Believers in the Bell

God bless my grandparents. They have made a nice living starting from nothing. Both of my dad's parents came from farming families. Married with children at a very young age, they worked hard and saved a lot. Frugal doesn't even begin to describe them. Despite this, I have to respect the fact that they are good stewards of the blessings God has bestowed upon them.

Retirement is one such blessing. On any given day in the city of Monroe, NC, the exact location of my grandparents can be determined merely by what meal it is.

For breakfast, the senior citizens all gather at Bojangles for their coffee and whatever scrumptious morsel their Bingo coupons were redeemable for that morning. (Yes, they get together once a week to play Bingo and win coupons for Bojangles breakfast. My grandmother is rather proud of her station as she has moved up the ranks to now being the Bingo Caller. She says some of the really old women try to cheat, but she lets them slide...she's 72.)

Lunch is another story. Taco Bell seems to be the poison of choice for this meal. Although Taco Bell doesn't have Bingo, they do seem to favor their regulars. My dad and I met up for a quick bite tonight at said Taco Bell. I asked if Grandmother and Granddaddy still came a lot. He laughed and pointed to the wall at the rear of the restaurant. I got a little closer and noticed this...

There is a caption under the photo that says, "We can count on these two EVERY day of the week. Thank you!" I just started laughing. The only thing that came to my mind is what my Granddaddy calls it: LIVING OFF THE LAND. Having grown up farming, it's all he knew. He said with the senior discounts, coupons, and favoritism they can usually eat for about two bucks a day. He said it's not as hard as farming, but it's still living off the land. :-) (No clue how he does this since he's diabetic and manages it only through maintaining his diet, but he does. He's 75 and could out-run me.)

Love them!