Published: August 25, 2009 09:00 pm         

How have circumstances changed our lives?

Did you ever think you would be where you are today? Think about it.

When I was a kid growing up during the Great Depression, I never dreamed I would be living in the city writing about those “good old days.” I never gave it much thought where I would be living when I grew up because we did not know much of life outside country living. We did know of the war and the news we heard on the radio but to know of all the opportunities in this world was outside our realm of knowledge. Outside of college and working in another rather small town, I knew nothing about living in the city. That was until I met Jim. His father and stepmother lived in Pawnee, where I did. They lived around the corner from my apartment. They were wonderful neighbors and Jim’s dad would help me start my lawn mower or were at my beck and call if I had an emergency. Little did I know they had a son in Enid.

One wet, cold day I was invited to their house to meet a friend of theirs. It was Jim. I stood on their porch and rang what I thought was the doorbell, when it was one of those old-time light switches. Jim looked out the window and told them, “There is a lady on your front porch turning your porch light off and on.” I was so embarrassed. Jim said to himself, “This person needs a keeper.” The rest is history.

I could not imagine what path my life would have taken had I continued with my job in Pawnee. I probably would never have completed my college education at Phillips University. I might never have written for the News & Eagle or put together my book of memories. I might never have had the opportunities to give talks all over this state, nor participated in cooking classes or had nearly as much fun in life as I now have. Worst of all, I would never have had a daughter or two granddaughters. And would have missed out on being a great-grandma to Sydney and Ace. My life was full, but not full enough and I would have missed so very much had I not married Jim and moved to Enid. I look back over my life and think how different things would have been had circumstances taken me in another direction. I would never have been as happy as I am now.

Jim looks back, too, thinking how different his life would have been if his father and stepmother would have allowed Jim’s banker cousin in Ohio to raise, educate and care for him like he wanted to do for Jim. The cousin had two daughters who were teachers so Jim would have had the best education and might have become a professional with that background, but his parents would not hear of it.

Jim looks back in amazement at the direction his life turned when he joined the Marine Corps. He, like so many other young men during the depression era, had no idea what he would do with his life. The Marines made a man out of him. They taught him everything he knows about life and living.

Had his life, or mine, taken a different direction, we could be living under a bridge right now, with no joy or order in our lives. We are blessed and grateful for what we have and are.

Don’t dwell on the “what ifs”, but it doesn’t hurt to reflect back and wonder how circumstances might have changed the outcome of our lives. We must accept what we have and where we are and realize we probably would have arrived at the same destination; we just used a different road map.

In Oklahoma, we never know how our tomato crop will turn out. Circumstances make it a good year or a bad year. Some years we plead with people to take some off our hands or the opposite where we savor every tomato. We were on a wonderful trip to Big Cedar, near Branson, a few weeks ago and our friend Kim, ordered fried green tomatoes. They looked yummy. Why do we enjoy them only in the fall? Why not cook up a “mess” of them right now?



Fried Green Tomatoes

4 medium size green tomatoes, cut into one fourth inch slices

1 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup bacon drippings



Sprinkle tomatoes with onion salt and pepper and dredge in cornmeal. Fry tomatoes in hot bacon drippings until brown, turning once. Drain well on paper towel. I know none of us eat bacon grease now, but that is the way my grandma and mother did it and they were so good I reserve bacon drippings just for these tomatoes.



Here is another recipe I think you will love and it is so very easy.



Special Chocolate Mousse Pie

1 large container (12 ounces) whipped topping

2 small packages instant chocolate pudding and pie filling

1/4 cup Kahlua (or Amaretto or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

another container (8 ounces) whipped topping

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

chocolate shavings (optional)



Beat pudding mix and Kahlua into large container whipped topping two minutes. Spoon into pie shell. Top with other container whipped topping and chocolate shavings. Chill four hours.



Send your comments to: Peggy Goodrich, Food For Thought, P.O. Box 1192, Enid, OK 73702.