There are two distinct memories I have of getting attention for humor when I was very young.
One was when I picked up the “Boy Scout Joke Book” at the library in Henning. I came home and tried out some of the jokes, and there was a joke about a Frenchman, a German, and Ole going to the guillotine that seemed to tickle people. I first told it to Mom and she had me tell it to Dad. Dad thought it was funny and he had me tell it to some other people. I put a little more drama into it each time I told the joke and thought hey, I can do this. I can make people laugh.
The other memory is of the family sitting down around the dinner table, and Mom brought the food to the table and her four hungry kids started grabbing for whatever they could get their hands on. Mom stood back and said “Gosh, you’d think you were all starving kids in Asia that you think you have to jump all over the food just to get some!” I paused for a moment and said “Well Mom, if they jump on their food, no wonder they’re starving.” Everybody thought that was pretty funny. I laughed too, but half expected to get in trouble for making a smart remark. No trouble came.
I was starting to learn that my dry humor could make people laugh, and that the time, place, and manner of the remark could determine whether it was received well or not. I’m so grateful that I didn’t get scolded for that. Whether it’s genetic or something I picked up from Mom & Dad along the way, I’m grateful that I came away with a good sense of humor—good enough to make a smart remark once in a while, and also good enough to laugh at myself when the tables are turned.
11/26/09
All the things I don't know about
I’ve always (well, since college anyway) known that there have been countless sacrifices and achievements that Mom and Dad gave to us that I’d never be aware of and never quite figure out. As I enter the world of parenting myself, I feel it even more. What tough decisions were they faced with that I’ll never know of? What long nights and exhausting days did they go through, but not describe to us? What pet peeves did we aggravate them with that they refrained from nagging us about?
I used to do an activity with the student leaders I worked with. I gave them a piece of paper with "Gratitude" written on one side, and asked them to write down all the things they did for other students and for other staff members that they felt were not recognized. Then I gave them a piece of construction paper and they glued that sheet to the construction paper, hiding what they had written, but leaving the word "Gratitude" framed for them to see. I told them that there are a lot of things worth doing that people may not thank us for--but they should value the ability to feel the gratitude even if others don't take time to express it.
I hope Mom & Dad feel that gratitude from us--even for those things we didn't know, don't realize, or forgot to mention.
I used to do an activity with the student leaders I worked with. I gave them a piece of paper with "Gratitude" written on one side, and asked them to write down all the things they did for other students and for other staff members that they felt were not recognized. Then I gave them a piece of construction paper and they glued that sheet to the construction paper, hiding what they had written, but leaving the word "Gratitude" framed for them to see. I told them that there are a lot of things worth doing that people may not thank us for--but they should value the ability to feel the gratitude even if others don't take time to express it.
I hope Mom & Dad feel that gratitude from us--even for those things we didn't know, don't realize, or forgot to mention.
Our garden
Our garden has always been a fond memory, but I have a renewed appreciation now that I’m gardening for my own family. I know the scale of our Henning garden is out-of-proportion because I was small when we lived there, but I just remember it as gigantic.
I remember in particular ‘helping’ Dad with the roto-tiller, catching lots of butterflies (and likely stomping a few good plants in the process), the taste of fresh green beans right off the vine, and those days when the whole house smelled as Mom & Dad canned tomatoes. We made so much out of those tomatoes—we had spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and chili enough for the winter.
When I’m at the grocery store I peek into the carts of other parents as they check out. They’re full of microwavable mini-treats, TV dinners, and Chef Boy-R-Dee. I’m so thankful for all the great, fresh vegetables I was raised on. I can’t imagine how many additives and preservatives and trans-fats we missed because we were eating food from our own garden. Not long before we left Henning, I had a patch of acorn squash and… hmmm… sweet potatoes or potatoes too? I’m not sure if I did half the labor, but it was ‘mine’ and gave me the idea that gardening was within my reach.
Now, Diana and I have harvested two years of produce from our tiny garden. Even if it’s not a cost savings in the long run, we both love the physical activity, the purity of the food, and the miracle of growth. Nothing tastes better than food fresh from the garden. For both of us, gardening connects us with our families and our “roots”.
I remember in particular ‘helping’ Dad with the roto-tiller, catching lots of butterflies (and likely stomping a few good plants in the process), the taste of fresh green beans right off the vine, and those days when the whole house smelled as Mom & Dad canned tomatoes. We made so much out of those tomatoes—we had spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and chili enough for the winter.
