The Works

I'm sure I don't need to inform you that today is the 24th of July. The date may not hold much significance for you, but it does to me and my family.

In the history of my church, this day holds great significance. It was on this day in 1847 that Brigham Young led the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley.

And it is also the birthday of my sister's family's German foreign exchange student.

The children and I celebrated the day by attending the traditional 24th of July Breakfast Reunion hosted by the husband's side of the family. Such sadness for the husband, as he had to go to work. ( in order to finance the outings the children and I are so fond of taking- many thanks to the husband.)

It was a fun breakfast reunion. With lots of pancakes, bacon and sausage.

And then for lunch, we again celebrated by eating bologna sandwiches. Not really a tradition- it's just that bologna was in the refrigerator.

Let me tell you a little something about bologna. I haven't eaten bologna since the 80s. To be honest, I didn't know they still made bologna. But they do. And we found it in Grandma's fridge.

When I was younger, I had a sister (actually, even now that I am older, I still have this sister- although she is not the same sister with the German foreign exchange student) who used to make bologna sandwiches ALL. THE. TIME.

I'm not talking your ordinary bologna sandwich. She was the queen of the bologna sandwich. She made them with "the works". If you know what I mean. Do you?

"The works" would include lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo, mustard and sometimes sprouts. And whatever else was in the fridge- because the fridge was the home of "the works". And my mom stocked a mean fridge.

I never really loved bologna, but when I would see my sister walk in with her sandwich that included all the fixings- "the works", if you will- I suddenly craved bologna sandwiches. The only problem was that I was too lazy to make one myself. So, I found a clever way to score a little bologna-on-white with "the works".

All I had to do was work my magic and say to my sis, "You make the best bologna sandwiches this side of the Mississippi- I just don't know how to make them like you do. Would you make one for me?"

And she would say, "OK. What do you want on it?"

I would reply, "The Works."

And off she would go into the kitchen. To fix my bologna with "the works" while I sat back and waited patiently.

It was a brilliant plan.

Until she caught on to my little scheme.

She doesn't make me bologna sandwiches anymore. But she is an awesome sister.

I would say she has "the works"!