Country Breakfast. 10-4-11

They celebrated my great Aunt D's birthday this past weekend. She turned 89 years old! Aunt D has been so good to us. Aunt D married my Paw-Paw's brother, Uncle D. They were quite a pair. My Uncle D struggled with rheumatoid arthritis and the accompanying cardiovascular disease most of his life, but he took extra special care of the little ones and his garden--and in my case, both: he taught me to work in the garden. He would brag on me at age 5 because of my good eyes. I could find things, like the edge of the Scotch tape, and I knew the difference between the weeds and the veggies. He was happy to see me head out in the garden at my cousin's with a hoe and piddle around.
Aunt D had to work during the day; so we would go through our routine. I would help Uncle D to make the bed, we would each take one side, and then we would sit in the kitchen and figure out our plan for the day. Mom left me with a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup, and Uncle D would bring it to a hard boil so it would form a skin. The skin had a high YUCK factor for me at age 5, but Uncle D was from the days of botulism. Afterwards, either he would have company, we would work on some project around the house, or we would head out in his orange Ford truck with the camper on the back for an adventure. I wish my little Boop could have known Uncle D, he died not too far from Dad and Paw-Paw, but I'm so happy that my Aunt D is thriving.
A couple years ago, Aunt D explained an interaction with my dad's mother, M, when my Dad was little. Aunt D was taking her kids to see her mother out of town. My Grandma M said, "Well, aren't you going to take <my dad>, too?" With that my aunt D said yes, and from then on, she took my dad everywhere that her kids went. My grandma M was different, to say the least, but we are so lucky to have an Aunt D. I wish everyone could have an Aunt D. She still works stocking shelves at the Dollar Store at age 89, and there are simply no comparisons to her dumplin's, biscuits (she measures ingredients by texture of the dough), and gravy. Last year, she made country breakfast for about 60 folks, I think was the final tally, and she didn't stop to take a bite until everyone had eaten. I hope Boop gets to have a slumber party at Aunt D's like I did when I was little and make homemade cookies, but I hear she has long since retired of making Barbie clothes :)