When I’m at the grocery store I peek into the carts of other parents as they check out. They’re full of microwavable mini-treats, TV dinners, and Chef Boy-R-Dee. I’m so thankful for all the great, fresh vegetables I was raised on. I can’t imagine how many additives and preservatives and trans-fats we missed because we were eating food from our own garden. Not long before we left Henning, I had a patch of acorn squash and… hmmm… sweet potatoes or potatoes too? I’m not sure if I did half the labor, but it was ‘mine’ and gave me the idea that gardening was within my reach.
Now, Diana and I have harvested two years of produce from our tiny garden. Even if it’s not a cost savings in the long run, we both love the physical activity, the purity of the food, and the miracle of growth. Nothing tastes better than food fresh from the garden. For both of us, gardening connects us with our families and our “roots”.
Christmas
There were many great reasons to love Christmas at our house. We often had two beautiful trees, one with the classic, traditional Chrismons Mom & Dad had made together, one that ‘belonged’ to the kids, with colored lights and colorful decorations. We had such a wonderful tradition.
After a few weeks practicing for the Christmas program, after struggling to memorize a few lines from the Christmas Story, the big night finally came around. We had our dinner and waited around for the program—both in a hurry to get to the presents but not in much of a hurry to sing or recite in front of the congregation. Even though the ‘performance’ aspect of it was not fun for a young person, the priorities were made clear to us: The holiday exists to celebrate Christ’s birth, and our opportunity to be a part of a church, and to live together in Christ.
After the service, I remember walking down the aisle between the pews, grabbing that bag of peanuts and an apple, and making a bee-line for the house. Perhaps I’d stop in the kitchen to dig into the tower of Tupperware bursting with holiday treats, but I wanted to see the presents. There would be a virtual explosion of gifts under the tree by that time. The gifts are really another “how did they do it” mystery to me. How gifts might have migrated from hiding places to the space around our Christmas tree is not that difficult to imagine. But to pay for such a cornucopia of presents and to get them purchased and wrapped and hidden boggles my mind. I can’t seem to keep little gifts hidden from one person that well, and I wince at the impact the holidays can take as we work to save for a house, cars, and other necessaries.
Like most kids, I didn’t spend much time wondering if the night was as special for my parents as it was for me—I suspect that it was special for them because it was special for us. I’m sure there were some challenging moments, as there have to be with four kids at such an exciting time. But I remember the joy, passing gifts to each other and watching for expressions, sitting and waiting for the right moment to click a picture, and wondering, by the end of the night, how I’d have time to play with all this stuff. Mom & Dad’s work, year after year, has made Christmas in my life into the warm, special time of year that it is meant to be.
After a few weeks practicing for the Christmas program, after struggling to memorize a few lines from the Christmas Story, the big night finally came around. We had our dinner and waited around for the program—both in a hurry to get to the presents but not in much of a hurry to sing or recite in front of the congregation. Even though the ‘performance’ aspect of it was not fun for a young person, the priorities were made clear to us: The holiday exists to celebrate Christ’s birth, and our opportunity to be a part of a church, and to live together in Christ.
After the service, I remember walking down the aisle between the pews, grabbing that bag of peanuts and an apple, and making a bee-line for the house. Perhaps I’d stop in the kitchen to dig into the tower of Tupperware bursting with holiday treats, but I wanted to see the presents. There would be a virtual explosion of gifts under the tree by that time. The gifts are really another “how did they do it” mystery to me. How gifts might have migrated from hiding places to the space around our Christmas tree is not that difficult to imagine. But to pay for such a cornucopia of presents and to get them purchased and wrapped and hidden boggles my mind. I can’t seem to keep little gifts hidden from one person that well, and I wince at the impact the holidays can take as we work to save for a house, cars, and other necessaries.
Like most kids, I didn’t spend much time wondering if the night was as special for my parents as it was for me—I suspect that it was special for them because it was special for us. I’m sure there were some challenging moments, as there have to be with four kids at such an exciting time. But I remember the joy, passing gifts to each other and watching for expressions, sitting and waiting for the right moment to click a picture, and wondering, by the end of the night, how I’d have time to play with all this stuff. Mom & Dad’s work, year after year, has made Christmas in my life into the warm, special time of year that it is meant to be.
