Let’s change gears this morning and instead a wastin my breath talkin bout them dad-gum politicians, let’s talk some groceries, and this other thing my Mama and Daddy used to talk with me about…getting older.

For those who have yet to experience this getting older thing, I gotta tell ya…it’s comin! Got here A LOT sooner than I ever thought possible!

Shoot, I’m sailin along in my twenties, then got to them thirties, and all of a sudden, WHAM…I’m tippin forty!

I’ve been forty now for, hmmm, let’s see, well, bout seventeen years now!

Forty plus…that’s me!

Anyway, Lucky and I stopped by a phone store last night. There was an older couple in there and we kinda struck up a conversation with em.

Actually, they really didn’t have a choice cause I’m pretty good at that dern “striking up a conversation” thing.

I talked…and they listened.

The husband was 85, and his wife was 83. I mean, what were they gonna do…run off?

I ain’t bragging or nuthin, but I believe if they’d give me any lip bout my conversin with em…I could of whippin em both!

Seriously though, they were a really, really nice couple. We shot the bull with em, and Lucky and I both enjoyed their company.

The salesman that helped us, Steven, and a great guy, is 25. We’ve seen him twice, and I have to tell you that I was very impressed with his knowledge, his politeness, AND his WORK ethic.

Very, very impressive young man.

I told him so, too. In this day and age it is so good to see a young man or woman, who enjoy their job, and even more…HAVE a dern job!

Anyway, as Lucky and I were finishin up, I was tellin Steven to enjoy his youth…it goes away much faster than you could ever dream.

You know, the work hard Steven, apply yourself, and with your work ethic and personality, you can go far. Only YOU can prevent your own success…nobody else.

I also told him, half-jokingly that lookin at my own life…it was pretty sad.

My reasonin for this…shoot, I’d just spent an hour or two laughin and cutting up with an 85 and 83 year-old and…had ENJOYED IT! LOL!

We left there and stopped by the grocery store to pick up a couple things.

Lucky was pickin up a bunch of bananas when I pulled up with the cart and I hollered, “Uh-uh…don’t buy those green bananas!! Get them dern ripe ones!”

By doin so, I KNOW I can probably get to eat em for something happens to me!

A few other examples of getting older are…

I got up the other morning and went to wash my face and shave. I looked in the mirror and said…
“Dad???”

Then the other day, Lucky and I were up town and this gorgeous woman walks by, and I got to thinkin,
“Dern, I wonder what her MOM looks like???”

A buddy of mine asked me the other day if I remembered Preparation H?
I told him, “Shoot, I’m so old I remember when they come out with…PREPARATION A!”

Ya know, I’d mentioned Lucky and I had stopped by the phone store and met that fine older couple.

They shared with us a few of their abbreviations while textin…

BFF- Best Friend Fainted
BYOT—Bring Your Own Teeth
LMDO—Laughin My Dentures Out
And…
GGPBL- Gotta Go Pacemaker Battery Low

I was readin to Lucky the other night where the Senate was investigatin deceptive practices targetin the elderly, and bilkin them outta their money, and I asked her to guess the worst one…
She asked sincerely… “I dunno, Social Security?”

Had a buddy tell me the other day he knew HE was getting old, when he realized, he had 25 house plants at home and…I can’t smoke any of em!”

Lucky and I were at the Doctor’s office last week when I wasn’t feelin well.

He comes back in and says, “Lucky, your husband’s getting older and needs rest and some quiet time, so here’s some sleepin pills.”
Lucky asked him, “When should I give em to him Doc?”
The Doctor replied, “They’re not for him Lucky, they’re…FOR YOU!”

I love my Doctor!
LMDO!

But ya really know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than your cake!

Now…bout them groceries!

Lucky LOVES to hunt and fish, and to be quite honest, she’s good at both. She’d rather fish or sit in her tree-stand than eat.

