I never liked tomatoes when I was a kid. I think it’s because of Grandma. One summer, when we were visiting her and Grandpa, she sliced up a tomato for me and sprinkled it with some sugar. No, you heard me right. Sugar. I think that’s where things went terribly wrong. Why would you take a perfectly plump tomato and sprinkle it with sugar? Apparently, this was how my grandma frequently ate tomatoes - by ruining them with sugar. It wasn’t until high school that I decided to give tomatoes another chance. I threw one on a sandwich and thought, “hey, not bad.” Then I had one on a burger and thought, “mmm, nice addition.” It wasn’t too long before I started to slice them up, sprinkle on some salt and pepper and eat them for a snack! The next time we visited Grandma and Grandpa, we all enjoyed some homegrown Arkansas tomatoes on the deck.
{The Sound of Cicadas}
They always remind me of being home in San Antonio. I talked to my mom just the other night and it sounded like there was an ambulance driving by their house. After hearing the same siren for three minutes straight, I asked mom what in the world was going on outside? Could she please go inside where it was quieter? I was having trouble hearing her. She said the sound was not a siren, but cicadas singing their tune in the oak tree out back. Of course! I know that constant hum. How could I forget? It’s the sound of the thick, hot, south Texas air. The sound of Dad drinking a Rolling Rock while he smothers the pork chops in homemade barbeque sauce. It’s the sound of playing outside with the next door neighbors, until Mom hollers at you to come inside for a baking soda bath (to get the mosquito itch out). Cicadas – I don’t like the evidence you leave behind, but I sure like your song.
{Staying Up Late}
In the summertime, you get this feeling like you can stay up late and do whatever you want. It never seems too late to run to Dairy Queen for a dipped cone treat or to go see a movie that starts at nine o’clock on a Tuesday night. The sun provides you with this energy where you can get home from work, water the flowers, wash and fold two loads of laundry, cook supper, wash the dishes and go for a walk, all before dusk. Who cares about that grown up job you have to be at early the next morning. It’s summer!
{A Cold Can of Root Beer}
I don’t know that I prefer any drink over a cold can of A&W Root Beer. I know. It’s not very sophisticated. But beer smells like skunks. And champagne makes my jaw burn.
{Grilled Corn on the Cob}
For $0.50 cents a piece, you can get some pretty delicious corn at the grocery store. Towards the end of the summer and into fall, you can buy some outstanding corn at the Urbana Farmer’s Market. They haul it in by the truckload. And if you’re really lucky, you may have some farmer friends that give you corn for FREE! Tyler and I prepare our corn-on-the-cob by peeling the inner husk and the stringy thingies off, while leaving a bit of the husk to protect the kernels from the hot coals. Before placing the corn on the grill, we pull back the remaining husk, roll the cob in some butter and sprinkle it with garlic salt and pepper. We place the cobs straight on the rack and grill it until the husks get charred. It makes a great side to just about any grilled meat. So good.
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