Joe and Laurie's Feast...

This is our oldest son, Joe and his lovely wife, Laurie. Joe is a good man. He's as conscientious as they come. He's thoughtful and practical.  He has a soft spot for his younger siblings- worries about them and is concerned for them. He's a good older brother.  He enjoys watching people and laughing at them.  Not in a bad way, but in a joyous way.  If that makes any sense.  He's a manager of a flea market and, let me say, he has plenty of joyous opportunities. He's a talented artist and likes to play video games.  (I have to admit I'm addicted to watching him play Destiny.) For the most part, he's serious.  He enjoys the simple things in life. Give him a box of Capri Sun juice pouches and he's a happy camper. 

Laurie is a dear girl.  Everyone likes her.  She has a sunny disposition but she sweats the details.  She's an organizational wonder and actually likes to wrap presents. (Guess who was a big help to me, this year? She also does the stocking stuffing around here.  Christmas Eve and she's rolled up her sleeves and with her superb organizational skills and talent to tend to the details she plows through a mountain of candy and toys.  With 13 stockings, that's no small feat. The thought of it completely overwhelms me.) Laurie has a definite dislike for shopping unless it involves books.  She's a homebody.  Loves the library.  A talented writer.  A great knitter.  She's a natural empathizer.  My daughters love the stuffin' out of her.  And that's an easy way to feel about her.

"Joe's Diner" was the theme of their feast.  "Flo" met us at the door with a tray, popping her gum and a note pad. She was dressed for the part of waitress in practical shoes. The table was covered in red and white table clothes with a couple of glass vases and tacky pink roses. Fifties music was playing and the pass through doubled as an order window.  Joe was "slinging hash" in the kitchen.  Flo called everyone "Hon."  The silverware was wrapped in napkins.  Extra napkins in a dispenser.  

She passed out the menus where all of the food was in diner slang.  It was up to us to decipher it. "Italian Breakfast"(pepperoni rolls) were the appetizers. "Murphy in a Bowl"(potato soup) was the entree with a side of "Bossy on a Board"(roast beef), "Noah's son on Bread"(ham), and "Thanksgiving Leftovers"(turkey) sandwiches.  

She'd be popping her gum as we ordered and then holler out to the Joe what to cook- something about driving it through Wisconsin(american cheese) or the Alps(Swiss) and through the garden(lettuce and tomatoes.)  It was so funny to hear what she would be yelling out next.  And just as funny to hear the short-order cook grouse about how she needed to slow down. A bell would ring "Order up!" and out came the food in plastic baskets lined with checkered paper- complete with a dill pickle spear.  All on a round tray, of course.  

The drinks were just as imaginatively named.  I'll let you guess what we drank: Atlanta Special, Atlanta Skinny, M.D., Moonshine, English Winter, Baby, and Adam's Ale.  I think Phil had high hopes for Adam's Ale- it was just tap water, though. His order of M.D. was more satisfying.

Dessert was "Spots"(chocolate chip cookies), "Clouds"(macaroons) and "Fat Santas"(two chocolate chip cookies with icing in between.) 

Her gifts were coloring pages and crayons.

See? They have talent for details. We had a good time "dining out" and the service was great.  We highly recommend Joe's Diner. 

William read James 4:17. To know what the right thing is, and not doing... well, that's wrong.  Think how much happier we'd all be if we just do what we know is right.