Hometown Memories: Mud Pies

I’ve known my best friend, Cathy, since we were four years old. We met through our moms who became acquaintances at the school our brothers attended. We used to wave to each other at the school as we waited by our mom’s side but didn’t see each other socially.

Well, one day after our older siblings had been dropped off for their afternoon kindergarten class, my mother invited her and her mother to stop by the house for awhile. They did. And while the moms were hanging around the kitchen sipping coffee and chit-chatting about oh-so-boring grownup stuff, Cathy and I hung out in my room enjoying fun kid stuff. Like making mud pies that we baked and cooled on the windowsill. That is my earliest memory of her. Little did I know at the time that it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that is still going strong 46 years later. And counting.

Incidentally, here is the mud pie recipe, in case anyone is interested:

Mix ½ a cup of mud with a ¼ cup of water until smooth and pour into a toy pie plate. Sprinkle with lots of giggles and oodles of childhood imagination, and place in a pretend oven (a windowsill will do) to bake. The pie will be done when laughter subsides and you’re ready to move onto the next imaginary game.