Fleetwood......like the Cadillac

My name is Fleetwood...like the Cadillac.

That line got me many  years ago when I was 15 and Mark was 16 years old . We have been together ever since. We've been married 36 years and he is a great husband, provider, Daddy, Friend and the love of my life. He was very  good at his job and worked extremely  hard. I gave him plenty of motivation with 4 children in 6 years and plenty of medical bills.....  The  kids also like to eat.

Retired :  Before Mark retired, he did not  seem to know anything about my kitchen and did not seem curious  to find out. After retirement,  things changed.   It  is no longer my kitchen. It is our kitchen.  Turns out, he is better in the kitchen  than I ever was.  Now that he is in charge of the kitchen, it stays cleaner and is more organized. Sort of  wish I had learned that one earlier.  He is a great and creative cook, willing to try new recipes.  Me, I cook the same ole, same ole. I think that I may get  fired, or maybe I already have been fired; not sure, not complaining.

Friday, he took me fishing for  small bream for my Mom.  That is one of her favorite foods.  My policy is, I know that I can not out cook  Mom. So, when she comes to visit,  I try to have food that she can not get... like just caught, fresh, fried fish.

Saturday, he cooked fry fish and potatoes and hush puppies outside. I was on the inside where it was much cooler; cooking baked beans, pasta salads, Lobster dip and deviled eggs for the non fish-fry folks. Mom and my sister Barb had come into town for a family wedding.  The kids and grandkids  came to see Mom.  So we had a pretty large group to feed.  Mark stayed home with the grandkids, while the rest went to the wedding.

Sunday, after church and Sunday School and naps, we headed to Hahira to help someone that needed us to check on an estate.  We stopped by and visited my Uncle James and Aunt Evelyn.  Mark  knows how much I love them and  that  Uncle  James  has been sick. Uncle James looks much better than the last time we visited. It was a great visit except for Mark having  to catch Uncle James  when he  fell.  I sure am glad Mark was there to catch him. They gave us a huge bag of pears from the same tree that I got pears from when I was a little girl.

Monday, I had a Doctor appointment (broke elbow better) and Bible study and then picked up the grandbabies.  When I got home, Mark  had  peeled all of the pears. He had half of them on the stove cooking and the other half in the fridge. He had pork roast with veggies in the oven to feed Clint and Anna for supper. He also cleaned the kitchen and started mowing the yard.  Olivia helped him mow the rest of the yard.

Tuesday,  we did a long early morning walk because it felt like first day of Fall. Then  I went to my Bible study and lunch with the ladies.  When I got back, he had dug and parched some  peanuts and shelled the rest.  He cooked the rest of the pears and they were ready for canning. We put up 13 jars of pear preserves.

 I think he deserve a reward for all of his hard work. It is time to get back on the road. So, this week we will be going to Madison for the Flea across Florida show. Then, next week we will be heading to Pennsylvania  for a two week buying trip. We  love using this business as an excuse to travel.

 I grew to love my "Cadillac" while we were very young.  But I really love my classic "Cadillac"  much better.