Friday Mutterings

It's called the bacon jam burger.

You can try it out at the Pack River General Store where my sisters, our long time family friend and I got together for lunch. 

First, thank you, Barbara and Laurie, for stretching out the birthday a bit.  And, thank you, Cindy Wooden, for joining us. 

The minute we walked into the country store along Pack River on Rapid Lightning Creek Road, an unfamiliar lady looked my way and enthusiastically pointed toward her lunch basket.

"This is SO good," she said. "It's the bacon jam burger."  

Thinking I was was hearing things, I asked her to repeat.  Sure enough she had said "bacon jam burger."  

At first, I was envisioning a very literal combination of burger and bacon smothered in strawberry jam.  After all, I love a dab of jam or jelly on my slice of bacon, and I'm known for drowning my sausage links in maple syrup. 

So, I asked Arlene's son, who's a chef and who has purchased the popular rural eating spot from his mom about the bacon jam burger.

He described the process which includes using their own bacon, cooking it down, adding some goodies like maple syrup and onions and eventually turning the mixture into a spread.

The spread goes on top the burger along with all the other accessories. 

Three bacon jam burgers and one chicken caesar wrap eventually came to our table.  I do believe that the plates were completely empty when we ceased eating. 

Delicious and a nice new twist for a burger.  As usual, we had a great time visiting.  It had been a long time since Barbara and Laurie and Cindy had gotten together.  

Barbara and Cindy are SHS Class of 1978 classmates.  Cindy sang in the folk group of mostly Woodens who provided music for Saturday night masses at St. Joseph's Catholic Church.  Barbara played flute and Laurie played guitar after lessons with Cindy's sister. 

The Woodens lived in the neighborhood, and everyone also knew each other through the Schweitzer Valley Dwellers 4-H club, which, many years later, I can say put out some outstanding and high achieving human beings. 

Yesterday's reunion with a family friend once again proved that the journeys we take in life will certainly enrich us but never really change the human spirit and foundation with which we are born and reared.  

It was just like having a good ol' neighborhood visit where no time had passed, just different stories.  

We did talk about the Pope during our visit.  Cindy has documented in one of her books dealing with the current Pontiff that Pope Francis exhibits some similar qualities to her wonderful sweet mom. 

Having known the late Marilyn Wooden for many years (she sang and played at both weddings for Old Loves and Young Loves), I'd say Cindy's observations are quite a compliment for the present Pontiff, whom she has covered as a journalist along with several other Popes. 

Cindy has gained much wisdom through her worldly travels, and one thought shared yesterday makes a lot of sense to me. She, like so many of us, is frustrated with all the hate, nastiness and disrespect we are currently seeing on a daily basis. 

She suggests that we all go back to basics with our family and our friends, renewing our love and respect and practicing it on a daily level.  

Then, she suggests, this spirit can spread to neighbors, strangers and the like. Eventually, maybe we'll all remember the importance of how much we rely on and need each other.  

Slowly but surely, one person at a time, we could turn the negativity around and get back to enjoying and celebrating each other . . . . 

I would add that people don't have to get all mushy gushy; just be nice to each other, show respect and get back to practicing good manners.  

Such modeled behavior does have a habit of spreading. I used to see it happen in my classroom. 

It's all sorta like the old Catholic hymn, "If everyone lit just one little candle, what bright world this would be."  

Yeah, Cindy, I think you have a point, and your idea is worth a try. 

This concept goes along with something the Pope shared just today on Twitter:  Pope Francis‏Verified account @Pontifex 51m51 minutes ago

Every kind of material or spiritual poverty, every form of discrimination against our brothers and sisters, comes from turning our backs on God and His love.

Happy Friday.  Go spread some love. It might make a difference.