Pot Luck?

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By David S Edge

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We’ve all probably attended a potluck dinner; get together, family reunion, ball game, tailgate, or some combination of these types of events. Everybody brings something to share. There’s always the hardcore group that says everything has to be homemade from scratch, and then there’s the group that says “Hey, just bring something, even if it’s a bucket of chicken!” Point was, it was a group get-together of friends or family. If you attended these events they made up part of what made you… you.

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Growing up in the 50s and 60s, I can remember these events being a huge affair with hundreds of family, 1st and 2nd cousins, aunts and uncles all showing up at someone’s house or farm for a full day of renewing friendships, catching up on the news, new babies, who got married, and who we lost from the previous year. It was a good time for friends, relatives, and fellowship.

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We boys would help our grandfather and uncle set up saw horses with wood planks for temporary tables as there was one big long table set up that would eventually be covered with different brightly covered tablecloths brought by the women. Then every type of southern-cooked food you could imagine showed up, and you could eat until you busted. The dessert tables were always my favorite with all kinds of pie, cake, cookies, as well as we kids would take turns on the old hand-cranked ice cream machine. There’s nothing like a homemade peach cobbler with a scoop of fresh ice cream!

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The old men would gather and swap lies about who caught the biggest fish or had the best hunt, and then there would be the storytelling, and there was serious laughing as some real southern whoppers were told (anybody remember Jerry Clower?) I can remember laughing until my insides hurt. This was all the while someone was pitching horseshoes, shooting target practice, skipping rope, going back and forth on a tire swing, or playing fun old-fashioned games. Sack races anyone?
After lunch, the ladies would pull out quilting material and several quilts were made in just one day by these ladies, who of course, discussed family matters about everyone else…who was not in the room (hummmm gossip might be too strong of a word… nope!)

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We were together as a family: whether it be by blood, marriage, or by friendship. You could get help from the mechanic, the nurse, or the carpenter. It was a community of experts you could trust because… they were family.

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Come to our potluck office of services! Our family of advisors can assist you with a whole smorgasbord of retirement services and you can select what you want help with or not! Medicare, Retirement Income Planning, Wills, Trusts, Life Insurance, Powers of Attorney for health or financial, and DORs. Most of these services are at no charge, so there’s no reason to worry about a “consultation fee”. Call us! We’re here to help!