Peanut Butter

Today I am grateful for peanut butter.  I woke up this morning sick of eggs and meat and other forms of protein that I usually have for breakfast.  I had no clue what I would eat that would have enough oomph to see me through my intense water aerobics class and the rest of the morning.

Then it dawned on me.  I’d have peanut butter on whole wheat bread, with honey.  Yummy.  I grew up eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches on pappy white bread, just like Elvis Presley.  Once in a blue moon I’ll still have one, but not on white bread.  It doesn’t appeal to me much anymore.

When my kids were little I found another combo.  Newly divorced, with the recession in full force causing people to avoid the “luxury” of the beauty shop where I was a hairdresser, we fell on hard times.  Money was tight.  Very tight.  My parents offered care packages of left-overs and I got free lunches for the kids at school and free cheese and butter from the government, though I’m not sure how that all worked.  At first I was embarrassed to stand in the Cheese Line, but I got over it out of necessity.

When the blood bank came to the Armory I decided to give-back and donate blood.  They had a babysitting service so I could take the boys with me.  What a God send!  My kids loved going there to charm the volunteers, play with the toys, eat cookies and peanut butter/honey sandwiches.  We’d go for dinner.  Check!  One meal taken care of.  The volunteers were awesome and jammed sandwiches into the kids until even they couldn’t eat more and they were bottomless pits.  Years later I asked my kids if they were ever embarrassed by the free school lunches, the cheese lines, or having dinner at the Amory Blood Bank?  Neither were embarrassed.  They thought it was cool.

I fell in love with peanut butter and honey sandwiches at the armory in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. . .or was it the TLC from the volunteers?  Both yummy.