Fitness and foolish stubborness combined for an awakening in a predawn beach walk run
Midwest Comfort
Chapter 40
Lee loves biscuits and white gravy, all downhome food. Why not a great Sunday dinner at the Parker farm? Karen, Madison, Carol, Ruth, Lizzie, Junior, Elly – and Lee
Get them steaks chicken fried
Sho' do make a man feel happy
To see white gravy on the side
Guy Clark – Texas Cookin’ Guy Clark The Essential Guy Clark
Midwest Comfort
“What time is it Karen?”
“It's about 9, Carol is in Franklin at church. She left a note. She will be home about 11:00. We can put dinner together when she's back.”
“Speaking of dinner Lee is coming over I said we would eat about 1.”
“Good to know. What we are fixing for Lee?”
“I said we would make biscuits and white gravy.”
“How many biscuit and white gravy dishes have you made Madison?”
“I’ve never made them. I thought a farm girl like you would know how?”
“I spent parts of four summers here when I wasn’t at those music camps. I am not a farm girl.”
“Oh, you sounded great last night. You do sing very well. How do you make biscuits and white gravy?”
“Aunt Carol undoubtedly has the ingredients for biscuits. You can’t have white gravy unless you fry something. “
“Fry what?”
“Let’s go look in Carol’s freezer. If we don’t find something there, we are heading over to the HyVee.”
“Look frozen chicken breasts. One summer when I was here Brent came home and persuaded Carol to make fried chicken nuggets like when he was a kid. It looks like we could try that. Junior explained the art of frying stuff to me the last summer I was here, at one of his fish fries. Green beans a big stockpile, grab two or three packages of green beans, applesauce bring that container, Aunt Carol’s applesauce is to die for. I’ve got some corn. Back to the kitchen great potatoes and onions we cannot have white gravy without mashed potatoes. What possessed you to promise him biscuits and white gravy. We could have offered to take him to that wonderful family restaurant not that far from Walnut Ridge. Are you trying to convince Lee, you’re a Southern chef or something?”
“I was talking about how great the food was here. How you said Sunday dinner was always great at Aunt Carol’s, then Lee said I bet they had biscuits and white gravy and that he would gladly come over for some of that. And I don’t know I just said Carol might having that and then he was coming at 1.”
“We’re courting disaster in the kitchen. Have you never watched those stupid cooking shows this isn’t easy when you have no experience? Start searching the kitchen, look for a big iron skillet with deep sides. Also look for vegetable oil or Crisco. I’m going to text Carol.”
“Thank you, Carol, he was nervous but a good place to start for a young boy.”
“I got a text from Karen. Do you have dinner plans Ruth?”
“No are you inviting me over?”
“Yes, I am but this will be an adventure. Here read my text”
“Who’s Madison?”
“Madison is Karen friend from college who is hugely crushing on Lee. Who seemed just as fascinated with Madison.”
“Is this Lee from Walnut Ridge who worked for me at the freezer plant?”
“No, this is Lee from Walnut Ridge the world’s greatest guitarist who plays for the Orange Buffoons.”
“Maybe we should go help them then. Any Lee from Walnut Ridge would be worth a good Parker family meal. I’ll come out to your place”
“I am going to catch Lizzie and Junior.”
“Lizzie apparently my niece Karen is putting together a big family dinner for Lee form Walnut Ridge. Would you and Junior like to come over?”
“Is this the boy who’s in last night’s band?”
“Yes, it is?”
“Elly says he is good she heard him play a couple of times before he joined the band. We were just going over to meet her and eat some place.”
“Why not invite her over, Elly plays well herself. We can have a porch session.”
“She will get up about noon after her shift at the hospital, but she is off until Wednesday night. She will I’m sure.”
“I have to get home. I think Madison has got Karen in over her head.”
“Who’s Madison?”
“Karen’s friend from college she and Lee seem to have a mutual attraction.”
“I would enjoy catching up with Karen.”
“We’ll be along.”
Carol came into a kitchen with two young women trying desperately to remember what they had seen others do. “What’s your menu?’
“Madison promised Lee biscuits and white gravy. I said we had to fry something. I found you had frozen chicken. I remembered once Brent came home and wanted chicken nuggets. I’m trying to duplicate that meal.”
“OK good choice. Looks like you are about done massacring those potatoes. I will put them in water and set them on the counter. Let’s get started on the cutting the chicken. I did nuggets mostly because they were easier than frying whole breasts. You ever fry anything before?”
