mosses monday XXI...

mr. moss LOVED to eat!!! lunch was his favorite meal... as it was the BIG meal of the day for him. it always had been!!!

if i remember correctly, when the mosses were first married, they lived in a tiny apartment very close to the middle school where mrs. moss taught math and less than a half a mile from the bank where mr. moss worked. it was at that time that they hired mrs. johnson to be their maid and cook.

everyday, mrs. johnson rode her bike to the mosses apartment, tidied it, and prepare a "meat and potatoes" kind of lunch for them... (both came home to spend lunch together). mr. and mrs. moss always bragged about mrs. johnson and particularly her cooking:b

further, they adored mrs. johnson. mrs. moss said many times that mrs. johnson came rain or shine and rarely missed a day of work with the exception of when she started having children... and even then, she wasn't away from her duties for long. mrs. moss did say that they had to share her occasionally with her church. mrs. johnson was the organist for her church and had to leave early some days when she had to play the organ for funerals.

on those days, mrs. moss said mrs. johnson came to their home (on her bicicyle) dressed to the 9's in her funeral attire... donning a black crisp dress, hosiery, heels, hat, pearls, pocket book, and a pair of spotless white gloves. mrs. moss said she didn't know how mrs. johnson managed to do all her work, prepare their noon-time meal, and remain spotless with every hair still in place; but she did!!!

(i always loved picturing that scene:)

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anyway, mr. moss NEVER lost his appetite for life, love, nor his noon-time, meat and potatoes meal. he loved for us all to go to ralph's (a family style restaurant famous for its breakfasts, barbecue, and plate lunches) for lunch. then, after mrs. moss went to the rest home, his sitter/driver (who i will refer to from now on as "jean") drove us all from the court (after toddies and "doo-dads", of course) to ralph's for lunch.

along the way, mr. moss never failed to twist himself around in the front passenger seat where he could see katherine, who was sitting between john and me in the back seat of his rather large fleetwood.

"angel," he would begin... "i think i am going to order french fries with syrup and pancakes with ketchup, today!!!" then he'd wait for her reply.

"no, you're not, mosses," my three (almost four) year-old daughter would counter rather sing-songily. "I am going to get french fries with KETCHUP and pancakes with SYRUP!!!"

then they would both laugh and laugh...

that silly little conversation was entered into
by both as if it were the first time...
EVERY TIME, tee-hee!!!

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since macular degeneration had taken its toll on mosses' eyes, "jean" read the daily special to him from the menu. the only things more special than the daily specials were watching mr. moss' face as he... heard each choice (it was obvious that he was salivating and hanging on jean's every word), decided what he was going to eat, and then watching as well as listening to him tell the waitress (each waitress, respectively, treated him like royalty) his order:)

i miss the simplest things most, i think.

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(to be continued...)

love and God's blessings,
dani xx

ps you will find earlier entries in ascending order on my side bar entitled, "our love story":)