This focus on lower sodium started a few days ago when I was in the mood for a Mexican meal and not thinking about salt or sodium at all. I’ve watched my sugar in the various products I buy and consume for a while, but never thought much about the NACL.
ALDIsALDIs
I was in Aldi’s and as I came to the end of an aisle, and rounded it, there were several items on shelves. They were in pretty cans and one was refried beans and the other was diced tomatoes with chilies (regular sodium). *I quickly noted that it is almost impossible to buy refried beans that are low sodium. Salty smushed beans, sell! So, I decided to buy low sodium pinto beans and smush them myself. Easy to do. *I also bought a small bag of Iceberg Lettuce Salad.
Lower Sodium “Knock Your Sprouts Off” 7 Grain Sprouted Bread (Aldis) 70 calories per slice @ 19 cents. 21 slices per loaf @ $4.
I haven’t tried the low sodium version yet, but the regular version has good flavor. I rarely eat more than one slice of bread now, but might eat a slice with peanut butter and Agave Nectar.
Lower Sodium Oven Roasted Turkey Breast (Hillshire Farms) 70 calories per serving. About 2 oz. Four servings in an 8 oz. package that costs about $4, a dollar for one serving.
This has good flavor and makes a good sandwich, with French’s mustard, creamy horseradish & a little sweetener (Agave Nectar, Splenda).
Blue Corn Street Taco Tortillas (Walmart) 90 calories per serving (2 tortillas – @12 cents) $2.24 per package (18 tortillas).
Heat it in the toaster oven, and put some good refried beans, ground beef and diced tomatoes w/ green chilies on it, and it is good. But, don’t eat one of these, unheated, with nothing on it. It tastes awful. Close to flavorless, and they are a soft taco.
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (Simple Truth -HT) 140 calories – 13 chips (@ 31 cents per serving) @ $2.79 and 9 servings per bag.
These are delicious with the refried beans & ground beef/diced tomatoes & green chilies.
Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chilis – No Salt – LIDL (@ .95 per can – @ .24 per serving)
I used half a can and then only ate half of that for one meal. Is that 10 calories total per meal?
Pinto Beans – No Salt Added – LIDL (@ .86 per can – @ .43 per serving)
Simple Truth Blue Corn Tortilla ChipsSimple Truth Blue Corn Tortilla ChipsBlue Corn Street Taco TortillasBlue Corn Street Taco TortillasLow Sodium Knock Your Sprouts OffKnock Your Sprouts Off LSLower Sodium Oven Roasted Turkey BreastLower Sodium Oven Roasted Turkey BreastDiced Tomatoes w/ Chilies LIDLPinto Beans – Low Sodium LIDL
I don’t see the info here, but somewhere I determined that the whole, full sodium version of this meal (including the original refired beans from Aldi’s) came to over 1,400 mg and the reduced sodium version was only 84 mg. But, the 84 mg was the base amount if I added no salt while cooking, and I do add some salt to all.
Mexican Meal (Low Sodium)
Let me guestimate.
3 oz. ground beef
1/2 medium onion diced
1/4 can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
1/4 medium sweet bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)
1/2 diced jalapeno
1/2 medium avocado
1 medium tomatillo
Splenda & Agave Nectar
1/2 can low sodium pinto beans
1 teaspoon bacon grease
13 blue corn tortilla chips
$2.50 + .50 + .25 + .40 + .25 + .50 + .20 + .30 + .50 + .10 + .31 + .75 = $6.56 for this meal, with no drink.
Until yesterday I had never been to Kick Back Jack’s, in Fayetteville, or anyplace else for that matter. The old FSU IT crew had decided to meet there at 1 pm on Saturday. There have been many times through the years that I would be sitting at the traffic light across from this restaurant waiting for the light (from Cross Creek Mall) to change. A few times, I might drive across the intersection, with Jack’s on my right, but I wouldn’t turn in there. Instead I might turn left into the Kentucky Fried Chicken, or left and a little further to the “Bed, Bath & Beyond” (I think that was it’s name. ). That store was there for many years, and I bought many things from there, and did a bunch of window shopping in that store. It was a comfortable place to browse.
Old age keeps me from recalling another store (or even what they sold) that was located on the corner, up near to where Boston Market was located. It too has gone out of business. I loved their roasted chicken, and those various sides, which one favorite was the creamed spinach.
*I’m not in the mood to write in detail, but wanted to get started about this.
I had a Combo Lunch, “1/2 Cranberry Turkey Wrap, with a garden salad and White Balsamic Sweet Onion Dressing. Oddly, while sitting there waiting for the waitress to come around to take my order, I had gas pangs. I tried to ignore them until she got to me, but unlike the drink order, of which I was first, I’m guessing that I would have been the last food order for her. But, I had gone online earlier and found what I might like to order and eat. I changed out the french fries for the salad. And, I did eat the whole wrap. What I ordered was delicious and I would order it again if ever.
Surprisingly for this day and age, Kick Back Jack’s does not offer any nutritional listing for their various entrees, sides nor desserts, nada. But, I was attentive to the customers, both going and coming, and of note, there were a whole lot of fat bellied and assed men, women and children coming and going. It didn’t surprise me that with the menu items I saw online, that fat people like the place, and the place encourages fat people. Not saying the food isn’t delicious. But most of it isn’t healthy either.
Between my lunch at Jack’s and my Mexican Aldi’s dinner, my resting blood sugar was only 97. That’s extremely low for me. My weight was 247.2 lbs., up just slightly from the day befroe, but the scale was fluctuating like it does some mornings. I normally weigh, and then step off and reweigh and if the two weights are the same that is what I write down for the day. I’m not sure of what causes this, because it’s not the battery. I’m not sure if it is barometric pressure. But the scale will not show two of the same weights in a short period of time. And it’s not always lower, or higher.
Years ago, in 1975 when I was attending Campbell College for a year, to recover from my first two years at Carolina, a school buddy who had a car (a dark blue Camaro, I think) drove us down to Fayetteville and we went to Cross Creek Mall. I say Camaro because there wasn’t a lot of room in the back and I think “the third guy” had to lay across the back. There were still a few stores in the new mall that were not completed yet. That’s funny. That would be 50 years ago, this year.
Now that I’ve had a few moments to think about it, the guy laying across the back was probably in a different friend’s little MG Midget type car. His name was Bill, from Raleigh, and a few years later I heard that he had been killed in a car crash. I think alcohol was involved.
I don’t recall the Camaro guy’s name, but I think he was also the guy that made a ‘tennis ball cannon’ out of a drink can & a tennis ball can. You tape the two cans together and put a pin hole in the bottom of the drink can. You then put a few drops of lighter fluid in the pin hole and shake the cans to vaporize the lighter fluid. Drop a tennis ball in the tennis ball can side, light a match and put it to the pin hole in the drink can. The lighter fluid will ignite and pop the tennis ball out, with force. We were standing between Saul’s Hall and Murray Hall and when the cannon went off the tennis ball was shot clear over Murray Hall, landing on the other side of that dorm. *Not sure if the drink can was made of aluminum or a thicker metal, but now that I think about it I’m surprised that the end of that can didn’t blow out.
