Bena Mae’s Kitchen: You are the wind beneath my wings

Every August I am reminded of the anniversary of the first column I wrote for the News Journal.
Looking back and reading my early entries, I am surprised that I lasted this long. But brother Don walked in where angels feared to tread and took a chance on me. In time, I wore out 4 computers, increased my vocabulary of cuss words (computer glitches and writer’s block) and made hundreds of friends over a vast area.
Every time I had a thought of giving it all up, I held off because of those friendships I had made. I would miss them. To paraphrase the words of Humphrey Bogart speaking to Claude Rains in the movie Casablanca, “ it was the beginning of a long friendship.’’
And the rewards were worth it. In my lowest moments, I still felt connected to my readers. Your loyalty lifted me up on days when I felt I had nothing left to give. It took me out of the isolation that illness imposes and made me focus on things other than my own misery. That, in itself, is a saving grace, because in thinking about what may interest others, you get outside of the bubble of depression and disconnect that illness can bring.
So thank you, dear reader for 23 years of friendship and support that have kept me writing each week. Truly. you are the wind beneath my wings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don and I talk about the change in worship services since the days when we grew up in Central Baptist Church in Corbin. I love the old church where I have so many happy memories, especially the hymns we sang which we sang by heart. We didn’t need a hymn book because the songs were all so familiar, the Old Rugged Cross, In the Garden, Abide With Me.
I love remembering those days when worship was more solemn and reverent, at least compared to what I see in worship services in many churches today. I don’t want to feel as if I’m at a rock concert when I’m worshiping the Almighty.
Several years ago I moved my membership from one of the largest churches in town because I was beginning to feel like a number. The church I moved to was much smaller, almost like family, with a personal atmosphere. And they still sang the old hymns. They took me in and I immediately felt at home. In the ensuing years when I became homebound, they have been a Godsend — I’ve told you of their many kindnesses toward me.
Living in an old house, It was just a matter of time before I was hit with an onslaught of household problems which I couldn’t fix. My church has a department in which a number of retired men make themselves available to the sick and elderly who live alone. They fix minor things around the house that a repairman would charge large sums and charge consultation fees to even walk in the door.
So I called the church and in a few days, they sent one of the retirees to fix my problems. He was most adept at plumbing and electrical work and spent two whole days taking care of anything that needed repairing. When I asked him what the cost was, he said there was no cost. “There are so many older people who live alone and need this service, that we have a special fund to take care of the costs.”
 I will be sending a donation to the fund so that it will keep going. Now this is what I call Christian outreach which I think all churches should adopt.
I couldn’t close this article without thanking my readers for the rewarding 23 years you have given me. Let’s stay in touch.

Tator Tot Casserole

1 lb. ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 – 4 cups of frozen onion tater tots
 
Brown meat and onion together.
Drain off fat.
Add ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic salt and paprika.
 Spoon into a greased 12×8 inch shallow casserole dish.
Spread undiluted soup over beef mixture.
Top with cheddar cheese.
Cover top of mixture with tater tots.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until tater tots are done and browned.