When my mother went to work substitute teaching in the high school, my two younger siblings were not yet in school. My parents hired a local woman, whose husband abandoned her with nine children, to babysit. Josie took care of my little brother and sister, washed dishes, and ironed while watching and scolding the silly people on the soap operas. During that time, school allowed the walkers to go home for lunch. I walked with my two younger sisters the long block to Merrick Highway, crossed over with the help of the crossing guard, and turned into our street. Josie greeted us with three bowls of hot pastina and a cold glass of milk. Pastina is a tiny star pasta, cooked thick, topped with butter and a splash of milk. Josie cooked it to a perfect creamy andante. I remember how she warned us that the pastina was hot and showed us how to slide the spoon around the cooler edge and blow gently before eating it. Best lunch, ever.
My theme for the 2022 AtoZ Blog Challenge is titled Grand Prompts To Ask Your Grands. Each day in April I will present a conversation starter/journal prompt to ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, older neighbors, co-workers, yourself…you get the idea. The questions are meant to forge connections between and within generations and inspire storytelling and journaling.
Pray for Peace
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I have no memory of coming home for lunch but my husband does. Until he had told me he did, I never knew of anyone doing that. I’m sure I had one of those pretty lunchboxes but can’t remember. He remembers so much while my memories escape me. I have a photo of me with my school bag, will have to check if I’m holding a lunchbox or the folded paper bag. I know my daughter had pretty plastic lunchboxes. When they were in junior high I put them in charge of making their own lunch.
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My kids had lunch boxes as well. Once they reached 5th grade I gave them a lunch allowance where they could make their own lunch and save the money or spend the money.
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What a wonderful memory from childhood. Weekends In Maine
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I walked home for lunch every day during elementary school, and in junior high I took lunch in a paper bag. I reused the same paper bag over and over until it fell apart! In high school one year I took so many classes I didn’t even have a lunch period.
L is for Language
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