Sunday… right now

When I was a kid, Sundays were always hectic and busy. It actually started Saturday evening with the kids taking baths, mama getting everything ready for dinner after church, maybe a TV show, if a certain member of my fam still lived with us – lots of fights. Then Sunday… get up… get dressed… brush your teeth… find your bible… hurry up… cram 5 people in a tiny VW beetle (before if was cute) and off we went to church.

When we got home – YUMMMMM!!! – filled the air! Mama always had something absolutely tasty for us to eat. ALWAYS! Daddy was a butcher and was able to provide a decent cut of meat that mama turned into absolute magic. Comfort food is what it’s called now. But it’s food that reminds you of mama.

And mama’s food always reminds us of her mother’s food – Gramdma Ethel Mae. Our summers, when we were young, were spent with our grandparents in Florida. A trip that ALWAYS brought a heightened anticipation that almost eclipsed Santa. WE LOVED. OUR. GRANDS!!! – Fred and Mary, & Joe and Ethel.

Fred and Mary, our paternal grands, were warm and cuddly and accepting and teddy bears and all things love! My sister and I can still remember the feeling of rounding the last curve in the road before their tiny country store came into view, and our hearts about burst. The tiny VW literally couldn’t go fast enough. When daddy parked the VW in their drive and Papa and Grandma came out – it was like God opened heaven to us. We were HOME!

Joe and Ethel, our maternal grands, while very nice and we knew they loved us, they were not that warm…. HOWEVER… Papa Joe ALWAYS took us on tractor rides that we LOVED! Ethel… THE FOOD!!! Even as kids – HAVE MERCY – we knew ETHEL’S FOOD was heaven.

Why did I go back 100 years? Because no matter how I feel, no matter what happens, no matter what’s in the freezer, Sunday still demands a “Sunday Dinner.” So, today I made good ole Mac ‘n cheese, fordhook lima beans, fried okra. Sunday demands dinner.