She keeps her game camera goin, and last year she got a picture of a Florida panther, which I thought pretty neat. I’d never seen one in the wild before.

I ain’t sure bout the count she gave me, but I think she said her camera had caught on film 37 illegal aliens too.

Jus kiddin.

But you guys did see where the illegals are now claimin “They ain’t gonna take it anymore,” and promise a more radical approach?”

Here illegally, but ain’t gonna take it anymore?? Good night a livin folks, oh yeah…the groceries.

Sorry! (possibly more bout that later??

Anyway, today’s recipes come once more from Kathrine’s cookbook, “Cedar Creek Game Cookbook.”

Sweet and Sour Venison:

2 lbs. venison steaks, ¼”

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 can beef consume

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. savory salt

¼ cup, chopped green onions, tops included

1 clove garlic

1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut steaks ¼” thick, diagonally across the grain. Combine other ingredients, pour over meat strips and marinate in fridge overnight. After draining, broil about 4 inches from heat until tender. Serves 4.

Juanita’s Spanish Rice:

6 slices of bacon

2 bell peppers, sliced

3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 cup uncooked rice

2 large onions, sliced

5 cups canned tomatoes, or if you have, use fresh tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. ground beef

Fry bacon slowly until crisp. Remove from pan and pour off the dripping. Brown onions, peppers and ground beef in remainder of bacon drippings. Add seasonings and crumbled bacon.
Add warmed tomatoes or steamed fresh ones, stir in uncooked rice and cook slowly. Stir often or it may stick. If the mixture seems too dry, add more tomatoes or water. Cook until rive is tender, about 45 minutes.

Indian Meal Pudding:

¾ cup corn meal

3 quarts milk

6 cups finely cut apples

3 tsp. salt

3 tsp. ground ginger

1-1/2 cup molasses

Scald milk, add corn meal and cook 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and pour into buttered baking dish. Bake on 350 for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Serves 12.

I’d stay and visit a little longer with ya my friends, but GGPBL!

LOL!

You guys have a great day and God bless. Please be sure to, “Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!”

Doug and Lucky

“Bronson,” she’d say, “I’m happy with my life just as it is, and I don’t need no man screwin it up!”

Shoot, I thought she must have been dropped on her head when she was a baby, cause all jokes aside, I happened to be a pretty good catch, but that’s just my opinion, mind ya.

But eventually, my persistence and good looks won out. Lol!

I’d say, “But dern Addison, you look good, ya got a good heart, you’re a fine Christian lady, ya like to hunt and fish, and even better yet…ya mow grass!”

“Honey, we were MADE for each other!”

She’d always respond… “Bronson, we’ve been goin to dinner ONLY cause we’ve been friends for so long, we’ve both been through the loss of our spouse, and I know it’s tough. I’m only tryin to help you through this.”

I’d respond, “Addison,” I didn’t DARE call her “Lucky” at that point, “I understand all that, BUT…dang if I ain’t startin to have some deeper feelins here than just goin out to dern dinner. Besides that, I’ve eat your cookin before, and you put on a pretty good feed bag when you set a table. You don’t seem to remember…I’ve eaten your groceries before, knothead!”

“You’re a nut Bronson.”

“You’re crazy, Bronson.”

These were my typical responses from her when I’d try to explain how I felt bout her, along with all my fine attributes.

Then one day, she slipped and let it out… “Bronson, I’ve been by myself for so long now…I DON’T even cook anymore!”

WHAT, I thought??? DON’T COOK ANYMORE???

Suddenly, it hit me right between the eyes that you know what??? She may be right on the money…maybe I am crazy, and a dern nut to boot??

What the heck I want with a woman who don’t cook??

That remark, “Bronson, I don’t cook anymore,”was like chunkin a bucket a water on a matchstick!

That fire that I thought was burnin inside me in my feelins towards her…went out like a light!

Gone!

Nada!