White House says economic indicators are positive, tariffs will improve cost of living
I heard on TV yesterday that Walmart would be going up on prices (due to tariffs) at the end of the month. I went out early this morning to Walmart to do my Trump Proof Tariffs shopping. I know you can’t prepare for something this devastating. What an idiot! And he’s going off to Qatar to get “bought off” with a multi-millions dollar jet. Hell, if he can say that little girls only need 3 dolls and not 35, then how in the hell can he get all the toys he wants for Christmas? What a useless fuck.
I asked one of the in store shoppers where an item was located, or if they even had any in stock. It was the Del Monte “Zucchini in Italian Style Tomato Sauce” which I have eaten for over 30 years. Not sure if I ever bought it at Walmart, but it’s been around that long. *And I once cooked some zucchini & onions at home with a little tomato and it came very close to being as pleasing as the “store bought.” She said they didn’t have any in stock, and wasn’t sure they ever had. She also said she hadn’t heard that Walmart was supposed to go up on prices at the end of this month.
So, I’m out shopping and visiting several grocery stores, and Pate’s Farm Market, and one thing, I’m at Food Lion across town and ask a couple of FL employees if they had the Del Monte Zucchini. The woman found it quickly, and even noted that it was on “Closeout.” I think it was $1.89 so I bought about four cans there. Later, at a different Food Lion, I found a couple of cans but they were a little more, but still less than $2 a can so I bought one more can. Hoping that I will find another Food Lion that has a good deal on this. I’ve found I can open a can and eat the whole thing and be very satisfied. *And surprisingly today, I went into another FL to buy an avocado and happened to look at the Del Monte Zucchini, and they were on “Closeout” for only $1.19, so I bought six cans. Wow!
Oh, the other thing and I think it was at an ALDIs, I bought a can of refried beans, and a can of diced tomatoes with chilies. I also decided to buy some ground beef (at FL) in order to make some tacos for lunch. I knew I already had a few blue corn tortilla shells left from my earlier “Black Bean & Quinoa” meal (with homemade salsa & quacamole). *The Wegman’s Blue Corn Taco Shells are a dark blue, like most other blue corn products. They are not the rosy red shells shown on the box above, and they have good flavor. I heated a couple of taco shells in my new toaster oven and I think this did make them less likely to break apart while eating.
I mashed up a half of an avocado with one chopped tomatillo for a simple guac. I cooked some ground beef in a small skillet, adding some chopped onion & cilantro, and some of the “diced tomatoes with chilies” and some taco seasoning and a little sweetener. And after I removed the ground beef mixture, I put some of the refried beans in the pan, along with some bacon grease.
So, now I had the warmed blue corn taco shells and I put a layer of the refried beans along the bottom of the shell, then the ground beef mixture and finally the guac & tomatillo on top. The warmed tacos didn’t break apart. I had some of the ingredients left over in a bowl and I added a little Ranch/Cilantro/Lime dressing. *I’ve added Ranch Dressing dry mix to this dressing and it’s good.
This meal was delicious and I would like to repeat it sometime.
NOTE [05/18/25]: ‘Sometime’ ended up being the next day, yesterday, but I couldn’t find an avocado. And after I had warmed the taco shells, I saw that one of them wasn’t spread apart, so I ended up breaking both shells and putting the refried beans and the ground beef mixture on top of each of the four halves. They held up well. Still need the guac mixture and sour cream, or the “Cilantro-Lime Dressing (w or w/o Ranch Dressing). *I think the red cabbage slaw, with onion & Mung bean sprouts would work well with this meal also. **But who needs another 172 calories added to the already 809 = 989… That’s almost like eating at Hardees or Smithfield’s Chicken -n- BBQ.
It takes about a week to grow the Mung bean sprouts and I just put the latest batch in my refrigerator a day or so ago. I start with 1/8 of a cup of beans and that produces enough sprouts for a week or so… if I put them in my cabbage slaw or in a stir fry or two.
I have just enough of the refried beans and the diced tomatoes with chilies to make a third meal. If this meal doesn’t affect my blood sugar, or weight, it is definitely worth repeating. [end NOTE]
[06/06/25] I made my Mexican Meal again, but used Black Beans to make my refried beans and it looked and tasted great. After I blended most of the beans, the smooth paste was almost purplish. I left about 20 beans out of the blender, and smushed some of those with a fork to give the overall look of the refried beans as more rustic. I used a little sour cream on the refried beans. I scooped out about half a large avocado. I added some chopped cilantro to the ground beef & diced tomatoes w/ green chilies. I broke up several blue corn tortilla chips. Oh, I also threw in some Red Cabbage Slaw (with the Mung bean srpouts). This is just a very pleasing meal. The flavors all work together, and it is multi colored and multi textured, some of it smooth, and some of it crunchy. And, I have enough leftovers for a whole ‘nother meal. [end]
Items In This Meal
Calories
Carbs
Fat
Protein
Sodium
Sugar
ground sirloin – Ground Beef, 4/1 ounce
200
0
11
22
75
0
Onion, 3/1 tbsp, chopped
12
3
0
0
1
1
Olive oil, 1/1 tsp
40
0
5
0
0
0
Wegmans – Blue Corn Taco Shells, 2/1 shells
130
15
7
2
0
0
Casa Mamita (Aldi’s) – Traditional Refried Beans , 1/1 cup (130g)
220
36
3
12
960
2
Aldi’s – La Masa Rica – Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, 1/2 cup
25
4
0
1
380
3
Avocado, 1/2 avocado
120
6
11
2
5
0
Tomatillo, 1/1 medium
11
2
0
0
0
1
Cilantro Lime Dressing – Dressing, 1/1 tsp(s)
12
1
1
1
0
0
Animal fat, bacon grease, 1/1 teaspoon
39
0
4
0
6
0
Total
809
67
42
40
1427
7
Okay, I know that 800 calories is pushing it. Anything over 700 would take a second look. And the sodium level is exorbitant. Maybe refried beans with much less sodium. But, the sugar levels seem to be spot on.
@TARGET
So I went looking for low or no sodium refried beans, and to my surprise there are almost no refried beans that don’t have a bunch of salt, even when they are labeled as “low-sodium.” *And now early in my research, I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be best to buy the canned low-sodium pinto beans and make the refried beans myself. I see that Target has “Organic Low Sodium Pinto Beans – 15oz – Good & Gather™” for $1.19 for a 15 oz. can [120mg sodium 5%].
For a serving size of 1/2 cup (130g) of Good & Gather Organic Refried Pinto Beans:
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 0g (0% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat: 0g (0% Daily Value)
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg (0% Daily Value)
Sodium: 120mg (5% Daily Value)
Total Carbohydrate: 21g (8% Daily Value)
Dietary Fiber: 5g (18% Daily Value)
Total Sugars: 1g
Includes 0g Added Sugars (0% Daily Value)
Protein: 7g
Vit. D: 0mcg (0% Daily Value)
Calcium: 40mg (4% Daily Value)
Iron: 2mg (10% Daily Value)
Potassium: 460mg (10% Daily Value)
The label also indicates that there are about 3.5 servings per container.
