Pharm Cooking: Late night visits, shoe repair are commonplace at Greenhaws
By LOU GREENHAW
Contributing writer
When we sent our younger son, Carson, to Tabor College, we wondered if it would be as if he were in college in another town or would he be home a lot. The answer is both.
Sometimes we go weeks without seeing or talking to him. Then when things aren't so busy at Tabor or he wants to use a free washer and dryer, he shows up at home. Laundry is usually on a Sunday afternoon, but the other times have only one thread that binds them. It is usually late at night!
Let me define "late." I get in my pajamas between 9 and 10 and usually watch the 10 o'clock news from bed and go to sleep around 10:30. Carson and his friends usually arrive sometime during the news. They usually come over to watch a movie in the basement, which is no big deal.
However, the more unusual thing is that he brings them all into the bedroom to meet us! I think I could walk across campus at Tabor unnoticed in street clothes, but with no makeup and a pair of pajamas on, half the student body would recognize me!
Actually, it doesn't bother me to be seen in pajamas. I'm from a family where pajamas among friends is considered dressed. Also my pajamas don't even come close to anything in the Victoria's Secret catalog.
Some of his friends are a little hesitant about charging into the bedroom, others will plop down on the bed. Carson is good about introductions, but I'm afraid I'm not at my best on remembering at that point.
I wonder what students whose parents don't live in town do during a crisis. Sunday morning we had just such a crisis at 6:30. We have always gotten up at the same time every,day including Sundays and I make a big breakfast for the family and we head to the first service at Parkview between 8 and 8:15 depending of what each of us needs to do at church before service begins. So last Sunday we were already up and going strong at 6:30.
In walks Carson in a tuxedo and tennis shoes carrying his dress shoes. He was to sing with the Tabor choir at Inman and Buhler and was to leave at 6:50. The sole of one of his shoes was off from the toe through the instep. Being his father's son, he had come home looking for duct tape!
My husband, Steve, took the opportunity to further educate his son in the fine art of repair. He informed him that on black shoes, he should use electrical tape! I suggested Super Glue, and the three of us proceeded to put the shoe back together and get him out the door at 6:45. Yes, the shoe had been that way for over a week, but he didn't need to wear them until Sunday so why fix solve the problem early.
The choir trip is next week, so I urged him to call some tuxedo stores to see if he could get a used pair before the trip. He may not find electrical tape and Super Glue while touring!
I guess all families have their quirks. One good thing about my family is that they love rhubarb, and so do I. The spring rhubarb will be in the stores soon, and I use frozen in the meantime so we can enjoy it year around. I always make a rhubarb dessert for Steve for Valentine's Day. It's so hard to buy for someone who already has all the duct tape he needs!
RHUBARB CRUNCH
4 cups rhubarb, cut up
1 3-ounce package strawberry Jell-O
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 two-layer yellow or white cake mix
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup water
Combine rhubarb, Jell-O and sugar. Spread in a 9 by 13 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over and pour melted margarine over the cake mix. Pour the water over that. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. The rhubarb should be soft and the top of the crust golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or at room temperature with whipped topping.
