This is not a good day for cats. They don’t like wind and they don’t like cold. My outside cats are always anxious to come out of the garage in the mornings but on days like today, they get a blast of the cold wind and they make a U-turn at the door.

We had Jennifer home for a visit since I last wrote. We really enjoyed the time spent together as it doesn’t happen too often. George came part of the week of Thanksgiving and Becky did the honors with food. Watching the Cooking Shows is giving her the “skinny” on how to make ordinary food taste wonderful.

Raising 3-kids in the 50’s and 60’s gave me all I needed to know when it came to food. I could take a pound of hamburger and stretch it a week. Comfort food has always been potatoes, meat, home-made bread, some veggies and for a bonus there was always pie, cake, cookies or cobblers. I grew up under a mother who loved cooking but mostly baking. Mom could turn goodies out of the oven into a great ending for a good meal.

Life was so different in the late 30’s and early 40’s. Going to the store meant a walk of about 8-blocks. Mom traded at the Safeway store and Hinky-Dinky’s. She would read the ads and make a list……then we walked together with me pulling a little two wheeled wagon. Dad had built it from “scratch” and had the wheels centered so it would easily pull with two brown paper sacks of groceries. At the time it was useful and I was proud to pull Dad’s masterpiece.

When I think of driving 20-miles to Walmart, the parking lot filled with vehicles and the huge baskets to load groceries into, it’s a reminder that those good old days are now…..just good old days. When Mom would go to buy her meat, the butcher always greeted her with, “Hello, Mrs. Andersen, what would you like today?”

She would read off her list while he would continue, “Would you like some liver today? Or maybe some kidneys, I have good soup-bones today.” His offerings were free. He never charged for the less desirable cuts……brains and the like. Sometimes Mom would take some and then other times not. But regardless of her choices he would always break off a wiener for me from a string of them looped around a meat hook.

A real butcher at your beck and call…..free meat, cut to order on the old butcher block and a big thank-you for your order. I sure miss the personable side of going to the grocery store……..

Essentially Esther

Seventy-nine years ago a little boy was born to a family of farmers in Northern Illinois. Aside from farming many of the relatives were teachers. Education was considered to be a tool for all the choices life would bring.

Rocky grew up with an older sister and brother. Their life on the farm and with lots of family around the area, he prospered in rich relationships that would follow into adulthood.

The family moved to South Missouri about the time my family moved here from Nebraska. We met one another in high-school and dated until we graduated. Rocky went on to college and after that we lost track of each other.

We never know where life will take us and after a lot of years we met again at a class reunion. The rest is legendary.

On this, his birthday, there are many reasons to remember our good life together. Do I miss him? Oh yes! But the end of the story is that we will see one another again someday……in a far wonderful place where there will be no more sad farewells.

Happy birthday to my forever love.

Essentially Esther

What a busy time of year. There are so many things to captivate my focus on anything but what I should be doing. I am always surprised when I look at the date of my former blog and realize it’s been 9-days since I wrote last. Shame on me.

Logically I don’t understand why that many days passed without finding time to write. I’m busy all the time and the good intentions evaporate with the mundane task of running a home, yard, pets. I love everything I’m able to do but at the end of the day, the time is gone.

One thing we enjoyed was Becky’s Halloween party. She invited our old neighbors and me for supper before they left to go tricks or treating. We had a good old fashioned wiener roast with Samore’s. Becky had decorated the house inside and out and got into costume. Davy Hocking has gone tricks or treating ever since he was old enough to walk with “aunt Beck”……..he always wants her to be a witch which is what she used to be each year. I have the picture somewhere and I’ll try and find it for a later picture. Some things just have to stay the same. Her witches hat I made for her as a little girl lasted through many walks around the neighborhood. She retired it recently and had to buy another. I still liked the one I made better but it was time to say farewell to the hat.

Since I last wrote, we have had a major shift in the political arena. I don’t care who is in power…….I just want “them” to mind the Constitution and quit spending money. I should say quit throwing money away. It’s mind boggling to wrap around the recent years of the House and Senate and their run-a-way policies.

Also troubling were the injuries to Brett Favre in the last game. It just seems to be ill-fated for him to come back this year. But what do I know?? Maybe it isn’t the end of his playing days but injuries keep stacking up.

Here is Becky in her “grand-ness“…………..

Essentially Esther