In our house, we kids were the “sous chefs” for Mom, who was a chef extraordinary. She was the seasoner, the final taster of unbelievable dishes that I cannot replicate to this day. so we peeled the potatoes, we shelled the peas, and we strung the beans made easier and more enjoyable by the corporate efforts of sisters and Mom
Around that circle, Mom would sometimes burst into song, like “Old Dan Tucker” or the “Ballad of Little Doris Dean, a four year old who got lost in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Grotoes. I can’t remember all the words, but I do remember that Old Dan Tucker washed his face in a frying pan and combed his hair with a wagon wheel!!!
I am sure these beans will please my children who come to eat them, but I know I will still compare then to Mom’s seasoned with a ham hock, boiled gently on a wood burning kitchen range, and whatever secret ingredient Mom threw into the pot when we weren’t looking’
ellenblose.blog 
Dear Ellen,
I have been thinking of you since we are all so “socially distanced”, and wondering how you have been doing. We discovered your blog last evening, and I was thrilled to read more of your writings and experiences!!! I look forward to being a regular reader! 🙂 I also showed it to Mother today, and I’m guessing she’ll be reading too.
We are doing ok. I still don’t do well walking distances, and continue to search for answers to my back issues. This spring we purchased e-bikes (mine is a trike) and we have enjoyed the fresh air and recreation of biking.
I hope this finds you well and enjoying your new home!
Missing you and all the others!
– Dawn Rodes
Dawn, glad you wrote to me. I am doing well ….walking here in my neighborhood each day, and I miss the social interaction we had with our mall walking. My blog is so much fun.. I wrote two books with family stories that I wanted my girls to know and remember, starting with my own parents and their stories. After those books, I have been writing my thoughts and feelings on the internet. I hope you keep following them…I really don’t have a schedule, just write when an idea hits me. Good luck with finding a source of relief with your back. Fondly, Ellen