Seasoning ingredients for the “Casa Mamita (Aldi’s) – Traditional Refried Beans“: Salt, Tomato Paste, Lard, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Spice, Natural Flavor, Paprika. I liked the flavor of these refried beans, so seasoning the pinto beans similarly should give similar pleasing results.
ADDENDUM [05/19/25]: So, I stopped at LIDL to get some orange juice and while walking up one aisle to the checkout, I happened to see some low/no sodium pinto beans, and then some no sodium diced tomatoes with chilies. I think both cans were under 90 cents each. I bought one of each. I then drove over to Target and found the “Organic Low Sodium Pinto Beans.” They also had diced tomatoes with chilies, but they weren’t low salt.
If the flavor is there for the LIDL items, plus a little salt on my part, I should be able to greatly reduce the sodium from the ALDI items.
I used about 1/2 a can of the low/no salt Pinto Beans, and 1/4 can of the low/no salt diced tomatoes with green chilies. The calorie count was still 800, but sodium was reduced to 84 mg (+the salt I added back), and 10 g of sugar. The original sodium was 1400 mg and 7 g of sugar. That’s a whopper of a drop in sodium. *It’s almost impossible to buy the already prepared “refried beans” with low/no salt, but it’s easy to buy the salt free pinto beans and make tasty refried beans.
I tried these and if heated and tasty food is put on them, they are okay, but unheated, and eaten by themselves they are almost tasteless. I prefer the more salty blue corn tortilla chips, or a blue corn taco shell (split) and heated.
*I did buy a bag of milk chocolate chips, but later noted that they charged me $1.10 more than the listed price. I had taken a picture of the bag and the price and it showed $4.69 but on the ticket it was $5.79. Have to go back for that refund.
They applied the refund to my credit card at my request, but when I told the clerk that I was planning to go get another bag of chocolate chips, she told me they would correct the price at the register, but I would not be able to go back for more. I noted that all the Ghiradelli chocolates were priced at $4.69. Earlier this week I heard WRAL say that some persons who were told they would get a refund at Harris Teeter, did not get the refund, so this is something to keep track of. Just because they say they have refunded you, you need to make sure.
[end]
Goya Low-Sodium Refried Pinto Beans 240mg 10%
Amy’s Beans Refried Traditional Low Sodium Organic 190mg 8% $5.06 15.4 oz. can
with a grain of salt, then you’ll have to get a salt lick large enough for 40 cows to believe some of the things that Donald Trump tries to tell you as truth.
President Trump in an interview with Terry Moran would not let Moran disagree that the actual tattoo had “MS 13” on it. This was the photo he was referencing. Maybe the symbols might represent “MS13” but almost any idiot would understand that the photo is a “doctored” (photoshopped) photo and that the “MS13” showing in the picture were not actually embedded in the skin. The thought is, “what an idiot.”
Trying to make an ass of Moran, but making a bigger ass of himself.
Let’s list the beans I have tried in my lifetime, and also a few that I might want to try in the future. Think of this as as Index to Beans, Peas & Some Exceptions:
As dry beans they have a distinct look: pink or beige with purple/burgundy striations. When cooked they lose these distinctive striations, and take on a cooked brown pinto bean look. They also have the flavor of pinto beans.
NOTE [05/14/25]: I was just looking through my various “beans, beans, beans” articles and happened to notice for the first time that the October Beans I had bought at the State Farmers Market in Asheville several years ago, looked much like the Borlotti/Cranberry/Roman Beans I had tried some time later. It was an episode of one of the Jamie Oliver cooking shows where he cooked the Borlotti Beans and I decided to try them. I had been oblivious to theses beans until that point.
I enjoyed the flavor of these beans in a recipe which paired them with Red Chard. I think I bought a bag of the dry Cranberry Beans at IGA (or at least I recall seeing a bag of them there). I later saw cans of Roman Beans at Walmart.
Yes. When I just googled, October Beans are synonymous with the same bean, named otherwise. A bean by any other name would smell as sweet… Borlotti, Cranberry, October or Roman Bean. [end NOTE]
October Bean PodsCranberry/October BeansBorlotti/Cranberry October/Roman Beans
Cooking the Borlotti Beans (skip this stage if using canned beans)
Instant Pot Method
Put the borlotti beans, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns into the Instant pot and cover with about 1.5 litres/qt of water.
Cook under pressure for 35 minutes then test for doneness. The beans should be soft and creamy. Cook in 5 minute bursts until done.
Stove-top method
Put the borlotti beans, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns into a large pan and cover with about 1.5 litres/qt of water.Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently (partially covered) for about 1 1/2 hours on a slow simmer until the borlotti beans are soft and creamy.
Drain the beans and discard the water, onion and bay leaf and set aside.
Making the dish
If you’re using canned beans, drain well and set aside.
Strip the leaves from the chard and roughly chop. Finely dice the stems and set aside.
Fry the onion, chard stems and sage leaves gently in the olive oil for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and golden.
Add the garlic and fry briefly before adding the chard leaves. Let these sauté for 3-4 minutes until they’re wilted before returning the borlotti beans to the pan along with the stock.
Stir well to incorporate everything and let it sizzle for 3-4 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed. Remove from the heat.
Season with salt & pepper and fish out the sage leaves and discard.
Serve hot or at room temperature with a generous dusting of cheese (if using) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
Change up the beans
In Italy, you can also make this dish with white beans or cannellini beans. But honestly, any bean will do.
Add a little meat
For a meaty version, you could fry some pancetta, or Italian sausage with the onion and chard.
Change up the greens
I make this dish mostly with chard, but it’ll work equally well with cavolo nero cabbage, kale or collard greens too.
Storage
Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for up to a week and eat either at room temperature or warm.
Freezer: The beans will be good for 3+ months in an airtight container or freezer bag. I like to freeze them in portion sizes. That way, if I’m looking for an easy side dish, I can whip this out of the freezer, minus effort and fuss.
I first saw the above Emile Henry Flame Top 2-2/3-Quart Round Oven, Red on an episode of a Jacques Pepin cooking show. He was talking about how at the end of the day, for professional chefs in the city, they would congregate somewhere and enjoy a group meal. He showed one of these, prepared in a beautiful red pot, and he added whole, uncooked eggs, on top the finish the soup. My attention was riveted upon the red pot and later I googled and found the episode’s YouTube video. Somewhere in all of that I found that the pot was made by the Emil Henry Company (French, I think.) and I ended up buying one.
I fixed some French Onion Soup in it once, and then didn’t use it for about 9 years. Yes, that’s years. The company touted that you could use this pot on the stove top or in the oven. I feel uncomfortable with putting a ceramic pot on the stove top, but as I recall, it didn’t break.
