family – Page 15 – Lemon Drop Pie

Junk food: so bad for you and yet so tempting! Today just happens to be National Junk Food Day, and here are 10 foods I could live off of if calories and nutrition didn’t matter. (I actually think if I ate just these foods for one day, I’d be craving a big, green leafy salad!)

It seems like my favorite junk food comes from two food groups: Vegetable and Dairy. The “-itos food group,” of course, come from corn:

Cheetos
Doritos
Fritos (served with my famous chili, of course!)

The potato food group, I believe, also falls under the vegetable category:

French Fries
Jays Potato Chips
Tater Tots

The ice cream food group is not just for dessert! It’s dairy, of course!

Klondike bars
ice cream sandwiches
just a big ol’ bowl of vanilla

And the cheese food group is one of my favorites:

~~Cheetos~~
Cheese with crackers
Cheese with wine
Cheese with macaroni

Many years ago, I went on a shopping trip and bought all junk food; nothing healthy was put into my cart. I had decided that there was a need for comfort food. My family was hanging out in my grandparents’ apartment, and we were waiting, together. Now, this isn’t meant to become a sad and serious post, but sometimes comfort food is just what is needed. We were waiting for my grandfather’s call to go up to heaven. He was 96 and ready to go. We hung out in the dining room, snacking on the chocolate and chips that covered the table. The most beautiful thing about all waiting together was that we were around his bedside when it was time for Grandpa to leave us. Remembering that table piled with junk food and the family being together on that day makes the memory joyful instead of sad, just like my joke-loving Grampa would want it to be!

What’s your favorite junk food? Do you have a memory tied to eating junk food?

I think the first time I felt independent was when I finally got my driver’s license. It took me a while to go to the DMV to actually get it because I was so afraid I would fail. When I finally did take my road test, the guy with the clipboard in the passenger seat did not help. He wanted me to pretend that I was parking going downward on a hill when we were actually heading up a hill. When I moved the wheels the wrong way, at least he didn’t mark it against me!

The first summer I had my driver’s license, my aunt let me borrow her silver Cadillac. My sister, cousin and I bounced into the car. We were going to the movies. As we drove, our arms loosely draped out of the open windows, we turned the radio up and sang along at the top of our voices.

Highway to the Danger Zone.

We were going to see the best summer movie EVER.

I feel the need…the need for speed!

That’s right. We were going to see Top Gun.

While the silver Cadillac didn’t accelerate using g-forces, that sense of freedom on a warm summer night was exhilarating. Sometimes being the oldest child in the family is awesome!

Sometimes, though, being the oldest child is also scary. I was the first to go away to college. I loved being away from home…and hated it. Those first few months were really hard. It was before cell phones and email, so I had to call my family collect. Will you accept the charges?

I don’t remember why, but I guess I thought I had to be independent and I held off calling my parents for 9 weeks. I was busy after all, hanging out with my new friends 24 hours a day, taking classes, doing homework, and going to the student union. We did send real letters to each other (you can read some of them here). When I finally heard my mom and dad’s voice on the phone, however, I remember feeling so happy and yet missed them so much that I burst into tears!

Independence; sometimes exhilarating, sometimes heartbreaking.

When do you remember feeling independent?

Link up here!