My siblings
Okay, like a lot of siblings, we had our fights and misunderstandings and jealousies and competitions. When Mom and Dad got home from a day away, there was often some complaining about who did what or didn’t do what during the day. But it’s so easy to view our family as a whole, each sibling and their families, and be really proud and grateful for the people that we are. So whatever Mom and Dad did with us, as different as we all are, it worked pretty consistently and well.
I am proud of my sister Gretchen, her intellect and clear-minded view of the world, her and her husband’s worldview and appreciation of simple joys like cooking and home improvement and the outdoors. I’m proud of my brother Paul and his impressive work ethic, his natural gift for working with his hands, his triumph over the educational system to find what was right for him, his natural abilities as a father, his close and active family, his success as a chef. I’m proud of my sister Sarah, her determination and pragmatism and goal-orientation, her love of family and her passion to be a great mom and wife, her dedicated and resilient husband, her courage to make life changes. I’m proud of all their kids, who for all our trials, seem to be turning out pretty well too.
Like anyone else, I’m sure we found some things we thought we’d do differently as parents compared to Mom and Dad. But we learned the most important stuff about family when we lived in a house in Henning and a house in Alcester while we were growing up. Now I can use not only Mom and Dad as great examples, but also each of my siblings—I hope I can borrow some strengths and inspiration from each of them as I begin my journey as a parent.
I am proud of my sister Gretchen, her intellect and clear-minded view of the world, her and her husband’s worldview and appreciation of simple joys like cooking and home improvement and the outdoors. I’m proud of my brother Paul and his impressive work ethic, his natural gift for working with his hands, his triumph over the educational system to find what was right for him, his natural abilities as a father, his close and active family, his success as a chef. I’m proud of my sister Sarah, her determination and pragmatism and goal-orientation, her love of family and her passion to be a great mom and wife, her dedicated and resilient husband, her courage to make life changes. I’m proud of all their kids, who for all our trials, seem to be turning out pretty well too.
Like anyone else, I’m sure we found some things we thought we’d do differently as parents compared to Mom and Dad. But we learned the most important stuff about family when we lived in a house in Henning and a house in Alcester while we were growing up. Now I can use not only Mom and Dad as great examples, but also each of my siblings—I hope I can borrow some strengths and inspiration from each of them as I begin my journey as a parent.
Apple, Atari, Gateway
Sure, maybe we were riding on the coattails of Dad’s interest in computers. Nevertheless, with Mom & Dad’s help, I had access to computers when many friends of mine did not. It all started on a table in the basement in Henning with two file cabinets and a big homemade table-top for our Apple II-e. I remember that I worked on my big report on “Killer Whales” on our home computer, and thought it looked sooo sharp to print it out on our dot-matrix printer with the paper that fed through on tracks. I still have that report somewhere.
When I was in college and grad school and had my own computer, it allowed me to… well, to tinker. You don’t want to sit in a computer lab somewhere and just tinker around to make something just right. But with a computer sitting in my room, I improved my writing skills, my editing skills, and my design skills by tinkering around like it was a game. Plenty of my peers were still intimidated by computers and were slow to learn the features of Microsoft Word or other software. It became an advantage for me, and in each job I’ve had I’ve been known as someone who is a savvy user of the computer and can answer lots of questions, can communicate with techies, and can solve problems with software.
At home we have our family calendar and address book on Google. We keep our recipes, photos, and records on the computer, and of course use a blog to stay connected with family and friends. I can’t imagine what technological advances Lilly will have the opportunity to use during her life. I hope we can give her a head start like I got growing up with a computer in our house.
I had to throw Atari on the list as well—it’s not the same thing as having a computer, but at least I played some video games in my lifetime. How could I have an interest in a silly game like “Grand Theft Auto” when I know the joy of Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pitfall Jack, and Donkey Kong?
When I was in college and grad school and had my own computer, it allowed me to… well, to tinker. You don’t want to sit in a computer lab somewhere and just tinker around to make something just right. But with a computer sitting in my room, I improved my writing skills, my editing skills, and my design skills by tinkering around like it was a game. Plenty of my peers were still intimidated by computers and were slow to learn the features of Microsoft Word or other software. It became an advantage for me, and in each job I’ve had I’ve been known as someone who is a savvy user of the computer and can answer lots of questions, can communicate with techies, and can solve problems with software.
