Week 28 - Twizzlers are Great!

Hmmmm...I don't see a letter posted up over at the competition's place yet today. I hope she has not been involved in an altercation with a group of elves gone bad. Then again, if they could just occupy her long enough for me to get some more letters out and win this thing. That is just the kind of thought process that puts coal in my stocking. Let's move on to my letter for this week. Try to act surprised that it involves candy!

February 10, 2014

Dear Twizzlers,

I remember getting ready for a car trip and having a friend ask me if I had Twizzlers, as they were the only necessary road trip food. I happily declared that I had a bag in the glove department. Twizzlers have been a part of my family for as long as I can remember. Back in the seventies, my grandfather showed me where he hid his licorice stash in the kitchen cupboard. Strawberry Twizzlers, and Twizzler Cherry Bites if I was lucky.

Everybody knew where the bags were tucked, as my grandfather was always one to share, but it still felt like a rite of passage to be able to grab one’s own licorice. You also had to know that if you were sent to get some for my grandfather, he needed two. He held them close together and took small nibbles all at once until he got to the ends. Nobody ever turned down an outstretched bag of Twizzlers. It brought us all together. Still does.

My grandfather passed away in 2006, but we all still have Twizzlers as one of the things we hold dear to remember him by. This was most apparent this past holiday season. I was looking to bring back a few old traditions, so I made sure to put a box of Twizzler bites in each of the stockings I made up for the great-grandchildren. It was nice to see the knowing smiles on all of my cousin’s faces as they watched their children pull those boxes out. Even the two year old among them knew exactly what those candies were. There were other bags of licorice being opened as well, that had been exchanged amongst other family members. It brought me back to when all of those bags were getting handed to my grandfather, as we all sort of had that as a go-to gift idea.

As luck would have it, I married a candy-holic with a particular penchant for Twizzlers. There is rarely a time when a quick perusal of the pantry doesn’t reveal an open package of some variety. Both of our kids have been trained to never pass when the bag comes by. When I flash forward to the college care packages I will be sending in a couple of years, I know that Twizzlers will always be in them.

Your candy has been there in times of laughter, sorrow, munchies and memories. Thank you!

Twizzling away,
Andrea 

Mother, Queen of Candyland, Blogger

Did Twizzlers send some love back to me? Well, they are actually owned by Hershey's, so that is where my response came from...

...Now while I was directed to a website to find some coupons and such, I was still a little sad as I looked at the single sheet of paper I had pulled out of the envelope. Then I noticed that word at the very bottom..."enclosures"! Here is where the contest aspect of this project may have just taken hold of me, as I picked up the phone and dialed the phone number that Brandon had given me. I explained that I had gotten a letter that said "enclosures" but had none. Yes, I did that. Was it worth it? Well, that depends how you look at it. I did get a decent laugh when I found out what they were intending to send me.

Yes, my love of Twizzlers licorice got me a brochure on how chocolate is made, from bean to bar, and three chocolate candy wrapper print bookmarks.

I am not exactly sure how to score this one,  so I am giving it two points (since I can print my own coupons out and did receive something).

CURRENT POINT TOTAL = 62