Coffe Pots, Sippy Cups and Roach Inhaling Tail Thumpers

Sometimes, the most ordinary of days can bring about the most unexpected hilarity......

“Ooo-lah-lah, am I ready for a fresh cup of coffee !”  Peggy Joy exclaimed as she plopped her two full bags of groceries down onto the kitchen counter.

“Me, too, Mama.  Let me get Eli into his high-chair, and I’ll whip us all up a quick bite to eat,”  Betty Jean chirped.

“How about peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches ?”  Betty Jean asked.  

“I’ll use that loaf of homemade bread you threw together last night, Mama,”  Betty Jean continued as she lifted Eli and got him situated into his high-chair.  It was the same old wooden antique high-chair Betty Jean and all of her siblings had learned to eat in while growing up.

Eli, smiled brightly, because he knew what being put into his high-chair meant.  Food !

Betty Jean kissed her wriggling son on his forehead, and handed him his colorful baby ring to play with, while she helped to prepare lunch.

Peggy Joy, unloaded her groceries and hurriedly put them away.  She removed her brand new 12 cup server Mr. Coffee machine from its box, and set to washing all of the elements she could.

“I have never used one of these contraptions before.  I really miss my old electric percolator.  But it bit the dust yesterday.  I saw an ad on t.v. talking about how wonderful the Mr. Coffee machine is, so, I thought I’d give it a try,”  Peggy Joy explained.

She looked over her shoulder grinning and said, “ And you, dear daughter of mine, are my first guinea pig.”

“Well, thanks for that special thought, Mama,”  Betty Jean laughed, as she spread crunchy peanut butter and homemade strawberry jam over thick slices of her Mother’s famous homemade bread.

“I sure do love this strawberry jam you put together this year, Mama.  It tastes a little different.  But I think I like this new batch best of all,”  Betty Jean added.

Peggy Joy, smiled, pleased by her Daughter’s compliment.  “Well, I put in less sugar, and added a little smidgeon of lemon to make it a little tarter, and keep the color of the jam brighter.”

Peggy Joy, grinned mischievously, “After all, a Good Cook is just a Good Chemist working with the World of the Senses.”

Betty Jean smiled widely, “Mama, everybody knows that you never follow a recipe.”

Peggy Joy nodded in affirmation, as she prepared the coffee.  “That’s right.  I never hold true to any recipe.  I always add a little more of this or a little less of that, but always keeping the overall Balance of whatever I’m creating in mind.  Then you mix it up, throw it into a cooking pan or the oven, and away you go !  Making many a Happy Tummy and Soul !”  Peggy Joy said exuberantly.

Betty Joy laughed outright, “Yes Ma’am.  So, I guess I’ll just have to come over the next time you make jam, and write down what I see you do that day.  “Cause you know me.  I’m a stickler for the Rules.”

“You surely are.  You got that from your Daddy’s side of the Family,”  Peggy Joy said happily.

Both women laughed together, as Eli squealed with delight, happy to be a part of their warm glee and camaraderie.

“Alright, Little Man.  Here is your P.J. sandwich, and Sippy Cup of cow’s milk.”  Betty Jean said playfully, while handing her Son his small sandwich and placing his Snoopy Dog Sippy Cup down on the tray in front of him. 

“Cow, go Mooooo, Mama,”  Eli said unexpectedly.

“That’s right, honey.  The Cow goes Mooooo,”  Betty Jean said.

“I just love these new talking books they have now.  Eli plays with his all of the time.  It teaches the ABC’s and all about animals and the sounds they make.  He really is a pretty good mimic, when it comes to making the animal sounds,”  Betty Jean relayed.

“Oh, that reminds, can you let Jake in ?  I’ve got to feed that old hound.  He may as well eat in here with all of us.  Eli will love that,”  Peggy Joy said.

“Yes, he will.  He loves that old dog.  Jake has the sweetest disposition.  I never worry about Eli being around him,”  Betty Jean said as she opened the back screen door.

Betty Jean did not have to call Jake.  He had been patiently waiting for the door to open.  He meandered into the kitchen, and said hello to Peggy Joy by bumping his head against her leg, and then went straight over to Eli and nudged the little Boy’s bare feet with his wet nose.

Eli squealed with delight, and tried to share his Snoopy Dog Sippy Cup with Jake.

“Eli, honey, let’s not do that.  Jake has his own food and water over here.  See ?”  Betty Jean said as she filled one of Jake’s bowl with food, and the other with fresh water.

“I just love those little Sippy Cups.  Eli, has taken to throwing his beverages down onto the floor every now and then to get Josh and My’s attention at home, particularly when Josh and I get caught up in conversation during our meals,”  Betty Jean confessed.

“And these Sippy Cups really help to manage the overall mess that can be made by open containers,”  Betty Jean added. 

As if he understood what his Mother was saying, Eli squealed happily and threw his Snoopy Dog Sippy Cup to the floor.

Jake immediately left his bowl and began lapping up the milk that had pooled onto the floor.