“I was trying to remember what Junior told me.”
“He is good, but that was some time ago.”
“We’ll get them ready and maybe Junior will be here to give you another lesson. Madison get in that cabinet and get out the big pressure cooker. We’ll fry bacon and onions in it and then add the green beans. We need to use the microwave to soften the chicken then we’ll use it to start the corn. I don’t know how we got along without microwaves.”
Ruth came into the kitchen “Hi Karen, I haven’t seen you since you were fifteen.”
“Probably fourteen”- as Karen hugged Ruth.
“Gracious if I’d come in here when you were alone. I would’ve thought I’d stepped back in time. I would have seen this beautiful gracious woman who took in a skinny little mouse and started her on the best life ever.”
“Ruth don’t you continue this beautiful young Karen looks just her old aunt Carol.”
“No Carol she looks exactly like the beautiful young Carol and truthfully not so different from her old aunt Carol.”
“Karen you would think a good church woman wouldn’t make up such flattering lies. Ruth please help Karen set the table, for eight if my current count is correct. Use Grandma Parker’s good dishes, we are hosting guitar royalty.”
“Her Grandma’s dishes are in here. Karen your aunt was always knocking and playing down her attractiveness are you like that?”
“I guess I am, I was self-consciousness about my height. I felt awkward and plain. It is still hard to get past how I felt at fourteen and fifteen. After all a modern woman is supposed to be judged on her talents not her beauty or lack of it.”
“Look a picture of JB. It was taken when Della was about one.”
“JB was really handsome, cowboy handsome with that hat and horse.”
“He sure was, now do you think JB got by on his looks?”
“I heard he was good at fixing things.”
“People notice each other’s looks but they don’t define them entirely. “
“Tall women like you and Carol grow into being striking and noticed, just accept it. Carol always was recognized for her business savvy and get it done attitude. Once people worked with her.”
“I am sorry about JB.”
“He just came to the end of his run a little sooner and tougher than we hoped. The VA didn’t think his Leukemia was related to Vietnam, but it likely was. Then he was exposed to Covid before folks was paying attention to prevent it. We couldn’t be with him; it hurt. The hurt just heaped on. Lizzie organized the whole family and we recorded a bunch of songs and they played them for him. They sent out a note he had told to them – the music was carrying him to heaven, and he’d be waiting. Karen I’m going meet my young cowboy again someday. I bet we’ll hop in that old Roadrunner drive out to a big corral where Seven Up will be waiting to race those barrels again.”
“I enjoyed the horses being here, when I was a girl.”
“You’d like to have a nice horse to saddle and ride around the place, wouldn’t you?”
“it would be nice.”
Ruth and she were done and went back to the kitchen. Dinner preparation seemed to be on track and the cooked bacon and onion gave the kitchen great aroma.
“What do you know Carol Parker your younger self here has more horse sense than you do. She thinks having a nice saddle horse to ride around the place would be great.”
“Ruth you got more horses than you can ride now up at your place”
“A nice exercise for Carol Parker.”
“Ruth I’m getting old.”
“Keep you young”
“I’ve got a biscuit recipe on my phone.”
“OK Madison you use the table to mix them up. We’’ll get them mixed and baked. I want to use the oven to warm things later. Karen find pretty little dishes to hold all the different jams and jellies in the refrigerator and set them on the table. The coffee pot and hot water heater are in the anteroom make a pot and start the hot water for tea.”
Junior and Lizzie came. “Elly is coming over, get here about 1."
Madison was taking her biscuits out they looked odd. Lizzie poked at one. “Lordy these biscuits are flat as flitters. They are hard; good thing Carol don’t have hawgs. We would feed them to them, then these things would kill them. Here Miss Madison we’re going out on back porch and use the canning stove. Aunt Lizzie going teach you how to make biscuits.”
“Lizzie you know you can’t trust the temperature setting on that oven.”
“Carol, I got a hand; I can tell a hot oven. You let pretty Miss Madison and I make you up some fine Tennessee biscuits. You concentrate on the gravy.”
Carol heard a car turn into the drive “Karen go see who’s coming in and make them feel comfortable. We are close to finished here.”
Karen went out as Elly came driving in her Ford. “Welcome glad you could come. I hear you are a nurse now.”
“Yes I am. I remember you being here when you were I don’t know thirteen.”
