Scenes from home

As noted from the previous post, Dave and I made a trip home over New Year's. We flew into Little Rock. We ate good food. We saw family. We watched football. And we then came back home to Minnesota.
Out of my extended family, my branch of siblings mostly live out of state. So when we come home, everyone congregates at my grandparents house. They've accommodated and even encouraged this by finishing off the basement into a nice little apartment. My grandmother cooked every night, and I think she thoroughly enjoys being the hostess to a brood of grandkids.
Aunt Peg and Uncle Jim picked Dave and I up from the airport and took us to La Hacienda in Benton before going home. If I ever have to pick a last meal, it will be the D5: Shrimp Quesadillas from La Hacienda. Good tea (well, it all is down here), the best refried beans anywhere, and large Gulf shrimp cooked up in a quesadilla. It's no wonder this family business with restaurants in Hot Springs and Benton wins "Arkansas' Best Mexican" every year. Last time I was home I ate here twice--on the way to and from the airport.

Then, my first meal home was actually fried chicken with different fixins. Of course, there never is just one meat or one vegetable served. It's always a buffet at Grandmother's.

It seems like this time of year there's always a bowl game on. During the Cotton Bowl, Dave drove out to my grandparents to watch the game with my grandfather. What was he doing? Out taking down Christmas lights. Why? He got tired of watching Houston Nutt run the same play unsuccessfully four times in a row. He did the same thing at Arkansas. So, he turned the game off and headed outside. Said he'd rather take down Christmas lights.

We all seemed rather disgusted with Arkansas' attempt at a bowl game, and even though they came out victorious it seemed rather sad and uneventful. East Carolina seemed tickled and nearly giddy just being in a bowl game with an SEC team, and they deserved to win merely because of that. At least the game gave the kicker, Alex Tejada, a bit of dignity to end his career on. After losing crucial field goals during the Florida and LSU games, it's a wonder he was still alive given the crazed rednecks, er, razorback fans. Here's to next season and Mallet gaining some experience in good decision making skills over the summer.

But back to the food. Aunt Peg did cook up one of my favorite breakfasts one morning... chocolate gravy. Yum.

Dave and I both feel like we gained a good 10 pounds. But at least I have an excuse.