I don't mind vegetables or mushrooms or meat in my soup, but a hair in my soup just about makes me come unglued.
Not long ago I ordered a nice bowl of "all you can eat" cream of potato soup because it was a cold day and the thought of a yummy hot soup on a cold day brought a glow to my body. When the soup arrived, it was nice and creamy and the first bite was delightful. Another few bites proved that the chef knew how to make a good potato soup.
I placed my spoon in the midst of the chunky potatoes and then I saw something which wasn't white and creamy....it was black and ummm..... oh my God it was course and curly. Kerplunk went the spoon.....napkin came up and covered my mouth in case the other spoonsful made their way back up from the belly. Could it be??? Was this a pubic hair???? I look around, and see no one with short curly hair. I sit there a moment trying to get my rebelling tummy to quit fighting with my guts......don't you dare make me barf tummy.
I'm still looking around when I see the kitchen door open and see a cook in the back with long brown hair. So no short curly hair back in the kitchen.....it must be someone's lost hair from a spot I don't even want to think about. I try to get my speaking ability.....still trying to keep from losing it all. Finally I am able to signal the waitress....which incidentally has blonde hair as do several of the waitresses. The waitress comes over and asks if I am alright in a pleasant voice. I proceed to tell her that I have found someone's lost property in my soup.
She's really not listening I can tell...she is more concerned with the patrons who have just yelled at her from across the room......her response to me is "that's nice". I sit back astounded at what I have just heard. It practically wounded me to hear that.....I respond in a a matter of seconds "What do you mean that's nice....are you people serving "Soup of Hair" so no one will ask for a second helping?" Then it must have hit her .... she was beginning to understand that I really had a problem and turned on the Miss Nice voice. "I am so sorry Ma'am....let me get you another bowl with no hair. " What????????????? Do you think I want another bowl of the same soup....no way. Just bring me the check...and she did. And the worst thing was I had to pay for that bowl of hairy soup. I just got the heck out of there before my stomach really rebelled.
Abraham Lincoln - The Grocery Clerk
It is always nice to learn more about our esteemed former county resident and 16th president, Mr. Abraham Lincoln. The following is taken from the book "Early Pioneers and Pioneer Events of the State of Illinois" published in 1899.
The first time I ever saw or heard of Abraham Lincoln was in 1832. I had stopped over night at Jack Armstrong's, who lived on a farm 5 miles northwest of New Salem. I there saw a young man whom I had never met before, and asked him who he was, and he said his name was Abe Lincoln, and that he was working for his father. He was tall and slender, and was dressed in homemade jeans, about the same goods that the majority of young men were wearing at that time - about the same that I wore myself. The next time I saw Lincoln, to become acquainted with him, was the log tavern at New Salem, kept by James Rutledge. I was carrying the mail from Lewistown to Srpingfield, and put up with the Rutledge tavern where Mr. Lincoln was boarding. He was at that time a clerk in the store of Samuel Hill a merchant of New Salem. Mr. Lincoln had been to New Orleans on a flat boat load of produce, and Mr. Hill had sent by him 100 barrels of flour that was ground at the water mill at New Salem. Mr. Lincoln sold the flour at a good price, and was so prompt paying the money, and gave such good satisfaction, that on return that Mr. Hill made him a clerk in his store. Mr. Hill had the largest stock of goods in New Salem, and also kept the post office. Mr. Lincoln I observed was very attentive to business, and was kind and obliging to the customers of the store, having pleasant things to say to them; and they had so much confidence in his honesty that they preferred to trade with him rather than Mr. Hill or the other clerks. I noticed that this was particularly true with the women customers; they would often say they liked to trade with Mr. Lincoln, for they believed that he was honest and would tell the truth about the goods.
I went into the store one day to buy a pair of buckskin gloves and asked him if he had a pair that would fit me. He threw a pair on the counter. "There is a pair of dogskin gloves that I think will fit you, and you can have them for seventy five cents." When he called them dogskin
"How do you know they are dog skin gloves?" I believe he thought my question was a little impudent, and it rasped him somewhat that I had the audacity to question his word. "Well sir", said he, "I will tell you how I know these are dogskin gloves. Jack Clery's dog killed Tom Watkin's sheep, and Tom Watkin's boy killed the dog, and old John Mounts tanned the dogskin and Sally Spears made the gloves, and that is how I know they are dogskin gloves." So I asked no more questions about the gloves, but paid the six bits and took them; and I can truly say that I have worn buckskin and dogskin gloves from time to time for sixty years since then, and have never found a pair that did me the service that those I got from Mr. Lincoln.
I have understood that Mr. Lincoln got $20 a month for clerking in Mr. Hill's store, which was considered good wages at that time although he had to pay $2 a week for his board.
While Mr. Lincoln was clerking in the store for $20 a month, Mr. Hill gave him the privilege of going out to work in the time of harvest, where he could earn $1 to $1.25 a day and his board; and when the harvest was over he would take him back in the store again.
At another time I will post more from this book so that we can all learn more about Abraham Lincoln.
Recipe
Pecan Turtles
1 pound pecan halves
1 package chocolate chips - melted
1 package caramels
Place 2 pecan halves on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Place a caramel on top of the pecan halve. Repeat until cookie sheet is filled, leaving about 2 inches between turtles. Bake at 200 degrees F. for 2 -3 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle them. Press a third pecan on top of the caramel. Dip caramel part into melted chocolate chips. Place on waxed paper until firm.
Thought Of The Day
Ideas without action are worthless.
--Harvey Mackay
That ATM card has sure had a work out these last weeks. Every time I use it, it's like the lottery....you don't know if you will win or not.....but in my case, don't know if money will come out or stay in the bank...under someone else's name of course.
It's almost to the point, that when I go to the ATM and punch in my password, I get slower and slower punching in the numbers, because between numbers I am saying a prayer to the Lord, "please Lord let there be one more time of coming out the slot, you know Lord what I'm talking about...green stuff....about five inches long and a couple of inches wide....and I don't mean grass either Lord." I punch in another number and then I'm ready to punch in the last number....my prayer is complete. Now I wait for the rumbling of the stomach of the ATM machine. Will it or will it not???? That is the question.
The money door slides open.....there is the green stuff.....I start yelling "I won I won". Oops I must have thought I was at a casino. Of course at the casino about the only machines that do pay are the ATM's.
Now that I have my ATM money, I wonder how many more times before that little card of plastic finally wears out....it can't be long I'm sure!!
The final days before Christmas are upon us. As I think back through the year, I had one wish when I did a rebirth of this blog....it was to be able to keep posting through the year and especially at least reach a date around the holidays. Even though at times I didn't know if I would be able to continue, I persevered and have almost reached my target of the Christmas holidays. What a wonderful Christmas present to myself. I sincerely hope that the coming holidays will bring you as much joy as I am experiencing this year.....to be here on earth and able to continue to post is a joy and a dream come true. Thank you for having faith in me.
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