I finally gave Jacquelyn Sharpe this red pot. It’s probably too small for someone that is cooking for five.
I’m not even sure I really like this recipe, nor remember all of the ingredients I put in it, but I do like the Mayocoba beans. This soup ended up with an hot, acrid (turmeric, lime juice, cilantro leaves), citrusy accent. Not what I would usually be attracted to, but this was oddly pleasing.
[NOTE 0709/25]: This time I used hot sausage instead of “seasoning meat.” I am in wonder at how I got or even more so, miraculously created this recipe. I don’t see anything referencing an existing online recipe for this. However, I am strangely attracted to the acrid flavor of this soup. I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted another soup like this, and if I were starting from scratch, never having cooked mayocoba beans before, why would I add roasted tomatoes, green chilis, cilantro and lime juice to it.
I don’t recall the mayocoba beans taking a long time to soften, but they are this time. This has led be to think that cannellini or navy beans might work just as well, and even black beans. Maybe even combining a black & white bean in the one soup.
[end NOTE]
Mayocoba beans
Roasted tomatoes, roasted
Seasoning meat
Green chilis, diced
Cilantro leaves
Turmeric powder
Garlic powder
Cumin powder
Chicken broth
Lime juice
Agave Nectar
Equal sweetener
S&P
Finished soup.Seasoning meat viewed from the edge.
Mayocoba beans: ½ cup (dry) Diced roasted tomatoes: 1 (15 oz) can Seasoned pork: 3 oz. Diced green chilis: 1 (4 oz) can of GV Green Chilis (adjust to your spice preference) Cilantro leaves: ¼ cup, chopped Turmeric: ¼ teaspoon (powdered) Ground cumin: ¼ teaspoon Powdered garlic: ¼ teaspoon Chicken broth: 2-3 cups (adjust for desired thickness) Lime juice: 1-2 tablespoons (to taste) Agave Nectar: ½ – 1 teaspoon (to taste) Equal sweetener: ½ – 1 packet (to taste) Salt and Pepper (S&P): To taste
Estimated Amount Produced:
Still approximately 4 to 5 cups total, or two servings of roughly 2 to 2.5 cups each.
Revised General Calorie Count Information (Estimates):
Mayocoba beans (½ cup dry ≈ 1 cup cooked): Around 200-250 calories.
Diced roasted tomatoes (15 oz can): Around 70-100 calories.
Seasoned pork (3 oz, equal lean and fat): Around 200-250 calories.
GV Green Chilis (4 oz can): Around 20-30 calories.
Equal sweetener (½ – 1 packet): Around 0-5 calories.
Salt and Pepper: Negligible calories.
Revised Estimated Totals:
Estimated Total Calories for the Entire Pot: Roughly in the range of 530 to 730+ calories.
Estimated Calories per Serving (approximately 2 to 2.5 cups): Roughly in the range of 265 to 365+ calories.
NOTE [08/27/25]: I tried again. I soaked the beans with some salt in the water overnight. I drained and rinsed the beans before starting to cook them. I don’t recall if I started with 1/2 or 1 Cup of dry beans, but this made enough for two “good” helpings. I also added 1/4 tsp of baking soda to the water when I started to cook them. I cooked in a pot on the stove top, uncovered, for at least an hour. The beans softened perfectly. I smushed some of them, like I do blackeyed peas to thicken the broth. I added some diced seasoning ham toward the end. These turned out very well. *But, last time, something was wrong. Don’t know if I should have pre-soaked them, or if adding the baking soda did the job. Last time the beans would not soften. **The first time I cooked them, they must have turned out well because I made a note that they were pleasant. They are soft and a little creamy. [end NOTE]
I’m 71 years old and today is “Mother’s Day” 2025.
My mother was born on February, 22, 1915.
My mother died on December 16, 1980 at the Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She had suffered for several months with Leukemia. I was 26 years old when she died. During her working life, as I knew her, she weight around 116 pounds, but at the end, she had lost weight and only weighed about 84 pounds. “Skin and bones” and too weak to walk.
*Colonel Harlan Sanders (KFC fame) died the same day as my mom, and he too had Leukemia. They were not the same age.
Vivian Inez Morton Gibson, second from the right.
For most of her later life, she worked as a Civil Service Clerk Typist, and much of that aboard the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base near Jacksonville, North Carolina. She would leave the house at the corner of Queens Creek Road and Highway 24 at about 7:30 am each work day, and then return home about 5 pm. The drive was about 30 minutes each way, and she had a 30 minutes Lunch. *This was probably the time when she worked at Building 66, which was the “Naval Medical Field Research” Building. The short explanation was that they blew up army boot, with real human cadaver feet in them to measure the effects of an explosion on the human body. They probably did a bunch of other things we don’t really want to know about because I also got my Collie, which I called “Lassie” from one of the dogs that they used for testing purposes. The names of the people she worked with at Building 66 included Barbara Brainerd, Robin Short and Rip Jackson. **Rip Jackson helped her get Lassie, and some years later, she gave him the money and he bought fishing tackle for me which included a Penn Peerless No.9 Reel, a rod, a tackle box and assorted lures, of which there was a shiny white shrimp lure which had three pronged hooks. I still think that it would have scared away more fish than it would have attracted. I’m not sure that I ever caught a single fish with any of that tackle, but I still have the Penn reel. ***Mom took me out on Christmas morning and we went fishing at the Bogue Sound Fishing Peer (Atlantic Ocean). We didn’t catch anything and there was an old fisherman that was reeling one after another in… until we sidled up beside him, and scared the fish away. He moved.
She also worked as a secretary at the Labor Board, which was located at the entrance to Camp Lejeune (Main Gate). That building is no longer there, but was iconic for many years.
She worked several years at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. For several years she lived with her sister, Zeta Littleton, “Aunt Pete.” Aunt Pete’s home was at 521 Riverside Drive, and the Naval Hospital was about 35 blocks away near the other end of High Street. I don’t think they had opened London Blvd, which cut the travel time greatly. High Street had many stop lights for many but not all street blocks.
She was a fast reader. I recall once that I was sitting on a couch, reading a letter from my girlfriend Debbie, and my mother was standing behind me. I am a slow reader. At some point, my mom asked me a question about something that was in the letter, and I hadn’t gotten to that point yet. I pulled the letter from out of her view. I didn’t expect there to be anything that Debbie would say in a letter, that I might not want my mother to read, but I knew I didn’t want to take the chance.
She liked to work outside, in the yard. She might dig in the dirt and plant flowers around 204 Johnson Blvd. in Jacksonville, or mow the yard sometime with a small push mower. *I actually liked mowing the lawn, with either a push mower, or when mowing at Mary Ann’s, using one of their riding mowers. It’s relaxing to sit and think as you mow, and all you have to do is make sure you “don’t miss a spot.”
