Back to the old days.

You know what folks? This old man just has to have his say about what goes on in this world that affects him and his family. Many times it is only my opinion and not supposed to be what others would think. But the other day, some of my friends were talking with me and we sorted drifted off in the past about of all things, food. We reached a point of no return when someone mentioned how my mother could cook. That got all of us talking about all the wonderful foods that this great lady could make with just the bare essentials. Many times, although we were a large family, there was always some room for one of our friends to sit in and fill his or her belly with food fit for a king.

First off, I remember that the first thing that Mom did in the mornings was to put on a pot of  8:oclock coffee, which was freshly ground, and the aroma went throughout the house. Man, that woke you up. And then it was time to start making that great breakfast of bacon, eggs from the henhouse, bisquits and gravy{ which Dad always wanted to make}, and there was always jelly made from the grapes that we grew. When you were through eating that breakfast, you were ready to take on the world.

Mom was one lady that could take coal and make diamonds out of it, if that coal was food and the diamonds were the result of her time spent at the cook stove. It didn't matter what she used, it still came out good to the taste. She could make the best soda bisquits around, and when you put some of that oleo-margerine on them, the mouths would water and the accolades  given to her was all she wanted to hear. Back then , it was nothing to have a big kettle of beans, a large cast-iron skillet of cornbread, and a large skillet of fried taters waiting for you when dinner or supper came about. Throw in some chopped up onions, and a glass of kool-aid, and you had some happy belly-full kids ready to dig in and help mom clean up the kitchen, only to do it all over again for the next meal .Mom's work was never done, but she never once griped about it.

That great lady, we and half the neighborhood called Mom, was always doing something, but she always had time to teach all of us how to cook, sew, iron, make beds, and clean house. She was preparing all of us to be able to take over if and when it was needed. In addition to all that, she made sure that each of us did our daily chores each day. She taught us to respect our own home and homes of others. She stressed at all times that Dad was the breadwinner in the family and that he deserved all the respect of a father that was making sure that his wife and children were taken care of.  Neither of those two great people ever asked for anything else but respect from thier children, and to the day that both of them left to be with The Great Father, there was respect given by both to thier family.

Dad had one thing that made him happy and that was to come home to his family and to a hot meal. He never asked for anything else. He was content on being the breadwinner and Mom was content on taking care of her man and thier kids. What a wonderful pair for God to send us to. Would we of changed anything if we could of? I don't think so, because we were taken care of , and we had great parents. The things that those two great people taught us will live on until it is time for us to go Home.

Which brings this old man back to the present, when things seem to look bad with the thoughts of the factories laying off some people and thier thoughts on how to survive. The problems with many are that they lived on what they made and didn't put anything back for that rainy day. Many have max themselves out on thier credit cards and are driving around in cars that they can't afford. In other words, the things that they were taught by thier elders did not put a dent into thier thick  heads. And that my friends is where we went wrong. We threw all the things taught us by our elders out the window, and we did things our way. And I must say that those who didn't heed the advice and education of thier parents are probaly wishing that they had someone to take them under thier wings and get them back to prosperity and then maybe use thier heads when they get there.

I guess that just maybe that was the reason that Mom and Dad taught us to care for ourselves. They knew that someday they wouldn't be around and we would have to be the ones to make our lives ones that we can be proud of. I have to say that they did one heck of a job. But you know , talking about that good food she made, I got hungry just thinking about it. The past is not easy to forget when you have memories like ours. I could talk about our Mom and Dad for hours. I miss them very much as I know that my brothers and sisters do. Life is just that. It is history, it is present, and it is the future.

Take a little time and go back to your childhood, and while there think how many times that you said thanks to your Mom and Dad. Come back to the present and take time to tell them thanks for everything. Whether they are still living or up there with The Great Father, they will still hear you. Thanks Mom and Dad for doing all you did for all of us kids. We love you very much.

Uncle Ray is signing off for this week and I hope that our little visit was as good for you as it was for me. And if any of you have some history about Kokomo and Howard County, send it to me at