Halloween Surprise

We've had some technical issues in the course of the upgrade to a new frequency at Radio Free Nashville. My friend and "radio mate" T.J. Kirby's planned Halloween afternoon show was a casualty of those issues. So with his afternoon free, he called me and asked "want to go for a good meal?". I said sure, why not. When all else fails, eat, is what I say.

I met T.J. and Rene at their place, got in their car and rode with them. We started in the direction of Kingston Springs. It seemed like maybe we were heading to Sonic again, as we've often done lately. Nope--went past it. We didn't stop at the nearby Mexican restaurant, either...another wrong guess. We got on the freeway and T.J. said he and Rene had a surprise for me. Fine by me. When it comes down to food, I'm game for most things...except foods which are onion or egg-heavy (as they hear from me all the time!).

The surprise was a visit to some of Rene's relatives, who were having a southern catfish fry in a huge barn. The spread was enormous and incredibly delicious: fried catfish, fries, chicken, cole slaw, white beans, turnip greens, macaroni and cheese, and a host of desserts. For a chow hound like me, it was paradise. There was also a lot of warmth and southern hospitality.

It wasn't just about the food, though. It was about continuing love and friendship being shown to me by angels in my life who know of my ongoing difficult circumstances. When certain parts of your life get tough, you have to look at the "big picture". In the midst of challenges, be grateful and focus on those things that are blessings. Sometimes that's easier said than done. But it's what keeps you going.