I like comments from you
Thursday, August 24, 2006
ONE OF THE BIG pleasures I get out of writing these columns is the comments I get about them from you lovely people out there. I would tell you about some of them right now, if I had my way.
Two columns back, I wrote about the responses I had gotten about Hilltop. In it, I had mentioned a few things about Virgil. The same evening that column appeared, I had a phone call from Elizabeth Willard, of Willard’s Donuts fame. Elizabeth had lived her first 11 years in Virgil and wanted to tell me a bit about it.
Her mother worked for Southwestern Bell phone company. They lived in half of a building there in Virgil in which the phone company had the other half. Elizabeth vividly remembers that one wall was covered with wires. Her maiden name was Madison and she used to get jokes about how she should be from Madison. Her full name was Elizabeth Ann Madison and she was nicknamed Ban as a kid.
Elizabeth also told me that Virgil and Hamilton were the first places in Kansas to go to dial phones. It was on a trial basis to see if it would work. Thank you, Elizabeth, for your comments.
One evening we went to Applebee’s for dinner. As we were being led to our table, we passed a table at which Dr. Gary Ace, our dentist, and his lovely wife were just finishing their dinner. Gary said hello and then asked me if I would write about having dinner there. Well, Gary, I had not intended to, but your comment forces me to mention it. Thank you.
Later that same evening, a gentleman sitting with a group across from us said to me, “If I had my way, you would pick up that crayon under your chair.” I looked down, and, indeed, there was a crayon-type pen on the floor. Just as I started to bend to pick it up, one of the waiters came by and picked it up. I expect one of them had dropped it. Mentally, I thanked that gentleman for recognizing me as the “If I had my way” person.
People do ask me, and tell me, about lunch and luncheon places. Dr. John Brockhouse and I happened to be at Brodie’s Full Service Station at the same time. John told me that they had recently been to lunch in that town south on K-177. After our bantering a bit about different towns, he came up with it being Cassoday. It was a fine and enjoyable lunch, said John. Thank you for telling me about it.
We had stopped in at Quiznos Sub one evening and I had a barbecue brisket. It was marvelous, but so juicy that I had to go wash my hands after eating it. As I came back toward our table, a lady was just leaving with her carry-out. She recognized me and asked me if we were finding any new places for lunch to write about. I was pleased about it.
Speaking of new places to eat, I should mention that we went to the new Centinela Mexican Restaurant. It is now open where Coach’s used to be. It is interesting and the food was good. No comment from anyone, however.
The four of us went to the Breckinridge Cafe in Americus for lunch. It was our 61st wedding anniversary and George and Mary wanted us to celebrate. We were going to some further away new place, but it was too darned hot. So we stayed near home. Of course, George and I had Patty Melts. They are just marvelous there. And favorites of ours.
As we were having desserts, Mr. Grimsley came over to say hello and to chat. He told us about the unusual black squirrels in Americus and thought we might tell about them. I am doing that right now. Americus should be known as the Black Squirrel Capitol of Lyon County.
The four of us also recently went for lunch to the Trail Days Bakery Cafe, the old Terwilliger House, in Council Grove. We had great food and nice chats with Mr. and Mrs. McClintock, who operate the place. Ken McClintock, an attorney, had sent me great information about the Comiskey community and I had written about it six columns ago.
I need to mention a comment from another Americus Grimsley. This is Belle Grimsley. She told me I was spelling Breckinridge wrong. I had spelled it Breckenridge. It originally was spelled with the “e” but there were some problems and Breckenridge himself changed the spelling. Today it is Breckinridge, but the “e” is still in the stone monument at the old Breckenridge Center. Thanks for straightening me out, Belle. Belle also told me that her yard in Americus is full of black squirrels.
There, then, are some of the recent comments from you lovely people, comments which give me much pleasure. I enjoy writing these columns. It is something of a hobby for me. But the comments are a big part of my enjoyment. You would keep on making them, if had my way.