Missing Montana

I have never been to Montana. I have it in my head to go to Montana. This longing is nothing new as it goes back several years, fueled perhaps by too many years living in towns and cities.

As a young girl, I grew up living in the country—rural Alabama to be precise. My dad bought 20 acres and built a house on the land after he got out of the Air Force. From the age of five until 18 when I went away to college, I lived there, roaming the woods unto my self for the most part. I was an only child, close to my grandpa and grandma, who took care of me while my mom went off to her breadwinner job at Maxwell Air Force Base in nearby Montgomery. My dad never seemed to be able to make a go at much we judge success by—the War left him wounded without the visible signs. He never was the same says an aunt.

So, with rose-colored glasses, I look back on a sometimes lonely childhood. But it is what molded me and I appreciate quiet, nature, and time for reflection. Maybe that is what draws me to Montana. I think if Montana is anywhere as pretty as the pictures, I might find what I seek.

Road Trip to Mobile

Just back from a small road trip to Mobile with my better half. Funny, but the main draw was to go to Morrison's Cafeteria. We left at 5 a.m. yesterday in order to get to the printer's by 8 a.m. for a press check.

When I was a kid, my mom would take me to Morrison's after a day of shopping. It was my reward for enduring what seemed like hours in the the tiny ladies' dressing room at J.C. Penney's. My mom had to shop on Saturdays since she worked full time as a secretary during the week in an age when most moms stayed at home. She was the main breadwinner, and she made sure I had whatever I needed. I never did acquire her love for shopping. But I did love those Saturday meals of trout almondine and macaroni and cheese and coconut cream pie.

Anyway, Mobile still has a Morrison's. The rest of the chain was taken over by Piccadilly and was never the same. This one, however, is pretty close to what I remembered. Good roast beef and potatoes and pie. Tons of old folks as you might expect at a cafeteria. For dinner, the printer's sales rep and his wife took us to Ed's. This is a fish place overlooking Mobile Bay with great fresh seafood and a typical beach decor.

I didn't see much of Mobile, but I would want to go back and check it out sometime.