Who would think this innocent scenario could cause so much consternation for Grandma G. Study it....too many hats? too many jackets? too many places to hang things? too many pictures on the wall? too many tables to put things on? It's a LONG story....actually started Sunday, August 30.
The highly anticipated "dumpling feed" at Debbie's house happened that day. When Angie was still in Ireland she wrote a list of foods she wanted after she returned home. She wanted dumplings so badly over there that she was smelling them one evening. But there was no food around.
To make dumplings one needs dry bread....the amount depends on how many one is making....how many one is making depends on how many people are eating them AND who those people are. If they are the Millers then one needs many more dumplings than one would need for the average family. They are dumpling lovers...dumplings with sour gravy....
To obtain the needed dry bread Gram G bought 6 loaves of white bread three days before the meal. She then laid them out to dry for a couple days. 
On that Sunday she played Dumpling Santa with her white bag of bread.... 
A big roaster (or 3) of baked pork chops with garlic, caraway seed, a few gravy packets and water is a major part of the meal.
BUT.....
SOUR GRAVY
MAKES THE MEAL.....
I have described and discussed "sour gravy" in past posts. Basically it is large quantities of beef broth stirred into flour browned with lard and flavored with allspice and cider vinegar.
(That has evolved for me from my mother-in-law's recipe using boiled venison ribs.)
An ample quantity of cooked sauerkraut binds the meal together. (Back in Wisconsin, that was homemade kraut.)
Debbie had started cooking the pork and kraut and peeled 15 lbs of potatoes before I arrived. I simply had to break up the 6 leaves of bread into small pieces, mix in the blended potatoes and shape into balls to boil. And make the sour gravy.
Deb invited her co-worker,Kim and family, and traveling health worker, Lawanda, for their first dumpling meal. Angie also invited Jacob for his first D meal. Would they like them? Devour them as the Millers do?
How many dumplings did we make? 35? 84? 62? 50?
There is a prize of a golden dollar for whoever guesses the closest.
The gathering was also to welcome Angie home and to receive our gifts she bought for us.
We were all smiles that she returned home safely.....
She brought matching "parka in a pocket" for us grandmas. Now we won't know which one we are. How confusing is that?
THE DUMPLING GANG....
(OH, Micaela, you shine brighter than the rest of us...)
_____________________________________
NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.....
The next day I was eager to look at all the fun pictures we had taken Sunday and to post the story. I went to get the camera out of my purse....no camera. Hmmm.....checked again. checked all the counter tops...no camera. checked my jacket pocket...no camera. Must have left it at Deb's.
A few days later Angie was coming over so I asked her to check at her house for it. She didn't see it. I was over there a few days later....couldn't find it. I asked Deb if she had put it somewhere. Nope. Now it was the following Monday and I was going on my "whale of a day" on Tuesday. If necessary I would have to buy a new camera.
I asked myself Monday morning, what had I been wearing lately? What did I wear at Deb's on that Sunday since that is the last I saw it?
Then I remembered...the "parka in a pocket" stayed on me for the rest of the evening. When it came time to go home the weather was a bit chilly so I also put on a blue windbreaker I had along. The blue windbreaker, ey? The one just hanging out with the other jackets? Hmmm....Well, would you look at that? Seems there is an abandoned camera in the pocket....
Yeah! fun pictures....blog time.... no new camera needed.....
But that was 5 days ago.
NOW FOR THE conclusion of the REST OF THE STORY......
This Friday was a busy, interrupted day....9:30 dentist/ 11:40 chiropractor/1PM take Ted for his oil change and tune up/ have Gram Carole pick me up for lunch with Angie and Micaela/ pick up Ted (my little SUV).
There's Micaela...lunch at Thai Little Home
While we were chatting it was decided we would all go say goodbye to Lawanda at Deb's place of work. She would be returning to South Carolina the next day.
The Miller ladies with Lawanda.....
Just smile and pretend everything is alright......
It's all good family fun......in 95 degree weather....
And THAT, folks, is the rest of this story......
We had fun getting to know Lawanda these past 7 weeks....
Ya'all come back to visit, ya hear??
This has been a good several "dumpling gang" days in the life of Grandma G.
"Taking the fives loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, he [Jesus] gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over." (Luke 9: 16 & 17)
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