Black Eyed Peas

No, I'm not singin' "My Humps." Rather, it's New Years Day and I'm about to eat black-eyed peas. Surrounded by ham, they're getting all soft in my Crock Pot as I type. You see, Chrisy's grandmother, Geraldine Parker, always said, "You gotta have your black-eyed peas on New Years Day and then, you'll have enough money for the upcoming year." It's a southern thing. Geraldine was from Arkansas. What a remarkable woman she was too. She left us on June 9, 2003, a sad day, but the way I see it is that two of my kids actually got to know their great-grandmother: Max for 7 years; Wes for 5 years! How cool is that? Chrisy loved Geraldine dearly and I was very fond of her too. Black-eyed peas were not the only thing. She had a bunch of great sayings and I still hear her voice when I think of them. My all-time favorite is what she would say if you actually had the audacity to say you wanted something that you were not likely too get. For example, let's say I was sitting there at Thanksgiving and I said, "I really wish I had an iPod." Geraldine would say, "Well, shit in one hand and wish in the other and see which hand gets filled faster!" Classic! If you think about it, what that really means is: Be happy with what you have. Why sit wishing? Geraldine also made the single best pecan pie I've ever eaten too. That's saying a lot because I've been a coinsurer of pecan pie since I was in high school. I mean I used to frequently ditch class and head over to Marie Calendar's for a slice of pecan pie with a buddy (okay, we had the munchies a lot). But, wow, that pecan pie Geraldine made is the stuff of legends. As for the black-eyed peas . . . No, I'm not superstitious at all. I think God is in control, not some bean (Black-eyed peas aren't peas at all. Did you know that?); however, it's about tradition now, that and remembering the late great Geraldine.

I've got this thought. Tonight maybe one of my kids might say, "Dad, I don't like black-eyed peas. I wish we could have something else for dinner." My response, of course: "Well, shit in one hand and wish in the other . . . ." Naw, I wouldn't really say that.

Serving suggestion: douse with Tabasco and soak up with warm corn bread.