I guess she saw immediately that she’d said the wrong thing, cause she knew Bronson liked to eat bout as much as he liked breathin. Shoot, I always thought the two went hand in hand, you eat a mouthful of groceries…then ya take a breath! LOL!

Anyway, it must have struck her that the tables had been turned.

My chasin Kathrine went dead in the water right then, and…her chasin Bronson started up in earnest!

The very next night, I went down to her house and it had started.

I walked in, she was standin in front of her cookstove boilin water, didn’t look none too happy bout it either, but she knew in her heart, she had quite a bit of ground to make up if she was gonna land moi!!

I asked, “What ya cookin Addison,” and she said, “Here’s some water for ya some tea. Chunk in a bag or two, boil it and dump it in that pitcher there, bring it back to a boil once more, then dump it again, fill the pitcher with water, and ya got ya some tea.”

I asked her, “Why didn’t you finish it up yourself,” and she bein quite honest told me… “I didn’t want to mess it up, baby.”

I knew right then…she was mine if I wanted her!

Boilin water for me some tea.

Shoot, ain’t no tellin how long she’d been standin there, lookin out that screen door wonderin when I’d come pullin up!

Then it went on to butter beans, then one night okra and tomatoes stewed down just like I like em, AND then…some kind a dern rice she’d thrown together, and I’m here to tell ya…it was the best I’d ever put in my mouth.

Bar none!

That in itself is a mouthful, cause over the course of my lifetime, I’ve eat me some rice!

Shoot, I’d gotten so big at one point in my life that I had more “Chins” than a Chinese phonebook, and most of that from rice…and LOTS of gravy! LOL.

I guess she’d seen the impression that rice had made on me, and figured she’d better get me while the gettin was good.

It was then that she dropped to one knee and asked me to marry her.

It was maybe the most romantic thing I’d ever seen before, but her timin was off just a tad…

When she proposed, I’d just got me another BIG mouthful of that rice, and when I said “Yes, I’ll marry ya Addison,” I peppered her forehead with rice sayin I do!

Lookin back now, it was exactly the same kind of stuff they make movies out of!

So this morning, I figured we’d put up a couple recipes for you guys to try out, and I figured that rice recipe out ta be one of em!

But…it ain’t!

Ronnie, Kathrine’s husband was a watermelon farmer, and they used to travel all over Georgia growin melons.

One of the landowners, Sam Goolsby, had put together a cookbook, and had given Kathrine a copy. It is titled “Cedar Creek Game Cookbook,” and we’ll share a couple recipes out of it this morning.

With Lucky bein asleep still, I’m always up doin somethin, pickin up the house, makin our coffee (see, she really is Lucky).

So, we’ll now fire off Miz Judi’s Kitchen again!

I thought I’d use a couple recipes Lucky had bookmarked, with the first bein…

Batter Dipped Fish:

2 lbs. fish filets or steaks

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2/3 cup milk

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 tbsp. melted shortening

Sift dry ingredients together and add mixture of milk and eggs. Add shortening. Dip fish, allowing each to drain slightly. Fry in hot shortening in skillet until brown, about 5-6 minutes. Drain and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Fried Cheese:

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

2 slightly beaten eggs

½ cup flour

1 lb. Mozzarella cheese

½ cup dry bread crumbs, fine.

Dip ¼ inch slices of cheese into flour, then egg, then crumbs and fry about 2 minutes on each side in melted butter. Fry till brown.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Squash Casserole

4 pounds squash (yellow)

2 carrots (grated)

1 small onion (grated)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ stick butter

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 pint sour cream

Pepperidge Farm corn bread dressing

Slice and cook squash in salty water, drain. In a mixing bowl add squash, grated carrots, soup, sour cream, onions, salt and pepper. Melt butter in bottom of casserole dish and sprinkle just enough of the dressing to absorb the butter.

Add squash mixture to this and sprinkle more dressing on the top, dotting it with butter.

Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.

You guys have a great day, God Bless you and yours, and remember to…

“Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!”

Doug and Lucky