I do recall that once I moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina to work (in August of 1995) and there was no one living at 204 Johnson Blvd., I still kept a small mower in the house there. This worked for quite a while, maybe several years, but then one day when I came into the house in Jacksonville, I saw signs that someone had been sleeping in the house and there was a orange painted X-acto knife on the floor. I presume for protection. But, the small lawn mower was missing. Damn. I had to go to Sears in the Mall and found a used push mower for sale. It was about a horse power and a half stronger than the mower that had been stolen. It was a good price and I bought it.
I filled the new mower with gas, and checked the oil, and started to mow and to my surprise I finished mowing at least a half hour faster than I was used to completing the yard. It does make a difference when you have more power. The blade must cut easier through the grass. Almost imperceptible to the mower, but not to the overall process. I kept the new mower down at Mary Ann’s and would load it onto my truck (the Dodge RAM 1500 – Blue & Silver, extended cab) take it to Jacksonville, unload it an mow and then load it back up to return to Mary Ann’s barn in Hubert. This worked fine I think for a couple of years and then one day, I off loaded the mower from the truck, and then was unable to start it. I had to load it back up without having mowed the yard. I think I got Ray to mow, although he had other things to do.
Mom wasn’t a great cook, but she could make a delicious “fried chicken” dinner, and with that she made some good potato salad which would include large diced white potatoes, onion, sweet relish, mayo and some sugar. *I haven’t made any potato salad, or German potato salad in a while. I like both, but don’t need the starch. With the fried chicken and potato salad, we might have some corn (from the can or on the cob), garden peas, sliced tomato and some dinner rolls. And that’s another thing that I rarely have (if ever) those “store bought” dinner rolls. Maybe a little margarine spread on one.
Once or twice a year she would make a meal of corned beef, potatoes, and onion stew. I do recall us eating boiled crabs one time. She spread newspapers on the table and put the plates with the steamed crabs on the paper. As we broke the shells and ate the crab meat, we would put the shells around the plate on the paper. After we were done it was simple to remove the plates and cutlery, and then just fold the newspaper up with the shells inside and throw it all it the trash.
I don’t recall what our standard fare was for dining each night, but I know it improved greatly when we moved to Hubert to live with Aunt Sis (Carrie Kellum). Sis was a great cook. I recall after mom moved to Portsmouth to live and work, I remained in Hubert to finish my schooling at Swansboro. I would arrive back home about 4 pm each school day, after an hour ride on the yellow school bus, and rush inside to watch “Dark Shadows.” Before I went back to my room to watch TV, I would snag something to eat. And my Junior year, I got into the habit of mixing lemonade, without any sugar or sweetener, in a little round orange plastic jug. I think the jug was a promotional gimmick by one of the juice companies. It had a handle. I would drink a lot of unsweetened lemonade and the result must have been eating less and ultimately losing a bunch of weight.
I lost so much weight my Junior year that I was able to do “one handed” pull ups either over or under handed on the children’s swing at the side of my aunt’s house. I even thought about trying out for college football, but that was a really stupid idea that I never followed through on.
Each day, Sis would have at least two different meats on the stove, and three different veggies. It might be fried or stewed chicken, or some kind of cooked pork or beef, green beans, boiled potatoes, green lima beans, black eyed peas, corn, or tomatoes. As the week progressed, she would rotate the different veggies and at the end of the week, any left over veggies would probably go into a delicious vegetable soup. *We didn’t have Vidalia onions back then. I think she did cut up cucumbers & onion with a little vinegar and sugar. The vinegar would have been Apple Cider vinegar, and if we had sweet bell peppers they would have been green. They didn’t offer different colors of bell peppers until I was an adult.
The two main things I learned to love from my Aunt Sis, who was like my second momma, was the love of food, and the love of riding around in her car. For most of my life I’ve enjoyed getting in my car and riding around the neighborhood… and the neighborhood got further and further away from home through the years. I do love watching TV and movies on TV, but riding around is always sure to provide something new to see.
I’ve lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina for 30 years. My journeys have gotten progressively further from home in all directions. At points around the clock. 12 noon would be Raleigh, or maybe as far as Henderson, Oxford or Roxboro. Louisburg, Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Wilson, Greenville, Goldsboro, Mount Olive, Clinton, Elizabethtown, Whiteville, Tabor City, Conway (SC), Florence (SC), Bennettsville (SC), Cheraw (SC), Laurinburg, Hamlet, Rockingham, Albemarle, Robbins, Asheboro, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. I especially have fallen in love with Asheboro in the past year. But I also love Asheville and visited about five weeks before Hurricane Helene came through last year. A wonderful short visit, and a shame about the devastation.
David’s for breakfast05/12/25Randolph County LibrarySpicy Black Bean & Tomato SoupNo. 1 China Buffet
I like to eat at David’s for breakfast, and No. 1 Chinese Buffet in Asheboro. This Chinese restaurant reminds me of many of the Chinese restaurants I’ve eaten at through the years. I feel comfortable at the main library, reading the current issue of “Our State” Magazine. *Elizabeth Hudson, the current Editor, is from Asheboro originally. *I saw no current issue on the racks during this visit & I looked. I did look through a couple of cookbooks, one on bread. *It was a rainy day in Asheboro (05/12/25). I came back to Fayetteville via back roads through Coleridge and Bennett, with a little detour along the way.
Stitch Pattern Cams for Zig Zag Sewing Machine
Back to mom:
At some point, she bought a Singer Zig Zag sewing machine and learned how to make her dresses for work using Butterick, Simplicity & McCalls patterns. She would wait for the Pic-n-Pay or Thom McAnn stores to have their shoe sales that happened about every six months, and then buy several pairs of cheap shoes. Maybe even a dollar a pair. The pairs of shoes would last until the next shoe sale before they began to wear out.
Mom, Mustang in front of 521 Riverside Drive Portsmouth VA c1970
I’m not sure if she was ever “self conscious” about the cheap shoes & hand bags, and her homemade dresses. If so I don’t recall her saying so. But, as an adult (now) I would think that would have been in the mix. It’s human nature, but she did what she did. I guess you wear cheap shoes, and carry inexpensive purses, and wear dresses you’ve made so that you could give “Little Billie” a brand new car his Senior year.
I recall that my mom was a G.S. 4 along with a group of other secretaries and at some point they all got promoted to G.S. 5’s but she was not. It was never clear to me why, and I’m not sure it was clear to her either. It could have been office politics. *Mom would come home from work and then she would “unload” on me her adult problems. I’m not sure how old I was, but one day she had been telling me her problems and then she stopped and said, “You’re not listening to me.” My reply was that I didn’t listen to her the first time she told me something about her work problems. I said, the second time she repeated the story, I listened for key points, and the third time she repeated the story, I listened and asked questions (if I was interested). I’m not sure if this stopped her from dumping her adult problems on me.
She didn’t remarry, and the main reason I gleaned was because she was afraid of getting pregnant again. The doctors had told her she might die if she ever had another child. She never dated again, and I never recall her mentioning anyone who was a “love interest.”
