Cemetery Studies

We like to visit cemeteries to find the oldest graves and see how the flowers are displayed. In Fayetteville, TN bouquets were fastened on the top of upright stones.

This picture was taken last summer at Louisville, Missisippi. I thought their graves were clever, colorful and unusual.

Here In Missouri we overlook the local cemetery. The grounds are well-groomed with small flat stones. Colorful, artificial flowers in slim urns give the illusion they recently sprouted. But not even winter's worst stops funerals. Is there a colder place on earth than a cemetery in winter?

Last fall I walked across the road to read names and dates. The first graves are only a few years old: a mother and four of her five children died the same day.

I have nothing to complain about.

One long ago blizzardy January day I watched a small group at a Wahoo cemetery. When they withdrew the casket from the hearse, the exiting end slipped out of their hands slamming to the frozen ground. Head or feet scrunched?

I suppose we all have a 'shelf life.' If I can, I'll arrange to leave when the weather's temperate. LOL

2010 Red Convertible Travel Series

Winter Gripes and Magic

Gene's pickup was too light to navigate the snow in the Midwest. And it doesn't have front or all wheel drive. Snow was the most economical solution. He scooped our drive until he filled the truck bed.

A pickup load of snow is not an unusual site in the Midwest, but Gene went home to south Mississippi.

His kids didn't know what was in Dad's truck. They had never seen snow. Puzzled neighbor kids came to look and play in it. Snowball fights spread it across their yard. Adult neighbors came by and commented on it. People driving by stopped and frowned.

Who would have thought Midwest snow would "break the ice" in a Deep South neighborhood. It was magic. Good job, Gene!

2010 Red Convertible Travel Series

Snowed in with Texas Rick's Spaghetti

This winter is no picnic, but the conditions were harsher in my grandparent's time. Houses weren't as warm. If firewood froze down people froze to death. It makes me cold remembering Dad chopping a hole in the ice for the cattle to get a drink. And his laundered longjohns froze stiff on the clothesline. Mom brought them in and "stood" them in the corner until they thawed enough to bend over the drying rack.

Late in the afternoon of a bitter January day, Dad pointed out a sundog: two suns setting. One was a mirror image. They were two egg yolks about to splat into the evening.

Iced and snowed in, our Texas neighbor, Rick, asked if we'd like spaghetti? He would cook it at our house. I have the bigger pot. You bet. I've marveled at Italians cooking their sauce all day but didn't know the particulars.


Rick Roch's Spaghetti

Season one pound of ground beef with
1 tsp garlic powder, or 2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
2 TBS Italian seasoning
1 tsp Montreal Steak seasoning
1 tsp. Tony Cacheres cajun seasoning

Brown in 2 TBS of EVOO with 1/2 cup chopped onion

Drain the grease off

Add 2 cans tomato paste
3 small cans tomato sauce
1 large can diced tomatoes
Fill diced tomato can with water and add
Repeat seasonings for sauce

1 tsp garlic power, or 2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
2 TBS Italian seasoning
1 tsp Montreal Steak sace
1 tsp Tony Chacheres cajun seasoning

Now here's the secret: simmer 4-5 hours
Stir occasionally

Add Johnson's Summerville Italian Sausage with cheese
Simmer 2 hours
Stir occasionally

It smelled so good all day and was wonderful with angelhair pasta. Worth the wait.

I did not know left over pasta could be reheated. Rick said to drop it in boiling water and pour the water off. Fast. It worked. As Benny Hill used to say, "Learning something new every day."

2010 Red Convertible Travel Series