Saturday Morning

This isn't the exact picture I remember of Aunt Jemima, but it was from 1955, so it has to be close.

I was researching small towns in our area when I came across a book written about Red Oak, Iowa. Red Oak in the 1930's was an up and coming town.

In one chapter it had a picture of the real life person portraying Aunt Jemima. She was doing a tour marketing pancake mix and perhaps syrup. She was flipping pancakes at a local restaurant in Red Oak as a promotional.

We used Aunt Jemima's mix sometimes when I was young. When I reached high school I on occasion would make pancakes for breakfast at grandma and grandpa's. By then I think I put mine together from scratch.

At grandpa and grandma's we made our own simple syrup from scratch. Since I've been married I use my own pancake recipe as well as syrup recipe. Both of which are included in our cookbook.

Regardless, the routine of pancakes on Saturday morning has been a tradition in our house for time immemorial.

I sometimes try variations such as buckwheat pancakes, or I put fruit—one of my favorite is blueberries—in them. Some people like chocolate chip cakes, but even though I love chocolate and pancakes That combination isn't my favorite.

This morning I fried a large batch of bacon, chopped onion, hot dogs, and mushrooms into the skillet. We had pancakes, avocados, and English tea. It started out to be breakfast but was more like brunch.

The rest of the afternoon I spent trying to finish this post and wandering down memory lane through some of the old family photos.

This isn't one of mine but I did think it quite an interesting old photo of a bride and groom posing for their picture.

Memory lane. Well, our youngest son was a late blessing. The downside of that has been many of the people and places—for instance my grandparents' home— has been lost when we had to sell it.

The person that bought the farm bulldozed the house, barn, corn cribs, oat bin/granary, fences, bulldozed everything in and burned it. There is nothing left, not even the trees grandpa carried and hand set are left to mourn its passing.

My grandfather passed away the year before Buddy was born, and of course, grandma passed eight years before that. So he doesn't have a remembrance of them whereas all the other kids do.

Since Buddy is usually out driving truck we haven't had this opportunity. Maybe to him it isn't an opportunity, but prayerfully it is and a blessing.

I see some of these photos and wonder what were their thoughts? What was their life before and after? Life is a struggle and we can see it on their faces. I wonder, in reality who are these people? I know some of their stories, but only a tip of them...

But that is the stuff stories are made of.

Proverbs 18:22 "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favor of Jehovah. 23) The poor useth entreaties; But the rich answereth roughly. 24) He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."