Old Dogs And Children And Watermelon Wine !

“Old Dogs and children and watermelon wine” is an old song lyric.

Tom T. Hall sang, rather he recited it and I have always loved the sentiment behind it.

“There wasn’t anyone around ‘cept this old man and me
The guy who ran the bar was watchin’ “ironsides” on tv
Uninvited, he sat down and opened up his mind
On old dogs and children and watermelon wine”

“Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes;
God bless little children while they’re still too young to hate.”
When he moved away I found my pen and copied down that line
‘Bout old dogs and children and watermelon wine.”

I couldn’t help but think about that song as I prepared this post and reminisced about my childhood and watermelon and yes, old dogs.

We always had dogs while growing up on the farm.

Usually more than two, more like three or four dogs.

And though I have never drank watermelon wine…I have eaten my share of watermelon.

 Memorial Day is just around the corner.

That means picnics, fireworks and summer fun.

I saw these cute little watermelon salad plates (on-line of course) and I couldn’t resist them. 

Reminded me of my younger days, spitting out the seeds on the steps of the front porch, with watermelon juice running down my arms to my elbows. 

We would have a galvanized wash tub filled with ice, holding several round watermelons of dark green color and a lighter green oblong watermelon.

Sigh!

We used to argue over which watermelon was sweeter, as all of our family gathered around, passing salt shakers to those who wanted to enhance the wonderful watermelon flavor.

We sat on the ground, the steps, the grass…anywhere near the tub of watermelons and close to Grandpa welding the large machete looking butcher knife he used to cut open the ripe watermelons.

We were always ready for another hunk of watermelon.

We didn’t even mind the fly or two, that we would swat away with our sticky hands, knowing the garden hose was close by and a quick “hose down” prepared us to start over again with a new slice.

Yes, …. those were wonderful times.

Warm summer evenings sitting on the porch and eating ice cold watermelon! 

But these days, I just eat watermelon without salt…I happen to like it better and it is better for anyone with high blood pressure. 

The ignorance of yesteryear and the perils of today! 

We used to do a lot of things like that when I was growing up. 

Did you ever take the salt shaker to the garden and pluck fresh tomatoes off the vine, douse them with salt and eat them right there with the juices from the tomato dripping down your chin? 

Yep! 

Me Too!!!!

So you can imagine my pleasure at setting this tablescape using watermelon salad plates. 

This tablescape was so easy to put together once I had the watermelon plates. 

I folded my blue and white gingham napkins into a flatware holder and put red handled flatware in the pockets. 

Aren’t the ice cream cones cute? 

The red and white gingham tablecloth is an old stand-by along with the blue and white striped iced tea jug. This crock has held just about every drink imaginable….especially lemonade!

I sat the jug on a star shaped serving bowl.  One does not need fancy cake plates, etc, just use what you have on hand to give items varying heights for interest. 

I used red dinner plates topped with white salad plates and then put the cute little watermelon plates on top of the stack. 

I used two of these overturned serving dishes as pedestals.

I used red and white polka dot drinking glasses and the little white Adirondack chairs for more interest.

I have used them several times and they can be seen in the tablescape here. 

The menu will be simple!    

Fried Chicken, potato salad, baked beans…. poolside on our lanai while watching our favorite baseball team the Kansas City Royals… OR hamburgers, hot dogs and potato chips.  

And I mustn’t forget the watermelon! 

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and as a little girl, I went with my grandmother, mom, and aunts to help “decorate” the graves of loved ones who passed away.

Originally, Memorial Day was/is a day of remembrance of those soldiers who fought and died for our country.

We must never forget them…

  

After the visit to the cemetery, we would go home to a large family picnic.

I LOVE picnics.

Such wonderful family memories and reunions, always centered around food.

I talked with “oldest son” in the Midwest today and he told me they are blocking off their street for Memorial Day and having a BBQ Rib block party!  

What fun those are.  

We used to do that regularly and I am so happy to see a tradition carried on in this day and age when so many traditional times have been eliminated from our Holiday fun.

Are you doing anything special for Memorial Day? 

OK, I have to ask…..Have you ever made or drank watermelon wine?

Share please, I love to hear from you. Comments are always welcome. 🙂 

Have a great and wonderful Holiday!!