My dad, Billy Gene Gibson, was much younger than my mother. He was a Marine when they met and then married. Mom was 39 years old when I was born and I always thought that was “old,” but through the years it’s no longer old to be 39 or older and have a baby. I think dad was 25 when I was born.
My dad left my mother shortly before I started 1st Grade, and I only saw him twice in 19 years after that. One time he came up from Georgia and we stood beside his car, parked by the old house on Queens Creek Road. That location would now be where the current Swansboro Burger King is located. *I recall three things from this visit:
Bill’s brother, Lewis, came up with him on this trip to N.C. Lewis was bald, and he was sleeping on the backseat of the car. I thought it was a mannequin laying on the seat and my dad and I had talked for a long while before Lewis moved. I jumped and said something to the effect, “I thought that was a dummy.”
At some point my dad pointed out, and picked up a silver dollar from the side of the road, and gave it to me. It was shiny and almost new looking. I think the date on it was 1885. At some later point I wanted to make it shinier and I started to shine it with sandpaper. Cringe if you need to. Yeah, it only took a stroke or two for me to see that the sandpaper was scratching the coin’s surface, and I stopped. I later also poured a coating of some painter’s oil on the coin and it gave it a brownish patina. *Years later, the thought came to me that my dad might have dropped the coin for me to find, but he never said anything about this. Still, it would be hard to imagine that an almost pristine silver dollar could lay in the dirt from about 1885 until the 1960’s untarnished.
My dad gave me a slot car and hand controller. The car had copper tubing for it’s frame and a plastic body that could easily be replaced. I think it was a Cox controller, which I seem to recall the sound of a spring inside it squeaking as you pressed the speed plunger. I never made it to the commercial slot car track at Ron-Cor in Jacksonville to try it out. Or, at least I don’t think I did.
My dad’s second visit happened on a Sunday when I was either in 11th or 12th Grade. He was dressed in a sports coat, and had a hat on. We rode around in his car for about an hour talking.
1964.5 Mustang 521 Riverside Drive Portsmouth VA c1970
My mom bought a brand new Ford Mustang, a 1964 1/2 model. A few did come out before 1965. It was Prairie Bronze in color and a 2+2 Fastback. She paid about $2,800 for the car which was about what she made in a year working as a secretary. It was the first car we had that had a rear seat that folded down so that you could put “long stuff” in the car that was in the trunk & car interior. Some young Marines stole the Mustang from our garage and took it for a “joy” ride and wrecked it over near the Stella bridge. Mom never thought the car ran quite as good after that. I think it had been turned on it’s side or upside down and the battery acid had leaked on the inside under the hood.
Amazing that brand new cars could go from being less than $3K a year to now $50K or more, easily.
I’ve had several cars in my lifetime that had fold down rear seats. The Mazda 626 had a split fold down seat. One side had a narrower fold down seat than the one beside it. The AMC Pacer (butterscotch in color) that we had had a fold down rear seat which provide a large area for carrying stuff.
My mom also bought me a brand new 1971 Pontiac LeMans (blue body and white roof) for my senior year at Swansboro High School. Oh my gosh! What a woman! I had the car for a year, and then when I started college, UNC-Chapel Hill in 1972, I couldn’t have a car as a Freshman, so mom took the LeMans.
It’s a little blurry, but one year (1970 – 72) mom was living and working up in Portsmouth, Virginia. She was still driving the Prairie Bronze Mustang. My prom (one of them) was coming up and she was supposed to drive down from Portsmouth so that I could drive the Mustang to the Prom.
It was getting to be late on a Friday, and when she finally drove up into Aunt Sis’s yard, she was driving a light blue Mustang. The story was that she had been taking the Mustang into the car dealer to have it tuned up for me, and someone had motioned her across lanes of traffic. She pulled out, and someone was coming and hit her. *I’ve never seen anyone bruised as badly as my mom. Her whole left side was a solid bruise. She must have been knocked hard against her driver’s side door during the impact.
They had repaired the car. Now that I think about it, it was in surprisingly good condition, except for the light blue paint job. She didn’t have time to let the paint dry and had to take it out to drive down, and sand had gotten in the wet paint and dried. It was like a rough light blue sandpaper. Oh, and the car was missing a couple of hub caps. Seems like we went out on Saturday morning and she bought a couple of used Mustang hub caps, so that I could drive the car to my prom. that night. *That must have been the prom in 1970 because mom bought the 1971 LeMans for my Senior year.
The John Yancey Motor Hotel on Atlantic Beach.
I must have confused the two proms. One prom I took Debbie, but the other I took Rida Ring. And one prom I took my date and Steve Cooper & his date and when I got to the prom, I had forgotten my tickets. Instead of going inside to straighten it all out, I let Steve out and drove all the way back to Sis’s to get my tickets. What a stupid ass. I could have saved all that time by just talking to a teacher and proving that I had paid for tickets later. The prom was at the John Yancey on Atlantic Beach which was closer to Atlantic Beach than to Bogue Sound, so that was a long way back and then back to the Prom.
I didn’t treat Rida well. I was selfish and inconsiderate. Nothing I can do about that now, but I am sorry and you were more than right to be angry at me.
At one of the proms, the Drifters were supposed to play. But, they had just come out with their new hit, “Far Away Places” and they backed out of our gig. I don’t recall who played, or if it was just recorded music. I didn’t realize until just now that this song had been made popular first by Bing Crosby back in 1948. But, this “Far Away Places” became “Beach Music” to me.
I just used Google Maps to figure out how many miles I drove one time on a date with Debbie. I was living in Hubert with my Aunt Sis. I drove down to Holly Lane in Cape Carteret to pick Debbie up at her house. We then drove back, through Hubert and in to Jacksonville to the Northwoods Rocking Chair Theater but nothing was playing that we wanted to see, so… We drove back through Hubert, through Cape Carteret and all the way down to Morehead City. We may have seen a movie down there (maybe not). But then I came back to Cape Carteret to drop Debbie off at her house, and then finally I drove back to Hubert. When I just mapped this route out it came to 116 miles and about 2 hours and 49 minutes of drive time. I don’t think we thought a thing about this. *I know we saw a Barbara Streisand movie down in Morehead City one time. It could have been the one with Omar Shariff. Maybe not because “Funny Girl” came out in 1968 and I wouldn’t have been driving yet.
This has nothing to do with Mother’s Day, my mom, or much of anything else. But, the prom that I took Debbie to, John Sharp, Steve Cooper and myself stayed in John’s dad’s camper at “the Point.” We drank Boone’s Farm Apple & Strawberry wine. The next morning I was going to see Debbie, but the new bridge hadn’t been opened to the public yet. John drove me to the beach side of the bridge and I had on my brand new black dress shoes that I had bought for the prom. They couldn’t drive across the bridge yet, so I started walking across the bridge and it didn’t take me too long before I wore blisters on the heels of both of my feet and had to take my new shoes off and walk barefoot. **Oh yeah, and John and Coop would have to drive all the way back to Atlantic Beach cross over and come back home on Highway 24. Not sure if they still had the auto ferry running, but I’ve always remembered this story as their having to drive all that way just because the new bridge wasn’t opened yet. ***No, if the ferry was still running, we would have just crossed over and I wouldn’t have had to walk.
