donforrester1947 posted: " Yesterday morning, the General and I met Randy and Wanda, our previous next-door neighbors, at the Chess Club in Blanco for breakfast. If you're not a local, you may be confused. I suspect from casual observation of a packed parking lot o" Carpe Diem
Yesterday morning, the General and I met Randy and Wanda, our previous next-door neighbors, at the Chess Club in Blanco for breakfast. If you're not a local, you may be confused. I suspect from casual observation of a packed parking lot on most days, it is easy to ascertain that the Chess Club's reputation for being closing akin to home-cooking is a fair assessment.
For starters, the restaurant is located in a nondescript old house with a front porch on Highway 281 next door to the Dollar General. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. - five days a week. Reportedly, the owners of the restaurant wanted balance in their lives. They didn't want to be tied to the restaurant 24/7.
Breakfast at the Chess Club is standard fair for Randy and Wanda. They generally eat there every Saturday morning. They are punctual! They arrive at 7:50 a.m. and sit at one of the tables on the front porch. If you wait thirty minutes to arrive, you may find yourself waiting that long for a table.
Yesterday morning, we opted to stay seated at one of tables on the front porch. The General and I have eaten at the Chess Club many times, but until yesterday, I had never noticed there are tables on the front porch. I guess I need to pay closer attention.
We see Randy and Wanda regularly at church, but somehow sitting around a table with just the four of us sharing breakfast seemed like old times. Before the pandemic, our sharing a meal was not that rare and making an unannounced visit simply to say hello was customary.
While sharing breakfast, Randy mentioned they were heading to Dallas for a funeral later in the day. He asked if I remembered one of the young men who spoke at his mother's funeral. He had been one of his mother's piano students. Interestingly, I did remember.
When you think of neighbors and friends as extended family, the tie that binds are significant and special. Truth be told, life is too short not to take that approach with most people. We are created to be people needy, and inclusion always works best.
I can't believe that we've been in our home for four months, and they haven't seen the place since we moved in. For whatever reason, I didn't extend an invitation, not that we wouldn't have welcomed the shared time.
Wanda mentioned that the last time they were there, the stairway was being torn out. Did I mention that the day was memorable for lots of reasons and none of them were good? We were scheduled to close on the house that day but closing got moved out another month.
All of that now seems like a distant memory. The General is three-weeks out from completing her cancer treatment. We are both ready to move-on with our lives and reclaim the importance of sharing times and spaces with others.
Randy and Wanda did come by to look at the house. They were both complimentary and surprised. The house looks a lot more modern than the last one, and that observation wasn't related to indoor plumbing. The walls are painted Sherwin Williams Pure White, and we have uncovered windows.
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