Hello and welcome back where we find ourselves anticipating Leap Day and all the good things that usually happen on that odd looking day in February. Not really. I just threw that in because it doesn't come up very often. It's a regular day for us to be up and going, in fact, it is
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 and I thank you for tuning in to today's program. I know some of you may have thought we obsessed a little over the big drought last year but you would only need to look at our yard to see the impact since it is still trying to recover. I did read where the forestry folks here in our state have a final tally of the trees lost. Just under 6 million! That's a whole lot of shade my friend and the longer term effects will no doubt continue, like all those limbs flying around in the recent high winds we had. Speaking of stuff flying around, I suppose its time for me to own up to being a NASCAR fan. I watched the truck race last Friday evening. I watched the Nationwide race on Saturday. I fully expected to watch the Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon but it was rained out. That's a tough start when you have a sport that begins its season with the biggest race of the year. Some call it NASCAR's Superbowl. I know it is of huge importance, so that's why I watched it when they finally got it started Monday evening. My driver, Jeff Gordon, blew his engine up early in the race. Bummer! Then they had a bizarre accident where a car crashed into one of the jet dryer trucks being used to blow debris off the track. The collision ignited the jet fuel. Crazy stuff. The clean up of this mess was still going on at 10 p.m., therefore, since it was past my bedtime, I left the scene of the action. It reminded me that I always had in mind to mostly be an interested observer as opposed to being a true fan. But, given the fact I often listen to the NASCAR interviews on satellite radio, and I read several articles a week, and I have Jeff Gordon posting on my Facebook page, shucks, I reckon I am a fan, but not one that was willing to lose sleep over it on Monday night. I almost forgot. I do sleep in Jeff Gordon pajamas and I am sipping coffee from my Jeff Gordon coffee maker. Maybe I am a fan.
I may be a diabetic, in fact, they keep confirming that I am one. I suppose you have to be one to know one. However, that doesn't mean that I can't go off the reservation now and then, that is, when it comes to enjoying a wonderful meal. Last week I came home one evening and my wife had cooked up one of those throw back meals. Field peas, fried okra, mustard greens, kernel corn, and a big pone of skillet homemade cornbread. It was just like walking in the back door to Granny Mac's or to my mom's house, or to my mother-in-law's house. I put some of all of the above on my rather large plate and generously splashed it real good with some homemade pepper sauce, you know the peppers that have been pickled in vinegar. A large glass of iced tea sat before me and as I observed all of this it was like a feast to behold. None of it disappointed. Talk about good! No. I didn't fall off the wagon. I enjoyed that meal and then returned to the 100 calorie packs of this, that, and the other that typically fills in my daily diet. Thanks honey, you did good. Then on this past Sunday evening we met up with Rodney and his clan for a birthday celebration at a pretty decent restaurant. Okay. It was his birthday, therefore, I wanted him to feel good that I was feeling good. That does make sense. Right? I ordered me up some shrimp stuffed with crab cakes. It came with one of those little bowls of drawn butter. I ordered up some lemon wedges. I doused those little mounds of succulent savory delights with some of that butter and then squeezed a little lemon over them. As they connected to my taste buds I could hear an angelic chorus along with bells, whistles, and I saw lights that were flashing. It was nothing short of extraordinary terrific and I enjoyed it so much. You couldn't tell? Now I don't do that very often and I know there are purists out there warning me of danger ahead. You've heard it before. "Danger! Will Robinson!" Now that's what I call some good eating: Down home and downtown!
Next time I am really hungry for something better than one of those rice cake thingies I will be just call up today's blog, read that paragraph again, and drool all over the place. Just joking. I'm not on rice cakes yet. I think when I get there I will just skip it and go directly to Styrofoam. With my wife's busy schedule she doesn't get to do those throw back meals very often but she has to feel good that she's still got it. She can still cook up a storm. And, she still loves to see her family enjoy her handiwork. That's kind of outdated in our world today but I can easily bring up a picture of my Granny Mac standing by me while I was eating some of her wonderful cooking. She was watching me eat. She was being blessed. (I was very glad to be both the blessee and the blessor. Those may not be words but shouldn't they be?) Today's world is quite different. I saw a cartoon where the husband told his wife that she did good but he didn't think anyone could microwave as good as his mother. Yes, the times, they are a-changin. (That might make a song.) Now let me just say this about that. You may like KFC or Wendys or whatever. That's okay. We all are different and if you do like those places and consider them to be real good. That's okay. I'll pray for you. But, in reality, we are a blessed people. I am, for sure. Just to be able to write about stuff like a wonderful table spread with memory laden delicacies and to be able to enjoy such a wonderful time of feasting and fellowship with our children, these are blessings. I embellish intentionally to enhance the writing, but, in the end, we thank God for all that He provides. I hope you do the same.
Amen. ...More later.
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