Grand Avenue by Mike Thompson for September 02, 2024

My brother and I made up the term ‘vulchpires,’ a cross between vultures and vampires, to scare each other, and other kids.

And it ain’t the vegetables the vultures want! (They don’t want to eat ’em, either!!)

I did this once (made the kid sit until they ate their broccoli). One of the mistakes in parenting I regret to this day.

I don’t remember ever seeing broccoli or any related vegetable on the table as a kid. This was the 1950s in northern Illinois, most fruits and vegetables came out of cans. Late summer roadside stands had sweet corn, apples, watermelon, rhubarb, grapes, etc. Dad’s company would give everyone a box of citrus for the holidays.

Put them in the cuff of your pants, then spread the rest of them around on your plate so it looks like less! :-)

I always had to stay until I ate my meat.

I missed out on so much because of allergies. I had to finish everything on my plate, even the stuff that made me sick. I was ’lying" of course.