My Indiana Trip & Visiting Imogene

I got home late Sunday night from five fun-filled days visiting relatives in Indiana.

As I shared last week, I went back home to Indiana to visit Imogene.

One week ago on Wednesday I surprised Imogene and spent the afternoon with her. She has fallen twice since I was there last year so she spends most of her time in a wheelchair. She has made a remarkable recovery especially at age 92.

She doesn’t go out very much, if at all. Since I was there by myself and was not on a schedule, I made myself available if she wanted to go anywhere. After a little encouragement because I’m sure you know how much her generation “doesn’t want to be a burden” she finally said “I sure would like to have some good food at Gray’s.”

Gray Brothers Cafeteria is a local landmark in Mooresville, Indiana.

Photo of Gray’s sign came from this fun food blog.

Cafeterias are not my favorite kind of restaurants. I actually refuse to eat at them here in Georgia. (Another one of my issues…for another day.)

But Gray Brothers is different. I love it.

PhilBillPaul loves cafeterias so I had to take a picture of our food so I could show him I had his favorite chicken and noodles (and corn and potatoes and a roll and butterscotch pie if you’re taking inventory.)

I found a far better picture of their food at RoadFood.com which is a fun site that features reviews the kind of down-home restaurants we love.

“A tray of lunch, Gray Brothers-style. Clockwise from the bottom left: candied beets, dinner roll, banana cream pie, orange chiffon Jell-O, lemonade, chicken with cornbread dressing.”
– Michael Stern

Imogene had those candied beets (yuck) and jello salad and fried potatoes and strawberry pie with her chicken and noodles. My photography skills really didn’t do justice to our meal.

Yes, it does appear that we might have thought this was our last meal. I’m happy to report it wasn’t. We actually took some beets, jello salad and pie back to her room.

Everything was absolutely delicious and words cannot describe what it meant to me to get to spend the afternoon with her and take her out to dinner.

The waitress took our picture and I’ve already ordered two 5 x7 prints that I’m framing–one for me and one for her!

Life Lesson (LL): In spite of gas prices and a nine hour drive, the trip was worth every moment I got to spend with Imogene and other relatives!

Share a Life Lesson (SALL): Any trip you’ve taken or are planning to take to visit someone special in your life?