Betty Jean shoed Jake back over to his food bowl, and rinsed the Sippy Cup under hot water in the kitchen sink.  Wiping the Sippy Cup down she returned it to Eli saying,”  No sir.  That will not do, Young Man,”  Betty Jean chided.  “You eat your sandwich and I’ll hang onto your Sippy Cup for a bit until you need it,”  Betty Jean directed.

Eli, held out his hands reaching for his Sippy Cup while tossing his head and kicking his little legs ups and down saying, “My Moo-Moo.  My Moo-Moo.”

“No sir.  Not right now.  You eat your sandwich first.  Looky,”  Betty Jean said as she took a small bite out of Eli’s sandwich cooing, “Yummy, yummy in my tummy.”

“My tummy, Mama,”  Eli pouted.

“That’s right, your tummy, Eli,”  Betty Jean happily agreed as she handed her Son his sandwich.

Eli stuffed the sandwich into his mouth with a wide grin, saying, “My tummy, Mama.”

Betty Jean grinned and tickled Eli’s belly.  “Yes sir.  Eli’s tummy>“

“Is that coffee ready yet, Mama ?  I could sure use a little extra jolt of energy right about now,”  Betty Jean admitted.

“Almost.  This Mr. Coffee machine sure is fast.  Faster than my old percolator.  I used my Medium Roast Folger’s, now.  I don’t use any of those fancy coffees like you and Josh pick up at the world Imports store.”  Peggy Joy said lightly.

“Medium Roast Folger’s is fine, Mama.  You know me.  I’m not that particular as long as I get the little burst of energy I need,”  Betty Jean answered good-naturedly.

“Well, I washed it out, and I’ve got one of those unbleached coffee filters in it, that you suggested I switch to.  So, we’ll see.”  Peggy Joy replied.

Peggy Joy set her porcelain cream pitcher and sugar bowl with the delicate rose design down onto the table.

Betty Jean had already begun eating her peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich.  She paused and handed Eli his Snoopy Dog Sippy Cup, “Do not throw this Cup down onto the floor, Eli.  I mean it.”

Eli smiled shyly in compliance, and took a long gulp of milk out of his Sippy Cup.  When he was done, Eli held it up and pointed down to Jake, who, after completing his meal had located himself underneath Eli’s wooden high-chair.

“No, Eli.  Jake has had enough to eat, and enough of your milk,”  Betty Jean warned.

Upon hearing his name, Jake thumped his long tail on the wooden legs of the high-chair.

Eli laughed at Jake’s tail thumping, and said, “Awww - Awww,” just as he had heard his Mother and Daddy say endearingly from time to time.

“You are such a charmer, Young Man,” Betty Jean said as she tickled Eli’s tummy again.  And again, Eli squealed with happiness.

Peggy Joy set two cups of piping hot black coffee down onto the round oak table’s pretty flowered place mats saying, “I’ll let you doctor it up yourself today, Betty Jean.”

Betty Jean picked up her cup of coffee and smelled it.  “Oh Mama, I have never known Medium Roast Folger’s could smell so enticing.”

Peggy Joy poured a dab of cream and a half a teaspoon of sugar into her coffee and stirred.  After tapping the spoon on the side of her cup a couple of times, she took a big swig of coffee out of her cup, and smiled contentedly.

Betty Jean did the same.

“Oh my !”  Peggy Joy squeaked.

Betty Jean looked up to see her Mother remove something from her mouth with her cloth napkin.

“Oh my, It appears that my Medium Roast has a Medium Roach,”  Peggy joy declared disbelievingly, as she revealed the medium-sized dead, limp Roach in her napkin.

Betty Jean, didn’t mean to, but she chortled, saying, “Don’t worry, Mama.  It’s bound to be germ-free because it was boiled in very hot water, poor thing.”

“Poor thing ?!”  Peggy Joy spouted out agitatedly.  “Betty Jean, I almost swallowed that Roach whole.  I had a whole Roach floating around in my mouth.”

“Well, at least it wasn’t swimming around in there, Mama.  It wasn’t alive and kicking.  Now, that would have been awful.  Just awful,”  Betty Jean said quickly.

“Some cultures even eat Roaches, Mama.  They’re supposed to be a source of High Protein,”  Betty Jean continued to flounder.

“Protein ?!  Oh Lordy, I can’t believe I had that nasty thing in my mouth !”  Peggy Joy repeated incredulously.

“Jake, get on over here you old Tail-Thumper.  Get on over here, Boy,”  Peggy Joy cajoled.

“I’ve got a little Medium Roach Protein Corpse for you to nibble on, while I wash out my mouth and make a fresh pot of coffee,”  Peggy Joy announced.

Eli threw his Sippy Cup across the floor, and squealed with delight, as Jake slurped up his Medium Roach Protein Corpse treat, and went chasing after Eli’s Snoopy Dog Sippy Cup lapping up one milk spill after another, along the way.

Peggy Joy sighed,  “I surely do miss my old electric percolator.  Most times there’s nothing like the Tried and True.”

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[Chris]

Life in the "real" lane... TV does tend to glamorize doesn't it.