Painting on the Wall

Uncle Dan sent me a copy of this painting by Meyndert Hobbema, called "The Avenue, Middelharnis," with this note: "This picture hung on the East Wall in the dining room, over the day bed and by the telephone. Our phone number was 24F04. Four longs and four shorts. A party line. I saw the original in London."

I wonder who has the print now? The picture I remember most at Great Grandma and Grandpa's is of the old man praying over his daily bread and bowl of soup and Bible. I see it is called "Grace." I used to see it while staying with them. I remember at breakfast once, Great Grandpa offered me a bowl of Cream of Wheat. I wanted to put sugar and milk on it, but he said I should eat it with butter and salt. He insisted it was better that way! It seemed weird at the time -- forego sugar for salt?! But who knew I would go on to one day eat grits with butter and salt down South? (I still eat Cream of Wheat with brown sugar, though.)

At another breakfast, he gave me some Grape Nuts. It seemed like a tiny amount in the bowl, so I said, "Grandpa, can I have more cereal than that?"

"All right," he said, and shook about twice that amount of Grape Nuts into my bowl. "Let's see if you can eat all of that, now." Who knew that cereal could be so filling! I could eat at least two bowls of Cap'n Crunch and not feel as full as eating those darn Grape Nuts. I like them now, though.

Great-Grandma and Grandpa also had a lava lamp for several years. I liked to watch it in lieu of "Lawrence Welk," but as a result, I came to think of lava lamps as something old people had, not something for young, groovy people. : )