Sunday, June 13, 2010

Speed's Kitchen


10/19/09: When we drove home on Sunday, we stopped to eat at Poppy's favorite place to eat in all of the world. It's called Speed's Kitchen at Shellman Bluff, which is at the end of the world. It started out in a single wide trailer but the food, anything fried, and the best crabmeat stuffed flounder you can imagine, pretty much put Speed's on the map, and after a few years, they added another single wide to form a sort of tee and have more dining area. We ate there every chance we could, even though Poppy always ordered the stuffed flounder, and it took a hour to get it. (They waited until they had a whole tray and cooked it in batches). We spent many an hour alone and with friends, waiting on Poppy's flounder. They let you brown bag, so we had cocktails and ate crab stew while we visited and just plane enjoyed ourselves. When they added a room onto the front, we refused to sit in there. We waited to be seated in the old section, usually at the same table.

On Homer Nelson's birthday one year, we had a party of sorts in the "back room." There were several couples, and we were having a really good time. At some point, Kay Nelson stood up and snapped this photo of Poppy and Miss Virginia, our favorite waitress. (We always asked for her).

Have you ever seen any two people look any happier? Kay gave the picture to Miss Virginia, and she chose to hang it on the wall in the restaurant. Yes, Poppy was, and still is, a celebrity at Speed's Kitchen. When I saw it on Sunday afternoon, tears ran down my face, both of joy and sadness. Miss Virginia died at about the same time as Poppy, and they took that photo to the funeral! I asked to borrow it and scan it so I could have a copy of my own, and Linda and Karen (the owners) very sweetly said I could. I scanned it, went to Michael's to get a better looking frame, and I'm mailing it back today.

Such memories! Look at that smile and you will know why I loved Clint so much and why I am having such a hard time with his death. He was such a presence, filled up every room he entered and always brought an aura of good will and good times. I miss him in ways that are impossible to describe, and I don't understand how I can keep hurting more and more. I'm finding more good memories, but I am still bruised and broken in my heart.

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