have you ever defrosted a heavily, iced over refrigerator?) 

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