What do you eat on Thursdays?
There was a song we sang when we were kids about what you eat on different days of the week. The song repeats the earlier verses, like the song about the twelve days of Christmas. I think there were a variety of ways this song was sung, but here are the elements of the song as we sang them where I was raised. Monday is bread and butter. Tuesday is string beans. Wednesday is soup. Thursday is roast beef; Friday is fish, and Saturday is ice cream. I guess, since Sunday is a day of rest, nobody eats; the song says Sunday is church.
For me, Sunday is church, but I still eat on Sundays. In fact, where I attend church, before we had to close our doors for gatherings such as church services, we had a luncheon every 4th Sunday of the month. People in the church always volunteered to prepare the 4th Sunday Luncheon, which was $5 a plate. It was fun, always good food, and a great opportunity for us to visit with each other after church service on Sunday.
Eating together is the most sociable thing people can do. It is around the food table where people open up and are made to feel comfortable with each other. That is why restaurants are such great places for people to enjoy. It’s not just the great food they want; they want a place where they can eat TOGETHER.
At the Tribune office, we’ve had many potlucks and enjoyed a lot of food together over the years. Recently, Tyler Takeda decided to make every Thursday a day for barbecue. So, as long as we adequately compliment him on his great cooking, he will provide some delicious barbecue for us every Thursday. Yum! (You got to do what you got to do.)
According to the song, Thursday requires roast beef, but our Tyler hasn’t brought us roast beef yet. His gig is barbecue, so maybe I will bring us roast beef to eat with our string beans on Tuesday next week.
I have been very concerned about our society lately, for lots of reasons, but mainly because of our need to be together. We are sociable folks, and we love to gather together and eat, drink, and be merry. Most of our holidays involve the food table, and gatherings of friends and family. It seems to me that when we are unable to gather and enjoy our meals and gatherings, we are not really ourselves. We become prone to despondency and sadness. It is discouraging to be isolated from our loved ones, whether they be church families, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, or relatives.
Keep in touch with others. Stay connected with loved ones and friends. If you can’t eat together right now, talk about what you would eat if you were together. You can sing our song about food. In case you need to know the song, here are the lyrics:
Today is Monday, today is Monday.
Monday bread and butter,
Everybody happy, well I should say!
Today is Tuesday, today is Tuesday.
Tuesday string beans,
Monday bread and butter.
Everybody happy, well I should say!
Today is Wednesday, today is Wednesday.
Wednesday soup,
Tuesday string beans,
Monday bread and butter.
Everybody happy, well I should say!
Today is Thursday today is Thursday,
Thursday roast beef,
Wednesday soup,
Tuesday string beans,
Monday bread and butter.
Everybody happy, well I should say!
Today is Friday, today is Friday,
Friday fish,
Thursday roast beef,
Wednesday soup,
Tuesday string beans,
Monday bread and butter.
Everybody happy, well I should say!
Today is Saturday, today is Saturday,
Saturday ice cream,
Friday fish,
Thursday roast beef,
Wednesday soup,
Tuesday string beans,
Monday bread and butter.
Everybody happy, well I should say!
Today is Sunday, today is Sunday,
Sunday church,
Saturday ice cream,
Friday fish,
Thursday roast beef,
Wednesday soup,
Tuesday string beans,
Monday bread and butter.
Everybody happy, well I should say!
Looks like a whole meal, and you complete it with a day in church. How much better can it be?
Have a great week!
— My love to all,
Nancy
• • •
“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:7