“I was “- a pick up came in the lane. It was Lee in an older Chevy.
Lee popped out and looked her car over in the daylight. “Are you going give me a ride in that sports car before you head back?”
“Karen, Elly would like one too” – Elly giving Karen a little tug on her sleeve.
“We can try and work it in. Lee this is Elly Williams.”
“Pleased to meet you. I hope I’m not imposing on your family.”
“Carol said to make you feel comfortable No one thinks you’re imposing.”
“Lee when Carol, Ruth, and my Mom can get everyone together as a family, it is the best time for them. I saw you at the New Harmony fair and at a place called the Dirt Track.”
“Yeah the Dirt Track is quite a place.”
“Why don’t we go in.”
Madison and Lizzie brought in biscuits, Madison with a small trace of flour on her nose. Everything was ready and Carol assigned people places. Lizzie said a prayer and dinner began.
“It hasn’t been like this in a while, not since the kids have all grown. What were you watching Junior?”
“NASCAR but the race is out west, it was just highlights until start time.”
“It sounds like the Covid season.”
“Yep dern Chinese ruined us. Democrats will ruin things now. Folks just never let Trump be, then all the voter fraud.”
“OK everyone who voted Fall 2020 hold up your hand”- Lizzie held up her hand.
“OK that’s unanimous, everyone down hands. I appreciate seeing all you young folks voting. Now everyone who voted for Trump hold up your hand. Seems Junior you’re the only one, but you go on about the voter fraud.”
“Covid-19 disrupted everything. We weren’t sure about coming back to school. We’re getting back to normal.”
“Out here we are isolated, and I prefer staying home here anyway. For someone like me it wasn’t such a change. As soon as we got everyone tested our company was able to get back to normal. There were no positives in Franklin.”
“Ruth what’s happening with the church? I heard something about a schism.”
“Not in our local church, but it is tearing us apart."
“What’s tearing us apart?”
“The Bible! folks can’t take simple plain biblical truth and abide by it. Everyone has got to be so politically correct. I don’t know why we need to split for a bunch of weirdos and queers.”
“Junior, but God created weirdos and queers. Your Bible also says not to eat shellfish, and you were chowing down on that Cajun crawdad feed the relatives on the Gulf put on.”
"But now there’s the New Testament and the New Covenant. Bible must have not known about that crawdad boil they put on. Man those boys know how to cook some good eat’n.”
“Yes, the Bible has not got one word about LGBTQ that Jesus said.”
“Some of the traditionalists, that would be Junior’s camp, acknowledge some people are born gay. But they want to deny them any part in God’s grace. Much like a company where women are employees who make coffee but do not have any power over decisions. Ruth knows more people in the larger church.”
“I have gone to the meetings and there is so much bitterness, it makes you heartsick. It is a byproduct of the partisanship and separate realities in our political culture. It has spilled over into the church. Many folks have family members who are part of the LBGTQ community. They often see things from a different point of view. The traditionalists are following some pied piper and my heart tells me it is not the voice of God. We used to be about working hard, doing good, and reaching out in love. I still pray not much else I can do.”
“Uncle Lance was gay. He was quiet about it; he never came home always lived in Europe.”
“Now they are not quiet about it; they are proud, flaunting their weirdness, it doesn’t seem right.”
“Junior it puts me off too sometimes. I bet our younger folk here don’t see why we’re having a fuss.”
“My shift supervisor at the hospital is married to another woman, and one of my best friends at work who is an RN is gay. I’ve met his partner, but they haven’t gotten married yet. “
“There is a LBGTQ group, but no one wants to throw them off campus. We just don’t think it should matter to people.”
“Our drummer is gay, and several on our set up crew would be part of an LBGTQ identity. We all think they should be treated equally. My folks don’t go to church, but it sounds like another era sometime in the past.”
“There was a woman who died at 37 Rachel Held Evans she was considered a woman pushing for change in Christianity. She was one of the women we could read in this class. She was making strides in church communities for more justice. I thought about the fights going on after writing my paper. Jesus said to seek God, surely seeking truth must go hand in hand with that commandment to first seek God. The second commandment was to love others. How can anyone obey that commandment without loving all of God’s creation.”
“Karen that is very thoughtful. I understand Junior. A same sex wedding still seems wrong to us who grew up in a traditional world.”
“It seems everyone should accept people. All our world should be loved. Letting it burn up seems to be defying God holding up a middle finger with a big FU to God’s face.”
