crunchy Salt Port lilly

Crunchy Salt Port Lilly

fiction
edward w pritchard

You know your poor when you can't even afford popcorn. My Father's family came from Great Britain originally but despite the great intelligence of some of them they ended up poor down there in the small but beautiful mountains of West Virginia. One of their favorite foods was Crunchy Salt Port Lilly and it was the remainder of corn after all the useful parts had been used for other food manufacture for people and animals.

My dad's family had a lot of people in it. Ten people or so in the immediate family. They never all gathered together at the same time when I was a boy so I couldn't ever keep them straight and I was never sure if they existed at all. I only heard one sentence factoids of something extraordinary they had once done such as cut a candy bar in ten pieces so everyone could get a treat at Christmas. Another thing they used to do was gently tussle over who could eat the most crunchy Salt Port Lilly. It came in large 100 pound bags like oats for a horse might come in and in a couple of days for snacks my Father's family could eat a whole bag of those tasty morsels of Crunchy Salt Port Lilly.

Of course when I was a boy I didn't appreciate things and didn't like the dry hulky, husky taste of the dry hulls and remainder of corn and my Dad used to chastise me that I better learn to enjoy what I had. I always wanted a whole candy bar for myself. Having never grew up in the Great depression I never learned to value the simple things sent by god to the poor folks like Crunchy Salt Port Lilly.

Too bad because now I need to learn to be content with what I have. I have been outwitted by too many people who take and grab in a business deal like they had three rotating hands. Its a skill they learn in business school I think.

Anyway this weekend I think I am going to stop down West Virginia way and try to find a sack of that good ole Crunchy Salt Port Lilly. I think if I am careful a small bag will last me a long time for snacks and things.
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