Fridays
When our kids were young, Fridays were always busy. For Mom and Dad, it was the end of the busy work week, trying to run a veterinary clinic in between getting kids on school buses, to baseball practices, dance lessons, softball games, or piano lessons, or the sitters, basketball, or.......
Both Karen and I were routinely too tired to even think about cooking a meal by the time Friday night finally came. So, we'd load the kids into our van, drive a few miles south to Toulon, and walk into Connie's Country Kitchen on Main Street for the Friday dinner specials.
It was the closest thing to home cooking, (way better than my home cooking!) you could find in West Central Illinois. The walleye special was a given, so was the salad bar with home made potato, three bean, jello salads. Steak specials for dad, chicken strips for younger palates, everybody was happy with their food. That's a rarity in a restaurant in my experience, any other restaurant and someone out of our family of six would be unhappy with their meal. Not at Connie's.
And friendly? Connie would pop out of the kitchen, say hello to the kids, to us, as a routine. It was like having dinner at a favorite aunt's house.
We knew all the waitresses. They knew us. Neighbors were often seated at the next tables. It was always pleasant.
The meal over we would head home, everybody would get ready for bed, early. Then all would pile into Mom and Dad's king size bed and we would watch The Red Green Show on public TV. Even the dogs would join us.
"I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess." Goofy Canadian humor, duct tape, the Possum Lodge Word Game, we'd laugh, my wife would roll her eyes. "Oh brother."
After Red Green, it was Star Gazer. Jack Horkheimer, the guy with the funny voice, would tell us all about the constellations visible in the night sky over the next week. Then prayers, and everybody off to bed.
Of all the expensive vacations, sporting events, museums, and other activities we did as a family, I didn't enjoy any of it as much as I did those Friday nights. I can't remember being more content. I can't remember being happier in all my life. It was the best.
"I'd trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday." is the line from the song that comes to mind.
I would. For just one more Friday night with the family, one more night with the kids piled in bed with us, laughing, smiling, snuggled up to us, I'd trade it all. I really would.
Both Karen and I were routinely too tired to even think about cooking a meal by the time Friday night finally came. So, we'd load the kids into our van, drive a few miles south to Toulon, and walk into Connie's Country Kitchen on Main Street for the Friday dinner specials.
It was the closest thing to home cooking, (way better than my home cooking!) you could find in West Central Illinois. The walleye special was a given, so was the salad bar with home made potato, three bean, jello salads. Steak specials for dad, chicken strips for younger palates, everybody was happy with their food. That's a rarity in a restaurant in my experience, any other restaurant and someone out of our family of six would be unhappy with their meal. Not at Connie's.
And friendly? Connie would pop out of the kitchen, say hello to the kids, to us, as a routine. It was like having dinner at a favorite aunt's house.
We knew all the waitresses. They knew us. Neighbors were often seated at the next tables. It was always pleasant.
The meal over we would head home, everybody would get ready for bed, early. Then all would pile into Mom and Dad's king size bed and we would watch The Red Green Show on public TV. Even the dogs would join us.
"I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess." Goofy Canadian humor, duct tape, the Possum Lodge Word Game, we'd laugh, my wife would roll her eyes. "Oh brother."
After Red Green, it was Star Gazer. Jack Horkheimer, the guy with the funny voice, would tell us all about the constellations visible in the night sky over the next week. Then prayers, and everybody off to bed.
Of all the expensive vacations, sporting events, museums, and other activities we did as a family, I didn't enjoy any of it as much as I did those Friday nights. I can't remember being more content. I can't remember being happier in all my life. It was the best.
"I'd trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday." is the line from the song that comes to mind.
I would. For just one more Friday night with the family, one more night with the kids piled in bed with us, laughing, smiling, snuggled up to us, I'd trade it all. I really would.
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