The Good Intentions of the Grandmother!

Why does my son's car smell of BEER!? Well, it could be due to the good intentions of the GRANDMOTHER!!! You see, the Grandmother decided to make the road trip with Josh on Tuesday from Florida to West Virginia. The Grandmother had several plastic zip-lock bags of "Amish Friendship Bread" starters stored in a plastic bucket in the back seat. That means, fermented flour, sugar, and milk! The Grandmother's good intentions were to bake, bake, bake many loaves of bread once she arrived at her sister's home. Well, the "starters" had a plan of their own! Late evening, after some time in "higher altitudes", Josh asked the Grandmother if she heard that strange noise coming from the back seat. She did! What she saw when she looked behind them was astonishing! The plastic zip-lock bags had expanded during the trip. (This reminds me of my first trip to Mexico. Details may show up in a separate post.) The white bread starter was oozing out of the zipped part of each bag and had popped the top off the plastic bucket the Grandmother had stored them in! The white "stuff" had even spilled out onto my son's backseat! The smell was obnoxiously strong! If any of you have ever participated in prepping and baking the Friendship Bread, then you know the mixture smells like "beer" after a few days of sitting out on your counter. (My friend Kim calls it "Happy Bread" because of the fermentation!) The Grandmother started yelling, "Josh, take the next exit! We've got to clean up a mess." He exited and they cleaned as well as they could with bottled water and paper towels which the Grandmother had brought along. They then had to drive with the car windows down, trying to air out the poor car. The next day, they were able to clean the upholstery better and the situation (smell) seems to now be under control; but oh, what a story, memory, and laugh the Grandmother and Josh have to share! The Grandmother told me she was worried that if they got pulled over for an infraction, the officer would ask if they were drinking and driving, due to the odor being so similar to that of beer!

I felt bad for the Grandmother when she told me this story over the phone last night. She had prepped and planned to bake this delicious bread and distribute it to her brother's and sister's while visiting them. At least her intentions were good. Readers, take heed! If you're going to travel from Florida to the mountains, please refrain from packing any fermented bread starter!

I've posted a few photos to show the special bond that has developed over the years between my son and my mom, better known in this post as 'THE GRANDMOTHER'!

The Grandmother and Josh at Tampa International Airport ready for their flight down to Venezuela to visit guess who? (Rita and crew) Notice the big, black and gray action packers? These were staple luggage for anyone stateside flying down to see my sister. They were usually full of peanut butter and jelly jars, school curriculum, and many ingredients for traditional American holidays. (Gravy mix packets, pumpkin pie filling, Stove Top dressing (Clint's preference). The Grandmother has also taken big items down to the kids, i.e. inflatable kayaks, solar panels, etc.

The Grandmother, with Tom, Kaden, and Bianca, at Josh's Sr. year homecoming basketball game and ceremony.

The Grandmother cheers Josh on at a baseball game. The Grandfather is there as well.

The Grandmother with Jayde and Josh at a Cathedral's concert in Orlando. (If you click to enlarge this photo, you can see that Josh is sick in this photo. His eyes were peaked and his lips red from fever. I remember Josh was a real trooper this night. He slept during most of the concert. Come to find out, he had a sore throat and fever that had developed during that afternoon ride to Orlando. )

The Grandmother was a fan who went to all of Josh's football games.

A visit from the Grandmother many years ago. (YES! They're seated on the toilet-lid closed of course! I must have taken this right after Joshy's bath time.)

Josh and the Grandmother on his sixth birthday. He was so happy to receive his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Skateboard! Also, in the photo is the Great-Grandmother Lula who is now in heaven.

NOW I JUST WISH I HAD A PHOTO OF THIS LATEST FERMENTATION INCIDENT TO ADD TO THE POST!