LM1097 Sunday Lunch

LM1097 Sunday Lunch

LM, Episode 1098, (Rewrite 12/8/19, Episode 25), 12/11/22, Sunday Lunch

Every Sunday growing up, my Grandma Rowan fixed an enormous lunch for the horde of family that invaded her house.

The scariest part of this is when she goes outside, grabs a chicken by the neck, swings it around and around, then jerks it’s head off. The body of the chicken runs around the yard for a minute or two, then Grandma picks up the lifeless body and starts the process of turning it into fried chicken for the family.

That’ll make your grandchildren behave.  When she said, “I’ll ring your neck,” it wasn’t an idle threat. Grandma had 14 grandkids, she couldn’t remember any of our names, I’m sure she wouldn’t miss any one of us any more than she missed that chicken. 

Before I was performing and was still doing accounting, we lived in Oklahoma close to my in-laws. Every Sunday we had Sunday lunch at their house.  My mother-in-law, Emma Lou, would make a roast with potatoes and carrots, plus a homemade dessert.  It was the highlight of the week for all of us.  

One Sunday Emma Lou made coconut cream pie and sent the remainder home with us.  That night I planned on eating the pie for supper.  As I get it out of the refrigerator, Twyla says, “I want part of that pie.”

“But, Twyla, it’s only one piece of pie.”

“Kent, if it has a 90 degree angle in it, it’s more than one piece of pie.”

So I called Emma Lou to settle this dispute.  She says, “Kent, let Twyla have some of the pie tonight and tomorrow I’ll make you your own pie.”

Hanging up the phone, Twyla asks what her mom said.  I reply, “She apologized for you being spoiled, but asked me to share the pie with you.”  And I never told Twyla about the second pie.

The best thing about living in Cincinnati is Twyla and I get to have Sunday night dinner with our children and their families. Twyla often cooks a roast like her mom and we get to hear what everyone has been doing.  Now that we are the older ones, we see why those Sunday meals were so important to my Grandma and Emma Lou.  There is nothing quite like being around the people you love.

Have a great week and always remember laughter matters.