At home we have our family calendar and address book on Google. We keep our recipes, photos, and records on the computer, and of course use a blog to stay connected with family and friends. I can’t imagine what technological advances Lilly will have the opportunity to use during her life. I hope we can give her a head start like I got growing up with a computer in our house.
I had to throw Atari on the list as well—it’s not the same thing as having a computer, but at least I played some video games in my lifetime. How could I have an interest in a silly game like “Grand Theft Auto” when I know the joy of Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pitfall Jack, and Donkey Kong?
Clearance racks and the Goodwill store
This item on the list has seen a big change between what I thought growing up and what I think now. I know when I was young I didn’t like feeling ‘restricted’ to the clearance racks. I wanted Guess Jeans, the status symbol of the day. I wanted lots of things that were costly. Most of the time, all I really understood was that some other kids had it, so why couldn’t I?
When I started managing my own budget, the epiphany began. Now frugality is such an important part of my life and my identity: I try to be considerate of the things I want. It’s easy to want things, but my faith, my intellect, and my upbringing lead me to understand that we should not rely on material possessions for happiness.
I could just go on and on about the societal, environmental, spiritual, financial, and other reasons why it’s good to resist always wanting more. I think Mom & Dad did a great job of giving us what we needed, and more than what we needed. But, to be frank, we were not spoiled, and thank God for that.
When I started managing my own budget, the epiphany began. Now frugality is such an important part of my life and my identity: I try to be considerate of the things I want. It’s easy to want things, but my faith, my intellect, and my upbringing lead me to understand that we should not rely on material possessions for happiness.
I could just go on and on about the societal, environmental, spiritual, financial, and other reasons why it’s good to resist always wanting more. I think Mom & Dad did a great job of giving us what we needed, and more than what we needed. But, to be frank, we were not spoiled, and thank God for that.
Breakfast
I remember these great breakfasts when I was in high school. I long for those breakfasts. Every time I’m at a hotel that has a real nice complimentary breakfast, I think “Ahh, just like back home.” My appreciation has grown now that I am officially not a morning person—it is maybe a twice-a-month treat to get a real good breakfast. Someone got up and prepared that breakfast, cleaned up afterwards, and watched to make sure we had the ingredients we needed. French toast, pancakes, eggs... Honestly it could have been French toast every day as far as I was concerned, I love french toast. Since then I’ve seen news reports that say some students suffer in their school performance because they don’t get a good breakfast. Did Mom & Dad read an article about that? Either way, it was an expression of love that I remember well.
My crafty parents
My earliest memories of “Something Special” are vague and blended together. I remember the craft show in an old school. Our table was on a stage, and I remember lots of Christmas decorations and a bell choir playing. I know in the early days there were little angels of folded fabric and bead snowflakes. Gretchen and I made suncatchers for a long time—that may have begun even prior to the craft shows we did. I think I helped with some Kleenex box covers, and eventually graduated to the little clothespin race cars and locomotives.
You made everything under the sun, with lots of Santas and Noah’s Ark as mainstays. I have memories of shows at the Western Mall in Sioux Falls: we carted our giant, heavy tables and displays into the building and set up and we covered it all up with tarp for the night. I wandered around the ½ Price Store or Best Buy, and we ate at Burger King or various buffets in the area. As I grew up, it was just a part of life and I didn’t think very deeply about it. In retrospect, I am so impressed with the amount of hard work, intelligence, planning, and persistence required to run that business.
Two ubiquitous sounds in our home were the whine of the jigsaw and the zig-zig-zig of the sewing machine. Now that I've started a family, I know the value of a free weekend, and you gave up countless weekends to attend shows and generate income for our family. You went from curious spectators who dabbled in crafts to shrewd businesspeople, changing your inventory with the seasons and with the times. I don’t think I ever visited home after High School without some surprise at some of the new products you had gotten into.
You took pride in your products and in your ethics: you insisted your items would be high quality, and passed up many opportunities to simply copy another crafter's hot seller. I wish I could see a map that had little dots for all the homes around the Midwest and the country that have Something Special items on display at some time during the year. I wish you two could see a montage of all the joy people felt as they gave or received your products as gifts or surprises.
The hard work and courage that went into that business generated time together, pride, creativity, and income. Your kids are so proud of what you accomplished. It has been Something Special for all of us.
