You know the song. It has been raining for the past two days. Not a soft, misting rain...no most of the time if it has been raining we are talking a "pair 'em up, Noah" type rain. The horses have requested swim fins. Our area had been in a drought, so this rain is welcome, but I think we are caught up.
The rain didn't dampen the spirits at the annual Lard Can Supper, either. My folks have done "lard cans" for years. It basically is boiled supper. We do it outside on a campfire. In my childhood days, mom and dad did it in actual lard cans. When they resurrected the tradition 4 years ago, they got lard cans from an Amish hardware store. (great excuse to visit Amish country). We have now refined the system further. We now use turkey frying pots. They are great since they come with an inside basket and a thermometer.
We have everyone sign-up to bring onions, cabbage, green beans, carrots and potatoes. Mom and dad pick up sweet corn and everyone brings meats such as polish sausage, smoked sausage or smokey links. We carefully stand the corn up along the edges and then add layers of the veggies and meat. The pots are filled with water and then placed on a grate over the wood fire. It typically takes about an hour and a half to get everything cooked. It is a great time for fellowship while waiting for the food to cook. This year we had 52 people attend, of which, 21 were kids. They have a blast playing ball, getting four-wheeler rides and searching mom's gardens for the caterpillars that will become Monarch butterflies.
The rain didn't dampen the spirits at the annual Lard Can Supper, either. My folks have done "lard cans" for years. It basically is boiled supper. We do it outside on a campfire. In my childhood days, mom and dad did it in actual lard cans. When they resurrected the tradition 4 years ago, they got lard cans from an Amish hardware store. (great excuse to visit Amish country). We have now refined the system further. We now use turkey frying pots. They are great since they come with an inside basket and a thermometer.
We have everyone sign-up to bring onions, cabbage, green beans, carrots and potatoes. Mom and dad pick up sweet corn and everyone brings meats such as polish sausage, smoked sausage or smokey links. We carefully stand the corn up along the edges and then add layers of the veggies and meat. The pots are filled with water and then placed on a grate over the wood fire. It typically takes about an hour and a half to get everything cooked. It is a great time for fellowship while waiting for the food to cook. This year we had 52 people attend, of which, 21 were kids. They have a blast playing ball, getting four-wheeler rides and searching mom's gardens for the caterpillars that will become Monarch butterflies.
This year there was the added excitement of an orphaned kitten. The poor thing was hungry, and a quick call to a member of our church who is a retired veterinarian was made for the right mixture to feed it. It was a well-loved kitten. Happily, the mother returned the next morning and took it back with the rest of its siblings.
The showers came and went during the evening, but we managed to eat our dinners in the front yard. We ended the evening eating freshly made pies (my mom loves to make pies) in mom and dads garage. It was tough to see the night end, as it is always anticipated by everyone. I come away from it each year sensing that this is just a touch of what fellowship in Heaven will be with our friends and loved ones.
The showers came and went during the evening, but we managed to eat our dinners in the front yard. We ended the evening eating freshly made pies (my mom loves to make pies) in mom and dads garage. It was tough to see the night end, as it is always anticipated by everyone. I come away from it each year sensing that this is just a touch of what fellowship in Heaven will be with our friends and loved ones.
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