Karen was sitting in the kitchen going through her recipe
box looking for a particular recipe her husband requested she make for his
birthday party. She came across a
handwritten recipe that was attached to a card.
It was George’s grandmother’s recipe for fresh peach cobbler. As she fingered the card she
thought of the first time she met George’s grandparents and the lessons she
learned on that first trip and the many consequent trips after that.
His grandparents lived on a farm in Osgood, IA which had
been in the family for three generations. 
George’s father, Jim, had no interest
in the family farm and joined the military right out of high school. This caused a rift in their relationship that
had never been repaired. Consequently,
George didn’t know his grandparents very well and they had never met Karen even
though they had been married for over ten years.
When Karen found out that she and George would be traveling
within one hundred miles of Osgood on their cross-country trip she suggested he
call his grandparents and ask if they were up for a visit sometime over the
Memorial Day Weekend. Grandma Jenkins was thrilled with the prospect of having
them visit. She invited them to stay at
the farm. She said that other than the annual parade she and her husband
participated in since he came home from WWII in 1946, they had no other
commitments.
Karen and George arrived at the farm on Friday
afternoon. George only remembered being
there once when he was very small and Karen was a born and bred city girl. Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins no longer ran the
farm. Years back they leased the fields
and a small cottage to a young couple.
As the tenant family expanded, Grandma and Grandpa switched places so
that they were living in the cottage when Karen and George arrived. The couple and their children were more like
family than tenants and it was plain to see the love that was shared by all.
Grandma and Grandpa spent as much time in the old house as
the Barnett’s. Billie Jo worked as a
library assistant, so Grandma kept an eye on the kids after school and often
had dinner waiting when Billie Jo came home.
Grandpa helped Justin in the fields when he felt able but often just did
the dozens of handyman jobs that were required on a working farm.
That first Friday evening they had a quiet dinner with
Grandma and Grandpa in the cottage.
Karen fell in love with them right away.
As she watched she hoped that she and George could have that kind of
relationship. Grandpa was always patting
or touching Grandma when she came near.
Grandma had a twinkle in her eye that really sparkled when Grandpa was
near. Their love was like a beacon that
Karen had never before experienced; certainly not in her marriage, or the
marriages of her parents or siblings.
The next day was the parade and everyone was up early. There was a lot of activity at the farm
house. Grandma and Billie Jo were
getting the food ready for the picnic following the parade. Karen volunteered
to help. While they were talking, Justin
came into the kitchen. He grabbed a
quick kiss and patted Billie Jo’s backside before he was out the door. Karen smiled.
There seemed to be a pattern here.
Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins must have rubbed off on Billie Jo and
Justin. Karen was actually a little jealous.
She remembered attending her first Memorial Day Parade; all
the veterans wearing the hats denoting their branch of service. John Phillip Sousa’s music kept everyone in
cadence as they stepped along. Grandpa
Jenkins looked so proud riding in the lead car.
He was dressed in his full old uniform and was especially proud that it
still fit after all those years. He and
Grandma were all smiles as they waved hello to all the people along the route.
Karen had closed her eyes and just pictured them riding in that first parade so
long ago. How romantic it must have been
- this handsome young soldier and his beautiful bride. How had they kept that romance alive?
At the picnic, Karen and Grandma were alone together while
everyone else was either playing baseball or fishing. Karen told Grandma she was having a wonderful
time and was glad to be getting to know them.
She told Grandma that she felt a little jealous because she and Grandpa
were still like sweethearts. She said
that she and George loved one another but the passion has ebbed a little bit
each year they were married. She asked
Grandma her secret.
Grandma said there was no secret. They just loved and respected one
another. He was her prince in shining
armor. She learned from her mother that
if she just treated him that way every single day he would always remain
so. She said that she took care of the
house and the children and he took care of her and everything else. She always shared her views and opinions and
most often he took her advice, but if they disagreed, it was his decision and
it was final. She didn’t say anything
more.
The next day, Karen and Billie Jo were sitting on the porch
shelling peas 
and Karen asked Billie Jo the secret to her happy marriage. Billie Jo said there was no secret. She basically said the same thing that
Grandma had said the day before. Karen
said there had to be more than that and Billie Jo just flushed and said they
both knew what to expect from their marriage and when they both lived up to
their roles there was harmony.
and Karen asked Billie Jo the secret to her happy marriage. Billie Jo said there was no secret. She basically said the same thing that
Grandma had said the day before. Karen
said there had to be more than that and Billie Jo just flushed and said they
both knew what to expect from their marriage and when they both lived up to
their roles there was harmony.
Karen and George left the following day. They vowed to keep in touch and to come visit
again. Karen vowed she was going to try to take Grandma’s advice. She told George about her conversations with
Grandma and Billie Jo and said she wanted that kind of relationship with him.
He told her he loved her and didn’t think their marriage was bad. She said it wasn’t bad but she wanted it to
be better. Grandma and Grandpa had been
married over fifty years and they still acted like teenagers. She and George had only been married ten and
already the passion had ebbed.
Back to the Present Day
Her daughter came into the kitchen then and brought Karen
out of her reverie. Sally asked why she
was grinning and Karen told her about meeting Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins for
the first time. Sally loved visiting
with her grandparents but they never talked about their parents. Karen explained about the family rift and how
she had come to meet them. She told
Sally that meeting them and taking their advice had changed her life. Sally wanted to know the details and Karen
told her about the first conversation she had with Grandma Jenkins. She told her there were many more conversations
over the years but they were private and someday Sally may find the answers on
her own.
When Sally left, Karen went back to her reverie. She missed Grandma and Grandpa. They had passed several years ago. They left the farm to Billie Jo and Justin
much to George’s dad’s chagrin. There
was a letter attached to their will addressed to Jim stating that since he had
not been interested in farming they felt it only right to leave it to Billie
Joe and Justin who had put in their blood, sweat and tears over the years. Billie Jo and Justin still lived at the farm,
but just as years before they moved back into the cottage and their eldest son
and his wife lived in the main house.
Karen felt the legacy she received from Grandma Jenkins was
worth more than any real estate. Several years after they visited, Karen
received a package from Grandma. It was
a short letter addressed to her in which Grandma told her what she thought was
the secret to her happy marriage. Along
with the letter was a pattern and an apron. Karen
didn’t put two and two together until she noticed another letter in the apron
pocket. The letter told her to keep the
apron handy. It had many purposes. The most obvious was to protect good clothing
while cooking all of her husband’s favorite foods. The not so obvious was to protect her
marriage. Wearing the apron, sans any
other clothing, had gotten she and Grandpa through many a rough spot. And sometimes, Grandpa would place some well
aimed swats at the apron’s opening which also kept their romance fresh and her compliant.
Karen couldn’t believe that sweet old lady would be so
daring and forthcoming. She put the
letters away in her keepsake box and tried out the apron that very night. Over
the years, whenever their romance was waning, Karen would pull out the
apron. It always worked it’s magic.
Karen felt the real reason for the booth’s success
was a recipe card with the picture that was always included in the apron pocket. The deluxe model included some multi-purpose kitchen tools.
What do you think?
