Living in rural America like we do, provides and blesses us with old-fashioned church suppers. This particular one draws repeat customers because the food is delicious and is served family style. They pass the bowls around the table, take all you want, just like it used to be at home when we were kids.
It was comical when we recognized one of the young boys serving our table. He carries a family resemblance that he can't hide. His face lit up when we guessed what family he belonged to. Is there anything sweeter than children who look just like their parents!
We consider ourselves blessed to be able to look ahead to events, like this annual church supper, with dear friends. Special occasions are the bookmarks in the book of life. No matter what our days in between bring, we still have these special days to look forward to.
All four of our plates were heaped after two generous helpings of real mashed potatoes, gobs of gravy served from pitchers, meatballs, corn, green beans, coleslaw, and biscuits with butter. Young boys served our choice of homemade pumpkin or apple pie. We visited with the strangers sitting next to us, but they really weren't strangers at all. Life is the same for them as it is for us, and conversation came easy.
The first snow of the season fell in our area yesterday. About mid-day, hubby called me to the kitchen window, "Come in here, it's snowing!" There's significance to personally witnessing the first snow fall. Kinda like seeing the first robin to arrive in the spring. Once we see it snow, well, then it's no longer a shock when snow falls after that.
Today's calendar is open, so hubby put on a warm jacket and went outside to winterize. I just saw him buzz by the front window on his John Deere lawn tractor. I'm pretty darned lucky, because I don't have to do any of the home maintenance. He takes care of all that, and I'm just along for the ride.
Supper is in the crock pot. So far as I'm concerned, the slow cooker is the neatest invention, second to the Internet. For the last how many years we have relied on the crock pot to have meals ready for us after work, and now we plug it in and let it prepare our meals in retirement. Slowly cooked food is tastier, as my mother used to say.
"Joy is what happens to us
when we allow ourselves
to recognize
how good things really are."
~Marianne Williamson