So the DOT maintenance people had planted grass seed along the new road, and then spread out straw and then sprayed the straw with tar. This would keep the straw down on the ground protecting the new grass seed. Well, it didn’t take long for me walking barefoot through this straw and tar to have it cake on the bottoms of my feet and I didn’t need shoes. But, what a mess! I don’t recall how long it took me to get all that mess off my feet (days), but needless to say, I couldn’t go in the Sutton’s house. Debbie did drive me back home to Sis’s house in Hubert.
Steve Cooper died before our 20th Swansboro High School Class Reunion. I walked into the reunion and looked on the wall and saw Steve’s picture on the wall with about three other persons. I asked why his picture was on the wall and they told me he had died of a heart attack. *I guess that’s why we stopped conversing via emails. He was doing some interesting things with beaming home, color video, up to a satellite as it would pass overhead. Sort of a “high tech” version of Ham Radio. He also had a job working with a computer mainframe at (??? maybe) the University of Nebraska Hospital. Funny. I had just started my new job at Fayetteville State University for about $27K a year and he told me that as a signing bonus, the hospital had given him $27K. My yearly salary was his signing bonus. I think he was also married to a surgeon and that was at a $1 Mill a year salary, at least.
On steps in Portsmouth, VA c1930sOn the MercuryMom mowing at Morton Family Cemetery c1960sMorton Family Cemetery cPresent DayMom’s Grave Marker
I just noted in the above images that when mom was mowing at the cemetery, there is no headstone for her mother, but there appears to be a marker at that location. In the present day image of the cemetery, there is a marker for her mother in the same style as her father’s headstone.
I don’t recall “the Mercury” but, the story was that they used to park their car(s) on Johnson Blvd., in front of the house at 204 Johnson Blvd. That was until someone ran into the parked Mercury and totaled it. *I never thought to ask if the carport hadn’t existed before the Mercury was totaled, but if it had there would have been no reason to park on Johnson Blvd.
Sourdough bread generally has a lower glycemic index (around 54) compared to white bread (around 71) and even some whole wheat breads (also around 71). The GI measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels.
The fermentation process involved in making sourdough bread is believed to contribute to this lower GI. The bacteria in the sourdough starter consume some of the carbohydrates, and the acids produced during fermentation can slow down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.
This slower release of glucose into the bloodstream can help prevent sharp blood sugar spikes, which is beneficial for managing diabetes.
Other Potential Benefits:
Improved Digestion: The fermentation process can break down some of the gluten and phytates in wheat, potentially making sourdough bread easier to digest for some people.
Enhanced Nutrient Absorption: The reduction in phytates during fermentation may also improve the absorption of certain minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc.
Prebiotics: Sourdough starter contains prebiotics, which can feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut, promoting a healthy gut microbiome.
The sourdough English muffins did make a beautiful Bill McMuffin, and I especially enjoyed the fresh Hatfield ham, with the Wegman’s White American Cheese and an egg cooked in the onion cooker in my microwave.
I rarely eat two slices of bread when having a hamburger or other sandwich meat. I’ll put the hamburger on a single slice of bread and put the slices of sweet onion, mustard & catchup beside it. I use a fork and just cut up a little meat, and add the other items to it. It satisfies my hunger for a “tasty” burger and keeps my blood sugar a little lower.
SPROUTED BREADS
Low Sodium 7 Grain Sprouted Bread ALDIs
Lower Glycemic Index (GI): Sprouting grains can lower the glycemic index of bread. The GI measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. Foods with a lower GI are generally better for blood sugar control. Some sources indicate sprouted grains have a GI around 15 or 45, both considered low.
Higher Fiber Content: Sprouted grains often have a higher fiber content compared to non-sprouted refined grains. Fiber slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, leading to a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
Increased Nutrient Availability: The sprouting process can increase the bioavailability of certain nutrients, meaning your body can absorb them more easily. It can also reduce antinutrients like phytic acid, which can hinder mineral absorption.
Lower Carbohydrate Content: Sprouting can partially break down the starches in grains, potentially lowering the overall carbohydrate content compared to some other breads.
More Protein: Sprouted grains can have a slightly higher protein content, which can contribute to satiety and help manage blood sugar levels.
I really like the “Knock Your Sprouts Off” sprouted bread, but the slices are smaller than the Ezekiel 4:9 bread. The Ezekiel bread comes frozen. It has good flavor but slightly less flavorful than the “Knock” bread. I’ll eventually get tired of the seeded bread and put the fresh baked sourdough bread back in the mix. The Publix staff are willing to slice the loaves for me and only sell me a half loaf if I ask.
I’ve added a picture of a breakfast with egg salad on toasted bread, mashed avocado and sliced grape tomatoes. I make a good egg salad using two hard boiled eggs (about 9 minutes cooking time), Dukes Mayo, celery seeds, garlic powder, Dulse, ground Long Pepper & salt, and some grass fed butter. I may even throw in some Fenugreek & cayenne powder.
I’ve now added the possibility of the ALDIs Low-Sodium 7 Grain Sprouted Bread. Not sure if ALDIs is changing the name from “Knock Your Sprouts Off” to just “Sprouted 7 Grain” bread.
Thomas Keto Plain Bagel Thins
These were very good for my homemade pizza. Pizza @ Home (Cibatta Rolls) When you split one of these bagels, you have two thin layers of bread as a base. 2g Net Carbs, low calories and relatively low sodium.
BLUE CORN TORTILLA CHIPS
Glycemic Index: The Glycemic Index measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels.
Regular tortilla chips have a reported GI of around 70, which is considered high.
Blue corn tortilla chips have a reported GI of 42, which is considered low.
Anthocyanins: Blue corn contains anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that may help slow down digestion and absorption of glucose, potentially leading to a lower blood sugar response.
Whole Grain: Some blue corn tortilla chips are made with whole grain corn, which provides more fiber. Fiber can help regulate blood sugar levels.
The “Get Dippin’ Blue Corn Tortilla Chips” from Wegman’s had good flavor and they were shaped like little taco shell bowls (but much smaller).
I’ve tried the blue corn taco shells and they have good flavor, but they also break apart easily when eating them. I came across a Black Bean & Quinoa (and corn) recipe that also worked well with homemade salsa and quacamole. The quinoa dish has a good underlying flavor. Add a little sour cream and some blue corn chips and you’ve go a winner. I didn’t heat the taco shells so that may help them not break apart so easily. I need to find a microwave friendly taco shell warmer. Ceramic or microwave safe plastic?
