OK friends, I'm calling it a night and here is a song for you all.

Good Night & Sleep With Angels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew80nWdv6nQ&feature=related

Hi Mary Evelyn,
As I had mentioned somewhere once before, I remember that my father was a butcher and worked for Swift and Company. This was after he returned home from World War II. Evidently, on one of his leaves, he had indoor plumbing put in, bevause although I vaguely remember the strange looking hut in the backyard with a half moon door, but I never remember being inside. My father taught me at six years old, how to cook. I remember washing up for school one morning and going to the kitchen table. I sat there and my father asked if there was something that I needed. I said that I was hungry and wanted my breakfast. He asked what I wanted for breakfast and I told him that I wanted two eggs, two pieces of toast with butter (back then it was butter) and a glass of milk. He put two pieces of bread in front of me, put the bottle of milk in front of me, then he put two eggs in a pan and put them on the stove. I poured my milk, put the bread in the toaster, and kept looking back at the stove. I scraped the black off the toast and buttered it, then I sat down and began to eat. My father asked if I had forgotten anything. I said the eggs but they weren't down yet. He said that they would not be done until I lit the stove and cooked them. Little by little he began to show me how to cook. One day, not knowing that my mother was nearby he asked me if I knew why he was teaching my how to cook. I was curious and he said, "Well, someday when you are older, you will decide to look for a bride. You will have to decide whether you want to marry a beautiful girl or one that knows how to cook. If you marry someone who is beautiful, chances are she will burn the coffee. If you marry someone who is nice looking but not that great, she will be an excellent cook." I asked, "What about Ma?" to which he replies, "Oh, your mother is an excellent cook." Whereapon my mother walked out from her hiding place with her arms folded and replied, "But I'm not that great to look at huh?" My father quickly added, "Of course, I got lucky. I married a beautiful women who also is a great cook." It didn't work. For about a week after that, when my father got home from work and asked, "What's for Supper?" my mother would reply, "I don't know. What do you plan to cook?"

While married to my second wife, I had three opportunities to buy restaurants. On one occassion a good friend of mine was willing to use his house as collateral so that we could go in together on a restaurant. The restaurant was doing good business, but the owners were getting old and their children did not want to take it over. My friend and I talked with them at length and everything that they had on the menu was food that I knew how to prepare. I also checked with the Better Business Bureau and they checked out their as well. One of my brothers is a CPA and he checked out their finances and all their bills were caught up to date. I discussed it at link with my ex wife and she finally said that if I bought the restaurant that she would divorce me. I kick myself to this day for not taking her up on her offer.

Although I lost out on a lot of good opportunities in the past, and I have struggled a lot, I would not want to go back and do anything different. Shirley and I do not have a lot. We are not able to go out to eat that often, and we struggle just to get by. However, we do it together without complaints. We love each other and we know the love is real. You see, before you can truly know what love is, you first have to experience what love is not. We have tried different ventures that did not work out, but, we tried.

GOD BLESS YOU
~Mike~

Happy Monday Mike, yes you should have taken your second wife up on her offer. :) Who knows, she may have been bluffing and evidently you still parted ways and you haven't forgottten after all this time.

I think it is great your father taught you to cook. Both my son and my stepson can cook and quite well too, I might add. Both of them were also taught how to do laundry and clean house because, not only did I need the help, because I worked a full time job, but because I think it is very important to teach kids life skills so they can fend for themselves. Teaching your kids how to be independent is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

May you and Shirley have a blessed week.

Quote:
Hi Mary Evelyn,
As I had mentioned somewhere once before, I remember that my father was a butcher and worked for Swift and Company. This was after he returned home from World War II. Evidently, on one of his leaves, he had indoor plumbing put in, bevause although I vaguely remember the strange looking hut in the backyard with a half moon door, but I never remember being inside. My father taught me at six years old, how to cook. I remember washing up for school one morning and going to the kitchen table. I sat there and my father asked if there was something that I needed. I said that I was hungry and wanted my breakfast. He asked what I wanted for breakfast and I told him that I wanted two eggs, two pieces of toast with butter (back then it was butter) and a glass of milk. He put two pieces of bread in front of me, put the bottle of milk in front of me, then he put two eggs in a pan and put them on the stove. I poured my milk, put the bread in the toaster, and kept looking back at the stove. I scraped the black off the toast and buttered it, then I sat down and began to eat. My father asked if I had forgotten anything. I said the eggs but they weren't down yet. He said that they would not be done until I lit the stove and cooked them. Little by little he began to show me how to cook. One day, not knowing that my mother was nearby he asked me if I knew why he was teaching my how to cook. I was curious and he said, "Well, someday when you are older, you will decide to look for a bride. You will have to decide whether you want to marry a beautiful girl or one that knows how to cook. If you marry someone who is beautiful, chances are she will burn the coffee. If you marry someone who is nice looking but not that great, she will be an excellent cook." I asked, "What about Ma?" to which he replies, "Oh, your mother is an excellent cook." Whereapon my mother walked out from her hiding place with her arms folded and replied, "But I'm not that great to look at huh?" My father quickly added, "Of course, I got lucky. I married a beautiful women who also is a great cook." It didn't work. For about a week after that, when my father got home from work and asked, "What's for Supper?" my mother would reply, "I don't know. What do you plan to cook?"

While married to my second wife, I had three opportunities to buy restaurants. On one occassion a good friend of mine was willing to use his house as collateral so that we could go in together on a restaurant. The restaurant was doing good business, but the owners were getting old and their children did not want to take it over. My friend and I talked with them at length and everything that they had on the menu was food that I knew how to prepare. I also checked with the Better Business Bureau and they checked out their as well. One of my brothers is a CPA and he checked out their finances and all their bills were caught up to date. I discussed it at link with my ex wife and she finally said that if I bought the restaurant that she would divorce me. I kick myself to this day for not taking her up on her offer.

Although I lost out on a lot of good opportunities in the past, and I have struggled a lot, I would not want to go back and do anything different. Shirley and I do not have a lot. We are not able to go out to eat that often, and we struggle just to get by. However, we do it together without complaints. We love each other and we know the love is real. You see, before you can truly know what love is, you first have to experience what love is not. We have tried different ventures that did not work out, but, we tried.

GOD BLESS YOU
~Mike~

Each day I get an inspirational quote in my inbox and this is the one I got today. :)

Inspirational Quote of the Day (Mon, 09 Jan 2012)

Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power.

Blaine Lee

Hi Mary Evelyn, here is just what a friend needs, an adorable puppy to love and care for at home. Isn't he or she cute? Best Wishes, LaNell