“Carol, I agree with everything you said, but I don’t think I can carry that last part back to my conference meetings. I might like to. Our churches should welcome everyone and be saving our planet’s climate. “
“I have told Ruth we need a lot less preaching and bible thumping and far more connecting with prayers and singing. Covid was really hard on me. I love to sing and hug people.”
“Karen you should come back this summer and stay with me. You could have these theological debates with Ruth and Lizzie on regular basis.”
“Karen why not come back this summer. I’ll bring over a couple horses and you can go for a ride.”
“Ruth don’t be using Karen as a backdoor. I swear you are like those scam emails Karen’s Dad warned us about.”
“I think coming back does sound good. I would come horses or no horses. I want Carol to find me a blessing not a burden. "
“Your visit has truly been a blessing. I love these meals especially on Sunday after church.”
“Thank you for having me over this is just so good. Madison said the food was always great here.”
“Glad you came, you do seem to enjoy the biscuits. What does your summer look like Lee? I heard you tell your bandmates you weren’t going to pick peas or whatever they said you had done for us when working here.”
“I thought I might arrange some solo gigs locally. I am ready to rest a little.”
“Did you bring your guitar. Maybe you could set up on the porch later. I would like to hear Karen sing with you. Elly has an excellent voice. It would be fun after the food settles. Karen why don’t you pass around cookies, see if anyone wants coffee or tea. We could open a bottle of wine, if the partiers are recovered from last night.”
“I’m getting cookies. I sang and Lee played we didn’t have much time to drink It was fun. “
“Ms. Parker, Karen does sing well I’m afraid everyone called her Emmy Lou all night. Madison you could show people your sketches, they are excellent.”
“I’ll run up and get them.”
“Do you play an instrument Elly?"
” Guitar and mandolin.”
“Oh, mandolin now we can be off into bluegrass.”
“I know some old classics, they can be fun.”
Karen had refilled coffee and tea then placed cookies on the table. “Carol loaned me her 70’s retro-look last night. I think it was the leather jacket with fringe that got them started on the Emmy Lou thing. Madison you stand where I sat, use the back of the chair. Everyone should able to see the sketches that way. I’ll start clearing up the table.”
“Those are wonderful, but I’ll help Karen you are not leaving until tomorrow.”
-
“Thank you for pulling all this together; Madison and I were in over our heads.”
“It brings joy to sit around a family table, do you really want to come back this summer?”
“I do, would it be all right with you.?”
“I would enjoy it, but you will miss the yacht.”
“That would be an added bonus.”
“I’m thinking there’s a strong possibility Madison will tag along. It would be OK. If she needs a summer job, we can find one for her at the zoo or somewhere working for Ruth or Lizzie. Maybe do sketches for the visitors she is good and works quickly. I know not every sophomore in college has an Audi sports car to drive. If she needs to earn money, we always need a good young worker. “
“I think she was hoping to work at the park district where she grew up. She missed one summer because of the Covid-19 pandemic. You may be correct. You will have two incompetent young women back this summer.”
“I’ve seen potential, I can fix the incompetence. We’ve put everything away. Let’s do the dishes I always wash Grandma Parker’s dishes by hand. I know this is odd, it gives me a feeling of peace and serenity.”
-
“Madison I bet they enjoyed your sketches.”
“You’ve got everything cleaned up. I am sorry I made such a mess of things, but it turned out great. I know much more about biscuits now. Elly asked if you would still offer wine? They’ve set up for the porch concert. Elly says you have some excellent wines.”
“Everything is done for now. I will pull out a couple of bottles. I am looking forward to this.”
-
“Thank you again Aunt Carol, I or I and Madison will try to be good help around here.”
“Sometimes you’ve just called me Carol not Aunt Carol. Stay with Carol lets be good friends. “
“OK we will be”
“I better open a couple bottles of wine, then we can enjoy this special day. Tell Junior I have beer in the fridge on the back porch. I keep it for workers on a break.”
“Hey Emmy Lou, set those wines on the table over there. Let’s get a song in first. We’re going to do Dolly’s 'I Will Always Love You” like we did last night but now with Lizzie and Elly singing. They are the best vocal duet I have ever heard. OK Ms. Parker sit down and enjoy; these folks can flat out sing. Madison what are you doing? “
“I’m getting the video camera we brought; this project is going to be so good I won’t have to go to another class this year.”
Photo by Kristen