Weights, a throwback, a basketball hoop
Athleticism and exercise have been such an important part of my life. In high school, involvement in sports went a long way to establish friendships for me, and built a foundation for exercise and physical fitness. I think back to some of my first sports memories, and I’m fortunate that I got some support to keep me going.
I remember a baseball throwback in our back yard in Henning. It was a metal square with springs and netting, and a square in the middle for the “strike zone.” It was basically a trampoline tipped on its’ side, so that when I threw the baseball, it would bounce back and I could throw again. I remember throwing in the back yard over and over, and in my mind I was a big league pitcher. When I was in Little Leagues, we were playing catch in warm-ups one day. I was trying to get noticed by the coach. I threw a little harder, a little harder, and sure enough pretty soon I was pitching for the team. It was the first time I realized that I could be good at something athletic, and just pitching in Little League, I felt like a star.
Later I remember getting a set of weights to put in a corner of the basement and work out. I remember a clunky old rowing machine. I remember my constant bounce, bounce, bounce, in the driveway of our house as I practiced basketball, but I don't remember my parents asking me to quiet down or go play somewhere else. Someone paid for my athletic shoes and other extras when I got into high school sports. That support helped foster my love for physical activity.
I got a lot of great friendships in high school, college, and beyond through basketball, running, Frisbee, and football. Just as importantly, it’s been so important to my mental well-being. There have been many times when my work-outs pulled me through stress I just didn’t know how to handle. And now I look forward to teaching my own child how to play basketball and enjoy the athletic activities this life has to offer.
I remember a baseball throwback in our back yard in Henning. It was a metal square with springs and netting, and a square in the middle for the “strike zone.” It was basically a trampoline tipped on its’ side, so that when I threw the baseball, it would bounce back and I could throw again. I remember throwing in the back yard over and over, and in my mind I was a big league pitcher. When I was in Little Leagues, we were playing catch in warm-ups one day. I was trying to get noticed by the coach. I threw a little harder, a little harder, and sure enough pretty soon I was pitching for the team. It was the first time I realized that I could be good at something athletic, and just pitching in Little League, I felt like a star.
Later I remember getting a set of weights to put in a corner of the basement and work out. I remember a clunky old rowing machine. I remember my constant bounce, bounce, bounce, in the driveway of our house as I practiced basketball, but I don't remember my parents asking me to quiet down or go play somewhere else. Someone paid for my athletic shoes and other extras when I got into high school sports. That support helped foster my love for physical activity.
I got a lot of great friendships in high school, college, and beyond through basketball, running, Frisbee, and football. Just as importantly, it’s been so important to my mental well-being. There have been many times when my work-outs pulled me through stress I just didn’t know how to handle. And now I look forward to teaching my own child how to play basketball and enjoy the athletic activities this life has to offer.
702 Douglas Avenue and 106 Church Street
As Diana and I look around at houses, we both have discussed how spoiled we were growing up. I would love to have either our Henning or our Alcester homes now. They were spacious, they had lawns big enough for gardens and for playing catch or running around, they had big open basements for kids to hang out in, they had a place to play basketball, they had lots of rooms, they had clean air from the rural outdoors, they had dishwashers, they were as warm and cool as they needed to be, they had good beds and furniture, they were kept clean and tidy, they were organized, they had TVs and computers, and they were stable and peaceful. I do know some of the efforts that went into it, from scrubbing the kitchen floor to renovating the basement bathroom in Alcester. I know you often didn’t appreciate living in houses we did not ‘own’, but the houses we grew up in were great homes.
Hardy Boys, Used book shops, and comic books
Warren Buffet once made a killing by buying Coca-Cola when it was a beaten-down stock. It was out of character for him to buy a stock when he couldn’t get a controlling majority of shares. Previous to that, he had done a similar thing with a much smaller company. But when he was asked about why he took the risk with Coca-Cola, he alluded to the smaller company he had purchased previously. “If it wasn’t for that, I would never have considered buying Coca-Cola.”
Well, the Hardy Boys may not have been classical literature, but I had a whole set of Hardy Boys books that were just for me, and I took some pride in having a little set of “adventure” books. If it wasn’t for the Hardy Boys, I might never have considered The White Mountains, which led me to J. R. R. Tolkien, which led me to Ray Bradbury, which (oddly enough) led me to W. B. Yeats, which opened up a whole world of poetry. It took countless side trips to used book shops to support my reading habit, but that is how I fished through authors and genres to find things that really captivated me.
