Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for December 19, 2024

I have a similar memory of an awful Christmas corsage that I made for my mother. She still had it up until the house flooded from that storm “Harvey”. Funny how you hang onto things that your kids make for you. My wife has some.

The Woolworth’s Jewelry Counter! It seemed there wasn’t anything you couldn’t find somewhere in a Woolworth’s half dozen aisles. Years before I was born, when a Woolworths appeared in our neighborhood, my Mother said they felt that now they really had a neighborhood.

How old is Arlo and Janis? Woolworth is ancient.

Woolworths. Wow.

Woolworths and Cunningham’s. My two favorite stores growing up (aside from Sears) My mother and I were downtown Detroit for a doctor appointment and went to Cunningham’s for lunch. Soupy Sales came in and sat next to me at the lunch counter and for an hour, I had the time of my life. Still remember it all, even now.

Years back, I had bought my mom a DVD/VCR combo for Christmas. She went to her company Christmas party the night I bought it and ended up winning one at the party. I gave it to her anyway just because and she ended up loaning it to one of her friends. After a while, I asked her why she didn’t just give it to her friend instead of considering it a loan. She responded that she couldn’t do that because it was a gift from me. I can be a much of a sentimental sucker as the next person, but that one boggled me.

One of the biggest surprises when I started going to Mexico for business about a decade ago…. Woolworth still exists in Mexico. They were in every place I visited. Woolworth Mexicana was started by the original F.W. Woolworth company, and they spun off as an independent company in 1997. Still a strong discount retailer there.

And I’m sure she was glad to wear that necklace and earrings for as long as possible!

There wasn’t a Woolworths within walking distance when I was a kid but there was a Ben Franklin. I remember buying caps for my cap gun and those little wax bottles with the sweet colored liquid in them. This was in the 1950’s

It’s a definite step up from macaroni!

I remember every department store from my childhood and teens! Goldblatt, Woolworth, Montgomery Ward, Zayre. “Compare…You Can’t Do Better Than Zayre”. (poetic license, I guess!)

Perfume I bought for Mom when young. Came in a quart bottle, I was so happy I sqved up the money. I think she wore it a time or 2 to show she “liked” it but it probably would have been a better bug killer.

I miss Woolworth so much! The lunch counter! The sewing department in particular for my interests! Sigh ;(

Back in the early ’50s when I was very young my Dad gave me a dollar to buy a Christmas present for my Mum. I went to Woolworths and got her a hair-comb and with the change I bought myself a really neat cap pistol.

I remember one year, my brother found a necklace and earrings when he was “picking” in the alley that ran behind our house. He gave them to my mom for Christmas. Of course, she knew where they came from, but she still wore them for years.

Woolworths was great ! But no one used the FW

The well known Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro NC is still there!

Arlo is getting a bit sentimental, it raises concerns about the future of the strip which has become a good friend over the years.

The last Woolworth’s I saw was in Edinburgh Scotland!! Saw it from the castle, never went in.

the five and dime stores from our past, and there were many, the electronic age has many uses, but I feel that losing the brick and mortars was not one of those good things. No more K marts or Sears and before long the malls will be closing as well, no more human interaction, what a shame

“Woolies” are a big deal in Australia.

This is just a precious story arc. My momma’s heart loves it :-)

Now everyone at church knew why she didn’t put more in the collection plate…

That is what Mama’s do……..

Love the kid’s expression in panel three!

Yep—-my younger brother did the exact same thing to me.

If that’s not a true story, I’m sure something very like it has happened many times over.

I remember in third or fourth grade tiny tool kits were the rage among the boys. I think I got one for my dad. It had the tiniest, most useless hammer in it, and all the rest of the stuff was junk, too.

He calls her “Mama.”

Who’s cutting onions?

Anyone else think this is Gus’s memory emailed to Arlo?

Apparently, Gene’s looks come from his paternal grandmother.

youtube com/watch?v=0DbHHvski0g

Woolworths in Seattle’s Ballard district, late 1940s with grandma. Smell of popcorn. Wooden floors. A world of wonders.

Sears on Sunday, the aroma of popcorn when first entering the store. Then the See’s Candy counter. What a treat!!!

I wouldn’t be surprised if she was buried with it. The value of things is in the mind of those who treasure them.

We found a sea star pin with matching earrings at Kresge’s one year for my mom. Cut glass stones. The 4 of us combined all our resources for the $2.00 price. We had to borrow money from mom for the 14 cents tax until we got home. She wore it to my wedding. It was the only jewelry of hers I inherited. Sister got the rest.

Moms are just cool that way.

Woolworth’s was on The Square and we would shop there some of the time. For me, it was Ben Franklin’s 5 & 10 about 4 blocks from our house. My mother had all of the fancy-looking teacup sets that they had. That means cup and saucer, only. None of the cups matched the other cups. Just one at time for all present-giving occasions because that was all I could think of a woman would want. But this cartoon really hits home. My grandmother, that lived with us, tried to teach me how to crochet. All I could do was make a single string. But when I was done, I had a “beautiful” bracelet for my mother. It actually was about the same color as the necklace shown, kind of this dark aqua thing. I gave it to her for Christmas—she wore it too their fancy, dress-up New Years party. I’ll never forget that. Thanks for pulling these memories to the forefront. (Oh, and we didn’t do nuts, we scrounged for pop bottles.)

I started to post this and then my mind wandered to a different post someone had made and I don’t seem to have posted it – if I did post before – forgive me for posting again.

Most of you talk about walking to Woolworths when you young. We could not really go anywhere walking when we were young. There was a very small grocery store about 2 (maybe more) miles from our house – would probably be called a deli today. This involved a walk that one (or at least I) was not allowed to take until in junior high. (When I started college I had to take the bus if my mom needed her car that day and it was a 3 mile plus walk to the nearest bus stop to our house, basically I had to walk to my old high school which was far enough away for us to get a school bus ride to same, – in the opposite direction of “the Little Red Store”, so nothing was was in easy walking distance from our house. When in college, if I happened to be back at the high school when “the late bus” was leaving the bus driver for same did not realize I had graduated and I could catch a ride home on same, but then I got a job and got home rather later.