Sunday, July 29, 2007

Sunday Lunch at Nonnie's

The family came over for lunch today--we had the typical Texas fare of brisket, potato salad, cole slaw and red beans. I went to the Farmer's Market at the Factory yesterday and came back with canteloupe, banana peppers and heirloom tomatoes, so we had that too, along with a peach pie I picked up there. It was all so good, if I do say so myself. Martin's Barbeque Joint just down the road has brisket like we eat in Texas (not pork, beef). I will have to say their hot sauce is HOT, HOT, HOT. So glad I also got some mild sauce.

When I was young, we often went to my Granny Dobbins for Sunday lunch. The cousins usually came over from Anson and we played on "the gallery" (porch) while we waited to be called. As I remember, the kitchen was on the back of the house with the dining room just next door. We had the usual Sunday fare of either roast or fried chicken with gravy. My mom and aunt would contribute several dishes, and we always had a feast. I wish I could remember what we talked about, but I was not interested in that--just in how soon the cousins and I could go back to playing. My cousins were girls (Wanda and Linda), and I didn't get to play with girls much.

One of our favorite things to do was to explore the forbidden garage of my step-grandfather. I am sure it was forbidden because we might find something to hurt us, but forbidding it made it even more exciting to let ourselves in. We also went out to the chicken house to see if we could scare the chickens--also forbidden. Frightened chickens don't lay eggs as well, and the household depended on the eggs. Some of my scariest experiences surrounded gathering the eggs for Granny Dobbins. I was always afraid of being pecked or of seeing a chicken snake. I remember my grandmother had several glass white eggs that she put under some of her hens, but I forget what they were for.

Times have changed so much in the last 60 years that I think most kids believe that eggs originate in the yellow boxes in the grocery store. How sad.

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