Memories of Sunday Mornings Past

I was lying in bed last week awakening from a restless night's sleep when I have the most delightful feeling of deja vu. We had left the stereo on downstairs and I could hear music playing. I was immediately transported to Sunday mornings past.

Oh, Sunday mornings. My dad was an early riser. On Sunday mornings, he would open his eyes, light a cigarette, find his glasses and then go downstairs to play "his" music and drink coffee. I would awake to the strains of Count Basie, Glenn Miller or Tommy Dorsey wafting up the staircase.

Next, I would hear the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen. Mom was up and soon the aroma of pancakes, bacon and eggs would combine with Take the A Train or String of Pearls.

I would crawl out of bed, wander downstairs in my jammies, lay down on the couch and fight my sister for the Sunday funnies. But always in the background were the smells and sounds of Sunday morning.

After breakfast, Grandma Quisenberry would pick my sister and me up and off to Sunday School we would go. There I see little kids dressed in their best Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. In the winter, you could often catch a whiff of mothballs on their woolen coats.

We would be herded in to small rooms in the basement and listen to stories. Then, we would sing songs. My strongest memory is of one of the teachers who was always a half of stanza behind and a little flat. It was here that I learned that God was tone-deaf. All God heard was the joyful noise of Sunday mornings.

After Sunday School, mom and dad would join us upstairs for services. We were Presbyterians....strong, stalwart individuals capable of lasting an entire service on rock hard pews and no air conditioning save the 1906 variety (cardboard fans) donated by Padgett's Heating. Here I learned that God had great things planned for me. That was, if I could keep from giggling with my girlfriend Kathy.

After services, we would all troop down to Surface's Drug Store for a chocolate sundae or a green river float. After communing with friends and family, it was home again for the biggest Sunday morning memory of all.....roast with potatoes, carrots, onions and brown gravy.

I called it "stringy" meat much to the dismay of our butcher. The meat wasn't stringy/tough. I just liked the way you could pull individual pieces off the roast like strings.

Almost every Sunday morning was a repeat of the above. I sometimes wish that I could go back and do it again. But, those times are gone.

Somethings have changed - the Drug Store is gone, dad and Grandma Q are gone. Somethings have remained the same - I understand that the pews are still rock hard and the church is hot as , well you know what, but we're Lutherans now and go to other churches.

No matter how things change or remain the same, I will always have my memories of the smells and sounds of Sunday mornings. So, please excuse me while turn I on some of "my" music (Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, etc.) and make a roast with potatoes, carrots, onions and brown gravy.

Sunday Roast Dinner
Serves 6.

4 pounds chuck roast
salt
garlic powder
pepper
flour
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
6 small red potatoes -- peeled and halved
6 large carrots -- peeled and halved
3 medium onions -- peeled and halved

Melt vegetable shortening in a covered roasting pan. Rub salt, garlic powder and pepper onto roast. Lightly flour all sides of the roast and pat in. Add roast to pan and brown on all sides in a preheated 375 - 400 degree oven. (You may also brown the roast on top of the stove.)

When brown, add about 1 inch of water to the pan, cover, reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add potatoes, carrots and onions to pan. Add more water so that there is 1 1/2 to inches in the bottom of the pan. Return roast to oven.

Go off to church - back in an hour and dinner will be ready except for the gravy. Carefully pour drippings into a saucepan. Make a past of flour and water and add to the drippings. Stir until thickened.

To make this dinner perfect, add:

Mom's Custard Pie
Serves 6.

3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 9 inch pie shell
nutmeg

Mix eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together. Scald the milk (bring almost to the boiling point while constantly stirring to prevent burning). Add scalded milk to egg mixture and blend. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. Pie is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cinnamon.