Carmen Long
Simply Delicious
My dad has been blessed with an amazing memory and loves to share stories about things that happened to him as he was growing up. It’s fun to hear about the places he went and experiences he had. His story about the angels is one that stands out as being pretty amazing.
Dad went to high school in Elizabethton, Tennessee. He lived with his Aunt Frances and Uncle Fred, who had no children of their own. During Dad’s senior year, Uncle Fred became ill and was taken to Duke University Hospital. The doctors determined he may have a brain tumor, but unable to help, they sent him home.
After graduation, Dad was drafted into the Army. His basic training was at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. While there, Dad found out his uncle was not doing well and had been taken to the Mayo Clinic. Sadly, the doctors there weren’t able to help him and sent him back to Tennessee. Concerned, Dad asked for leave to go home to see him. Late one night four weeks later, an orderly woke him up. The Red Cross had arranged a two-week leave for Dad to go home. After getting his bag packed, he set out in the dark hitch hiking to Tennessee.
It is hard to imagine hitchhiking being a safe thing to do, but in 1953, a soldier in uniform would easily get a ride. He had good rides for about four and a half hours and made it to just north of Berea, Kentucky when the driver told him that was as far as they were going. He got out of the car in front of a little church where he stood for over thirty minutes without another car passing by. Tired, anxious, and worried, Dad went up to the church steps and sat down. He prayed to God that he would make it home before his uncle passed away.
Dad often has “feelings” about things and has learned to listen to his intuition. After praying, he felt like he needed to go back to the road. In just a short time, a man and woman in a Buick stopped to give Dad a ride. A sense of peace and calm washed over Dad when he got into the car. He told the man and woman his uncle in East Tennessee was very sick and then he fell into a deep sleep.
Around 8:00 am, the couple woke Dad up and said, “We’re here.” Dad couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t told the couple his address, yet when he opened his eyes, he could see his house, just a block away. After thanking them, he hurried home. His Aunt Frances welcomed him and told him his uncle had been asking for him. Uncle Fred held Dad’s hand, and they were able to talk for several minutes before he passed away. Thanks to that couple, he had made it.
Looking back, it really was almost like a dream. In less than twelve hours, with no transportation and hundreds of miles from home, Dad was where he was needed and wanted to be, with his family. Those last few minutes he had with his Uncle were a special gift and Dad is eternally grateful for the angels who answered his prayers.
I recently asked my Dad about some of his favorite recipes. It was no surprise that everything he mentioned was a dessert. Dad loves any and all sweet treats. Peanut butter, chocolate and banana are some of his favorite flavors. Another one of my memories growing up was Dad’s Sunday night special of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. In celebration of June Dairy month and my Dad’s Sunday night specials, try a Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Shake
INGREDIENTS
- 1 banana, sliced and frozen
- ¾ – 1 cup of chocolate milk (amount will depend on the size of your banana)
- 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or to taste
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to a blender container. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.
Note: For added protein and lower carbs, I like Fairlife chocolate milk. I often will mix the chocolate milk with some white milk to reduce the carbs even more without noticing much difference in the taste.