NOTE [10/01/25]: I was in Lowe’s Foods in the Cleveland Area (where Hwy 42 and Hwy 50 intersect) today and as I went down on aisle, I saw these Tostitos Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and decided to buy a bag. How ortuitous. When I got the bag open and pulled out my first chip, it was enormous. And when I bit into it, it was delicious. In fact of all the blue corn tortilla chips I’ve tried, this was the best tasting blue corn chip I’ve ever tasted. Seems like all the others had some kind of aftertaste, some as if they had been burnt. If they can keep the quality of this chip like the first bag, I am hooked. And it has relatively little sodium, no sugars and the chip is salty enough to be satisfying.
Walmart has this brand listed online for $4.48.[end]
WONTON STRIPS
I use these on my Wakame Seaweed Salad and in various soups & stews. They have little nutritional value or fiber. They have no fiber, nor added sugar, and only a slight amount of sodium, but they do add a pleasing crunch. I think of them as a “freebie,” adding a little flavor & texture but not affecting the blood sugar levels negatively. *I’ve bought these at Walmart and now at $T.
TORTILLA STRIPS
I saw these multicolored tortilla strips on the salad bar at the IGA in Lillington a week or so ago. They had them for sale at IGA but I thought the price was a little high (over $3) so I decided to look elsewhere. I’ve now seen them at $T (but a smaller bag I think)
RICE THINS & CRACKERS
I thought the rice crackers were diabetic friendly, but I see from the AI that they are not. They do have a good flavor, especially the Black Sesame Rice Crackers. I don’t eat them very often any more. I have a couple of packages of polenta, but haven’t been eating that much lately either. I’ve tried heating the polenta up in my waffle iron, and it was good, but never browned nicely. *I’ve got a new waffle iron that heats & cooks quickly, and I’m going to try polenta in it. I also have a new Toaster/Air Fryer Oven and if the polenta waffles don’t brown, I might transfer them into the oven and see if they will brown up.
„Wie dumpf die Totenglocke tönt, horch, horch! Dem besten aller Könige, Georg!“
Solchermaßen hatte ein Bürger von Bristol in der „Morgenchronik“ seine poetischen wie auch seine patriotischen Gefühle ausgelebt; und am 30. Oktober 1760 wurde dann die Thronbesteigung eines neuen Georg gebührend, wenn auch recht bescheiden, gefeiert, indem das Fest die Stadtbehörden auf ganze hundertneunundzwanzig Pfund Sterling zu stehen kam. Diese Sparsamkeit der öffentlichen Hand (die ganz nach dem Sinn desjenigen war, zu dessen Ehren sie sich äußerte) wurde in den Kreisen der lebenslustigen Jungvolkes stark beanstandet, da dieses, durch den sich in die Länge ziehenden Krieg ohnehin um manche seiner Vergnügungen gebracht, sich berechtigt gefühlt hatte, bei dieser Gelegenheit wieder einmal seinen Übermut auszutoben, wie es von jeher – Krieg hin oder her – das Vorrecht der Jugend gewesen ist.
Weshalb sollte denn Bristol überhaupt sparen? Mit der Eroberung der französischen Besitzungen in Westindien hatte der Sklavenhandel einen unerhörten Aufschwung genommen, und nahezu die Hälfte der im laufenden Jahr von der britischen Schifffahrt verfrachteten sechsundzwanzigtausend Neger war auf Fahrzeugen aus Bristol befördert worden. Die von Dankbarkeit überfluteten Stadtväter von Bristol hatten hundertdreizehn Pfund bewilligt, um Pitt und dem Herzog von Newcastle, deren politischer Führung die aufsehenerregenden militärischen Erfolge in Indien, Amerika und Deutschland zugeschrieben wurden, in zwei Kästchen von feinster Goldschmiedearbeit das Ehrenbürgerrecht der Stadt zu überreichen. Hundertdreizehn Pfund für ein Paar Kassetten und hundertneunundzwanzig Pfund zur Feier der Thronbesteigung; ein gewisses Mißverhältnis in der Auswerfung öffentlicher Gelder ließ sich nicht übersehen. Man hielt dafür, diese hätten füglich dazu beitragen müssen, etwas Abwechslung in das trostlose Einerlei der Kriegszeit zu bringen.
Man war nachgerade ein wenig kriegsmüde; der Schreck der Rekrutenaushebung und die ersten bangen Monate waren vergessen; das Schauspiel sich einschiffender Truppen, gefühlvoller Abschiedsszenen, glorreich heimkehrender Krieger war mehr oder weniger verbraucht. Bristol hatte im Betrauern der Gefallenen
Translation:
FIRST CHAPTER
“As long as the death knell tolls, listen, listen! The best of all kings, George!”
In this way, a citizen of Bristol had given vent to his poetic as well as his patriotic feelings in the “Morning Chronicle”; and on October 30, 1760, the accession to the throne of a new George was celebrated fittingly, if rather modestly, in that the festivities cost the city authorities a total of one hundred and twenty-nine pounds sterling. This frugality on the part of the public purse (which was entirely in keeping with the sentiments of the one in whose honor it was expressed) was strongly criticized in the circles of the pleasure-loving young people, as they, already deprived of many of their amusements by the protracted war, felt entitled to indulge their high spirits once again on this occasion, as it had always been – war or no war – the prerogative of youth.
Why should Bristol have economized at all? With the conquest of the French possessions in the West Indies, the slave trade had taken an unprecedented upswing, and almost half of the twenty-six thousand negroes transported by British shipping in the current year had been carried on vessels from Bristol. The city fathers of Bristol, overflowing with gratitude, had approved one hundred and thirteen pounds to present the freedom of the city in two caskets of the finest goldsmith’s work to Pitt and the Duke of Newcastle, whose political leadership was credited with the sensational military successes in India, America, and Germany. One hundred and thirteen pounds for a pair of caskets and one hundred and twenty-nine pounds for the celebration of the accession to the throne; a certain disproportion in the allocation of public funds could not be overlooked. It was felt that these funds should rather have contributed to bringing some variety into the dreary monotony of wartime.
People were by now a little weary of the war; the dread of conscription and the first anxious months were forgotten; the spectacle of troops embarking, emotional farewell scenes, gloriously returning warriors had more or less lost their novelty. Bristol had in the mourning for the fallen…
There was a King George connected to the date of October 30, 1760. A few days before that date, King George II of Great Britain and Ireland had died.
His grandson, George III, ascended to the throne on that very same day, October 25, 1760 (the date you mentioned in the German text was October 30th, which would have been shortly after the ascension).
So, the text you provided likely refers to the celebration of King George III‘s ascension to the throne. The mention of the death knell in the opening lines (“Wie dumpf die Totenglocke tönt…”) probably alludes to the passing of King George II, immediately followed by the acclamation of the new monarch, George III (“Dem besten aller Könige, Georg!”).
It’s interesting to see how quickly news and sentiments regarding the monarchy were being recorded and likely discussed at the time, as reflected in the “Morgenchronik.”
I bought this book at the Scotland County Library in Laurinburg, North Carolina for $1. I had seen it when I had visited the library previously (several months ago). Not really sure of why I bought it.
Bill Gibson, II 