Now I don’t have to spend much time with a book before I know if it has promise. And there are books that have really made me a better person. When I first went to college I picked up a book called Bradshaw on the Family, which was about healing dysfunctional families. Bradshaw was a bit hokey and I wouldn’t really recommend the book now. But it helped me put my upbringing in perspective and made my expectations of my parents (and anyone’s parents) a bit more realistic.
I read Dr. Martin Luther King’s writings and it helped to frame my perspective for my work with college students. I read a book called The Skilled Facilitator that helped me build practical skills to mediate and run meetings in any setting. I read a series of books about communication skills by Deborah Tannen that helped me approach conflict in ways that addressed problems rather than escalating conflict. I read numerous books about the psychological study of stress and happiness that have helped me manage stress and appreciate the many good things I have in life.
One of the questions psychologists say helps predict academic achievement is: Were there 100 or more books in the house you grew up in? There certainly were in my house, and that’s where it all started: National Geographic, WORLD magazine, Little Golden Books, Curious George, and later those used book shops and stacks of comic books. Some of the richness of my life, the quality of my decisions, and certainly my professional success can be attributed to my long history with the written word.
Well, the Hardy Boys may not have been classical literature, but I had a whole set of Hardy Boys books that were just for me, and I took some pride in having a little set of “adventure” books. If it wasn’t for the Hardy Boys, I might never have considered The White Mountains, which led me to J. R. R. Tolkien, which led me to Ray Bradbury, which (oddly enough) led me to W. B. Yeats, which opened up a whole world of poetry. It took countless side trips to used book shops to support my reading habit, but that is how I fished through authors and genres to find things that really captivated me.
Now I don’t have to spend much time with a book before I know if it has promise. And there are books that have really made me a better person. When I first went to college I picked up a book called Bradshaw on the Family, which was about healing dysfunctional families. Bradshaw was a bit hokey and I wouldn’t really recommend the book now. But it helped me put my upbringing in perspective and made my expectations of my parents (and anyone’s parents) a bit more realistic.
I read Dr. Martin Luther King’s writings and it helped to frame my perspective for my work with college students. I read a book called The Skilled Facilitator that helped me build practical skills to mediate and run meetings in any setting. I read a series of books about communication skills by Deborah Tannen that helped me approach conflict in ways that addressed problems rather than escalating conflict. I read numerous books about the psychological study of stress and happiness that have helped me manage stress and appreciate the many good things I have in life.
One of the questions psychologists say helps predict academic achievement is: Were there 100 or more books in the house you grew up in? There certainly were in my house, and that’s where it all started: National Geographic, WORLD magazine, Little Golden Books, Curious George, and later those used book shops and stacks of comic books. Some of the richness of my life, the quality of my decisions, and certainly my professional success can be attributed to my long history with the written word.
Chores
I had to vacuum the steps, at least in Henning. I’m not sure how often that actually happened, but it is one memory of a chore that was specifically mine. It was also in Henning that I learned to mow the lawn, or at least most of it (I didn’t always mow in a straight line). I cleaned my room, at least once in a while. I learned to fold laundry, and I am now the envy of my wife’s side of the family for my crisply folded t-shirts and socks and the tucked corners when I make the bed. At any event of family or close friends, I’m often one of the first to get up and start clearing away dishes. I’m glad I we were raised to make a contribution and to appreciate a clean house.
Dinners
I remember our dining rooms well, and when I think of them, I see six chairs sitting around a table, and most often those chairs were filled. In Henning, there were windows on both sides, and in winter we would put Styrofoam in the windows to insulate them. In Alcester we looked out onto the back yard, and eventually added a small TV to the room. But every night, or almost every night, we had the chance to sit around the table together, say our prayer together, and eat together. Whether we were getting along well or not, we had a chance to sit around the same table and recognize who our family was, and know that whatever we did that day, we would be taken care of. I’m sure there were things I didn’t like, but what I remember were tables full of good food: fresh vegetables from the garden, green bean casseroles, spaghetti, sloppy joes, homemade pizza, saucy franks, chicken patties, chili, and so many others. I know I had little understanding for the time, planning, and money that it took to fill that table night after night. We skipped in from the living room just in time to sit down, or maybe to set the table with plates and silverware. How many nights, how many dinners?
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