In going through my files, I found the column from the year 2000 where we were all bemoaning the fact that we were facing a new century and all the strange things that could be happening with our electronics and what was going to happen in the world in general, many of which never occurred except in someone’s overactive imagination. Twenty years down the line, we were all scared out of our wits by the covid pandemic. Actually, it’s probably the first thing that comes to our mind. It was truly a horrible time, I spent a lot of time making some of the masks we were all told to wear at all times, and almost all of us did wear them especially when we went out in public. As I said, truly a horrible time.
We have gone from that into a time of bad weather and hurricanes that took way too many lives. Hurricane Ike will live in infamy for the damage caused in Galveston, Texas, and other towns in its path. A few years later we had one named Harvey, that also caused billions of dollars damage to anything in its path. I pretty much watched the one named Ike on TV and worried about my family and extended family who lived in Galveston at the time. My daughter came inland to her sister and her husband stayed with their home. It was mind boggling. During the one named Harvey, I went inland to my son and his family and stayed there. A friend was in Louisiana at the time and couldn’t get back home to Yoakum for nearly a week. It took that long for the roads to reopen.
And, then there was the more recent ice storm about three years ago, with the temperatures so low and power being off, etc., etc. I was here at my home during that time and had nearly run out of propane, and used candles in place of electricity. After surviving that, my sister and I took a trip to be with family in North Texas and I came home to a broken pipe in my attic that no one knew was there. Yep, it was interesting to say the least, my kitchen had to be pretty much gutted and re-done, as was a bathroom, and my dining room table was my pantry. Luckily, my built-in cabinets didn’t have to be torn out and redone.
And this past year, the rain storm that took everyone by surprise and cost many lives and did so much damage, in the Texas hill country, and now, just a few months later we’re in drought conditions and need rain so badly.
Dear readers, I would like to say a big “Thank you” to all of you who have followed me for these past years and read this column. The time has come to hang up my by-line and call it quits. Cook books and recipes have become obsolete, the younger generation picks up their iPhone or some type of device and find recipes and doesn’t use a cook book, and since I’ve seen and tasted some of the food they find recipes for, I’m impressed. (I’m not really sure how they find it again if they liked it), but I’m sure they do! In fact, my granddaughters have shared some of their recipes with me and I’ve truly enjoyed making the food and trying the recipes.
Now, however, it’s time to retire and enjoy not having to struggle to find something to write on a weekly basis. As far as telling you about different vegetables, I realize that I have covered a lot of fruits and vegetables, ranging from beets to quince.
Thanks again for having me in your homes for these past almost thirty years! I’ve enjoyed writing a column that began with about one column by four or five inches in size to what I have now. Also, thank you KK, and before you your parents for allowing me to continue writing. It has been fun most of the time. Hugs to everyone, have a wonderful and Happy New Year during 2026!
