For My Friends...

I hope you know who you are and what you mean to me.

From sunny Florida—Happy New Year!

But before I go, here's a little story my mother in law told me. If you're an old movie buff, you'll get it. If not, well...

My wife's grandmother fried chicken at the famous Brookville hotel, back when it was actually in Brookville (a few years ago, they relocated it to Abilene due to sewer issues). People came from all around Kansas to eat Brookville chicken and corn and coleslaw and my mother in law said her mom always came home smelling like fried chicken.

Back in the mid 50's, they filmed a movie in Salina, KS called Picnic. Maybe you've heard of it. Starred William Holden and Kim (sigh) Novak. One day William Holden came in for dinner. My mother in law can still remember that day when she was probably about 12. I'm paraphrasing, but it went something like this:

"They were shooting Picnic over by Salina and Bill Holden came in one evening. He'd heard so much about the fried chicken that he just had to try it. He came in the kitchen and I was back there with my mom. It was so hot. And Bill Holden came in and put his hand on the back of my head. My God! I said I'd never was my hair again. He was so handsome."

My in-laws and my own parents—none of them had much growing up. Sometimes, all it took was a touch on the head to make life a little more bearable. How simple. How real.

And below is a sunflower from the Sunflower State, out by Kanopolis Lake in Kanopolis, KS, where my wife grew up. If it's cold and a little dreary where you are, then this brief pictorial is my simple little gift to you.

Stay chill.