DINNER OUT...A REAL TREAT

            DINNER OUT...A REAL TREAT

    I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT MOTHER WAS BORN 100 YEARS LATE.  SHE REALLY ENJOYED AND EXPECTED MANNERS.  THERE WAS NEVER, NEVER ANY BAD MANNERS IN OUR HOUSE…IF THERE WERE O MY….WHEN AN ADULT CAME INTO OUR LIVING ROOM, OR FOR THAT MATTER ANYONE OLDER THAT US, WE WHERE TO STAND AND STEP AWAY FROM WHERE WE WERE SITTING.

OUR TABLE WAS SET WITH A STYLE SO PROPER THAT WOULD EMILY POST WOULD BE PROUD.

     ONCE A MONTH WE WOULD TAKE A BUS TO TOWN, (WE DIDN’T HAVE A CAR), AND HAVE DINNER AT DUNCAN’S RESTAURANT.  IT WAS A NICE SIT DOWN, CLOTH COVERED TABLE, CLOTH NAPKIN KIND OF PLACE.  AT THAT TIME THERE WERE THREE OF US KIDS.  ANNETTE WAS THE YOUNGEST, EMILY WAS JUST A FEW YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME.  WE WOULD BE GREETED BY THE OWNER AND SHOWN TO OUR TABLE. A REALLY NICE LADY, WHO SERVED US EACH TIME, WOULD COMPLEMENT US ON THE WAY WERE DRESSED (OUR SUNDAY CLOTHES AND SHOES) STARCHED AND IRONED TO PERFECTION.

    WE WOULD ORDER AND HAVE A NICE MEAL.  I CANNOT REMEMBER THE FOOD ALL THAT WELL, BUT I DO REMEMBER WE COULD GET PIE AND I LOVE THEIR CHOCOLATE, AND I THINK THE LADY WOULD MAKE SURE THAT I HAD A LITTLE BIT LARGER PIECE THAN  EMILY BECAUSE I REMEMBER HER FUSING ABOUT IT.

     THEN AFTER DINNER WE WOULD GO WINDOW SHOPPING IN BILOXI.  WE WOULD WALK PASS THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY AND WALK ON THAT SIDE.  I WOULD POKE MY HEAD IN THE SPORTSMAN PARADISE, DAD WOULD SNATCH ME AWAY.  THEN WE WOULD WALK BY THE GLOBE NEWS STAND,  THE A &P GROCERY, AND CROSS THE STREET TO MAC’S NEWSSTAND WHERE WE WERE ALLOWED TO BUY A COMIC BOOK…THEY WERE A DIME AND THEN WE WOULD GET TO BUY SOME CANDY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IF OUR SIBLINGS WANTED SOME WE HAD TO SHARE.  I ALWAYS GOT A BIT O' HONEY BECAUSE I FOUND OUT THE GIRLS DIDN’T LIKE IT….THEN WE WOULD WALK ON HOME WINDOW SHOPPING ALONG THE WAY, BETTY GAYS KRESS, WOOLWORTH AND OTHER SHOPS ALONG HOWARD AVENUE.

    NOW SOME TIMES IF WE PASSED ON DESSERT WE WOULD STOP AT HOME PRIDE, A WONDERFUL ICE CREAM SHOP, AND GET AN ICE CREAM CONE, I THINK THAT WAS THE BEST ICE CREAM EVER.  WELL THE PACE OF THE WALKING WOULD PICK UP BECAUSE WE WANTED TO GET HOME AND READ OUR COMICS, I WOULD ALWAYS GET THE LATEST SUPERMAN, EMILY LIKE ARCHIE AND ANNETTE LIKED CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST.

  I MUST TELL ONE THING THAT ANNETTE DID ON ONE OF THE MONTHLY TRIPS, SHE WAS REALLY YOUNG AND DIDN’T UNDERSTAND, BUT WHEN WE GOT TO MAC’S NEWS STAND AND DAD WAS READY TO PAY SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD MONEY AND HANDED DAD A WAD ( FOR US IT WAS) OF MONEY. SHOCKED DAD ASKED WHERE SHE GOT IT, ANNETTE TOLD DAD THAT SHE SAW HIM LEAVE IT ON THE TABLE AND THOUGHT HE FORGOT IT.  DAD TOOK THE MONEY AND WALKED BACK TO DUNCAN’S TO GIVE THE “TIP” TO THE LADY THAT SERVED US.   I THINK THAT IS WHY ANNETTE IS SUCH A GOOD TIPPER TODAY.

I ASKED MOM ONCE ABOUT WHY THE MONTHLY DINNER OUT. SHE SAID ASIDE FROM HER WANTING A NIGHT OFF, SHE WANTED US TO KNOW HOW TO ACT IN PUBLIC AND BE WELL MANNERED.