N.B. This section is a prologue to the original “Culinary Adventures of the Frian’ Friar…it is the beginning of my book which has been in the works since 2005!  This section as well as the entire site is still under construction and remains a “work in progress”!

1.THE TRENTON YEARS

Some of the snippets of stories that I remember are still clear in my mind and piece together the colorful collage…the story of my life’s journey and adventures. The Trenton years were magical.

As early as I can remember I was an adventurous kid. Growing up in the small rural town of Trenton Illinois, there were also a world of challenges and adventures for us kids. When my dad came back from the war in Europe he brought me an Army flashlight.  After I took it apart and figured out how to reassemble it, I decided to try it out. I remember that I was either 3 or 4 years old, and one evening, after supper, I walked out the back door, past the chicken coup, and set out to find my grandparents house.  Even though their house was only 300 yards or so down the back alley I was not deterred by the night noises or the darkness. I had my new flashlight and I was fearless.  As I approached their house I walked through the garden, up to the house, and knocked on the door.  I heard someone come to the door and saw my grandfather with a broad smile.  “Well, I’ll be, where is your dad?”  “He’s home watching TV, I said, so I came over to see you by myself.  My flashlight lighted the way.”  As I entered the kitchen I smelled the aroma of fresh baked bread. Even today I remember, almost seventy years later,  the smells, the warmth, and the welcoming atmosphere of my grandparents home.

Early on my parents both worked.  After the war my father drove a parts truck for Broadhead Motor Company of St. Louis Missouri. They sold Ford Motor Company parts and were a parts distributor for the surrounding area.  My mother who…TBC…