A Total Solution For All the Hands I’ve Had to Grab Before I Could Grab a Plate

Poem by Jason McCall

First published in “Gravy for Breakfast,” the e-newsletter of Southern Foodways Alliance.

There are the nieces and cousins happy to be included in the circle to show they can hold hands and hold their eyes shut during the prayer like the big kids they’re watching from the corner of their squinted eyes.

There are the teenage boys who never know how to hold a hand without squeezing or pulling away at the first syllable of “amen.”

There are the grandparents and aunts and uncles whose hands carry my family history of failures and factories and fieldwork and footholds all cashed in to buy us a seat at the table, to buy the table, to buy the food on the table, to buy the gas and tickets and hotels it took to make sure we were all at the table.

There are hands that you’ll swear are bigger every year. Hands you’ll swear aren’t getting smaller every year.

Hands that talk and tell you “I love you,” “I missed you,” “I know you didn’t mean it,” “I know you meant it, but you can’t stop me from loving you” just by the way they tap the back of your hand before locking your fingers in place.

Hands that feel like a door closing and leaving the weight of a wet winter in the yard. Hands that feel like a door opening and setting you free into the first bite of spring.

KLINE TOURS

YELLOWSTONE, GRAND TETONS, JACKSON HOLE, CODY

Sunday- Friday July 16-21 $3799 per person (double occupancy), includes: Five nights lodging including 2 nights in Jackson Hole, three nights in Cody. 10 Meals, roundtrip airport transportation, roundtrip airfare, Cowboy show at Bar T5 Ranch, Grand Teton Wildlife tour, Grand Teton National Park, float trip on the Majestic Snake River, Yellowstone National Park, Irma Hotel, trolley tour of Cody, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cowboy Music Revue, and Cody Nite Rodeo.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Sunday –Thursday September 16-22 $1379 per person (double occupancy). Includes: 8 Meals,. 5 Shows: Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud, Comedy Barn, Country Tonight, Soul of Motown and Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage dinner show. Tour of Smoky Mountains, Titanic, Dollywood Admission

HOMESTEAD MIAMI SPEEDWAY

Sunday October 22 for the NASCAR Cup Series 400 . Race time 2:30 p.m. with departures from the Sarasota-Bradenton area and Largo. $249 per person includes grandstand seat in Turn 4, pit pass and roundtrip motorcoach transportation. A portion of ticket proceeds is being donated to the American Legion to benefit Veterans programs. This trip is open to everyone. to purchase.

BRANSON

Sunday October 15- Thursday October 19. $1829 per person (double occupancy) includes: Roundtrip air and airport transportation.4 nights lodging at Grand Victorian, nine meals, seven shows including Oak Ridge Boys, Neil Diamond Tribute, Clay Cooper, Pierce Arrow presents Decades, Doug Gabriel, Esther at Sight & Sound, Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, AK with Holy Land Tour, Dogwood Canyon, shopping, Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

SAN ANTONIO & DALLAS

Sunday September 24- Friday September 29. 6 days/ 5 nights includes 3 nights on Riverwalk and 2 nights in Dallas. $2249 per person (double occupancy includes: roundtrip airfare roundtrip airport transportation, five nights lodging including three on the Riverwalk ,nine meals, Tours of San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth. Alamo, Imax film “The Price of Freedom”, El Mercardo, private canal barge, Southfork Ranch, George W. Bush Library, Sixth Floor Museum, Cowboys Stadium Tour, Billy Bob’s Texas, free time on the Riverwalk

KLINE TOURS

(727)-439-5520 | www. klinetours.net/floridadepartures

Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No ST43118

Serving the Florida Gulf Coast

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