We just spent a month in Iowa. I love June in Iowa. I love the long days between sunrise and sunset. You mention light at 5:10.AM. And it was still light at 9PM when we left July 5. Now I am in Virginia where it is still dark around 6 AM and where I must walk my dogs by 8 PM.
Around these parts, we used to have these incredible "pie ladies" who would get up well before the sun and bake an incredible variety of incredible pies - could usually get pie for breakfast if you wanted it! Mrs. Weaver's in Villa Grove was one of the last places you could get really good gooseberry pie on the regular. She probably had 15 different pies every day. Another great pie lady was Margaret Wurmnest at the Sibley Triangle, in Sibley, IL. [Got myself involved in a pie eating contest there one afternoon - I lost and had to buy all the pie, but it was worth it!]
Hearing about your hash brown ladies at Casey's makes me think that the new generation of pie ladies might now be frying hash browns at Casey's instead. I feel like I can picture these ladies without seeing them. I bet they would make a great interview!!!
I love striking up conversations with people and saying their name. This morning I was at our local hospital to have a routine test. Anastasia checked me in. I asked her if people call her that or if she has a shortened version. “People call me Anna,” she answered with a smile.
My favorite conversations occur in the grocery store. Just like this one. So wonderful to have pop-up friendships all around us. (Hope you shared a little with Violet the Dog!)
I love this story so, so much. I had exactly the same morning ritual at a gas station convenience store in Georgia. They had a great fresh breakfast biscuit case and an actual kitchen in the back. Long daily lines of mostly men looking like they were headed to jobs where they'd work off that meal in short order. One morning, I asked if I could just have the biscuit, no eggs, no cheese, no sausage. “You're saying you just want the biscuit? By itself?” the always rushed, always stern woman asked. “They're works of art,” I said, “I don't want anything else to hide that.” She just stared for the longest time and finally said, quite softly, “Here you go. And thank you.” Huge smile. i stopped there nearly every workday and got that biscuit with her smile. They remain the standards against which both are compared to this day.
We just spent a month in Iowa. I love June in Iowa. I love the long days between sunrise and sunset. You mention light at 5:10.AM. And it was still light at 9PM when we left July 5. Now I am in Virginia where it is still dark around 6 AM and where I must walk my dogs by 8 PM.
Wow. I don’t think Iowa will be like that until early September…I could be wrong. June is great! A little warm this year.
Love this story. I have a couple of good stories about meeting women in gas stations in Early and Quimby. I will write up a Gas Station Ladies piece.
Working title: Gas Station Ladies and the People Who Love Them.
I SO look forward to it!
Often simply being kind and considerate will turn on the best in people, especially if you turn on a smile, no matter how mischievous
it might be!
Your adventure at Casey's explained to me why I NEVER use the self-checkout at stores. I LIKE interacting with people.
Me too! And sometimes they people working really like to talk too.
Knoxville still has the 'small town, we take pride in our work' culture.
These two ladies certainly did. Thanks, Nadene.
Around these parts, we used to have these incredible "pie ladies" who would get up well before the sun and bake an incredible variety of incredible pies - could usually get pie for breakfast if you wanted it! Mrs. Weaver's in Villa Grove was one of the last places you could get really good gooseberry pie on the regular. She probably had 15 different pies every day. Another great pie lady was Margaret Wurmnest at the Sibley Triangle, in Sibley, IL. [Got myself involved in a pie eating contest there one afternoon - I lost and had to buy all the pie, but it was worth it!]
Hearing about your hash brown ladies at Casey's makes me think that the new generation of pie ladies might now be frying hash browns at Casey's instead. I feel like I can picture these ladies without seeing them. I bet they would make a great interview!!!
Great story, and great idea Paul. Do you know the Pie Lady, Beth Howard? For some reason I couldn’t add a link, but you can Google her.
I don’t, but I’ll check her out!
I love striking up conversations with people and saying their name. This morning I was at our local hospital to have a routine test. Anastasia checked me in. I asked her if people call her that or if she has a shortened version. “People call me Anna,” she answered with a smile.
I’ve always loved these little narratives from you day woven into a short story.
My favorite conversations occur in the grocery store. Just like this one. So wonderful to have pop-up friendships all around us. (Hope you shared a little with Violet the Dog!)
She had a treat before we left home!
Thanks for the smiles this morning, Dr. Bob.
The only thing I needed to read that makes today better
With the hours you keep I’ll just assume you share the Propel with Violet.
Unfortunately she drinks from the crick.
Always know a Midwesterner by whether they say crick or creek. It’s a code breaker for me.
Love it. The civility and courtesy that oil our interactions!
I love this story so, so much. I had exactly the same morning ritual at a gas station convenience store in Georgia. They had a great fresh breakfast biscuit case and an actual kitchen in the back. Long daily lines of mostly men looking like they were headed to jobs where they'd work off that meal in short order. One morning, I asked if I could just have the biscuit, no eggs, no cheese, no sausage. “You're saying you just want the biscuit? By itself?” the always rushed, always stern woman asked. “They're works of art,” I said, “I don't want anything else to hide that.” She just stared for the longest time and finally said, quite softly, “Here you go. And thank you.” Huge smile. i stopped there nearly every workday and got that biscuit with her smile. They remain the standards against which both are compared to this day.
Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the smile!
I love how you take the simplest moments and spin them into gold. Also, what a good dog Violet is not to go for hash browns and burrito