Fudge, Furys, and Friday Nights

Several years ago I had a great idea.  I was gonna learn how to make old fashioned fudge (with corn syrup and real butter, etc).  I grew up in a very middle class family in Raytown, Missouri,  and our “big treat” items were fudge and popcorn (popped from kernels) made with real butter.  Plus we had a Mugs Up drive in root beer joint where we could go for nickel root beer on Friday nights.  We thought we were WAY cool going to Mugs Up in 1960 in my dad’s brand new 1960 Plymouth Fury!

Awesome, huh?!

Old fashioned fudge became a big treat on Friday nights while we watched “Gunsmoke”.   

 

My dad wasn’t big into sports, but he loved cowboy shows, so that’s what we watched.  I still love a good cowboy movie today (Tombstone with Kurt Russel l and Val Kilmer is my fav).  I still remember how yummy the hot fudge tasted.

 

So my great idea was for me to give my kids great memories with popcorn and old fashioned fudge, too.  Somewhere around 1984 I started making old fashioned fudge.  At least I tried to make old fashioned fudge.  Turns out it’s a little like watching a pro tennis match.  At first you think, how hard could this be? The first 20 times I flopped the fudge I started to realize I was missing something.  

I called my Mom.  She told me how to do it.

I tried 10 more times.  These were not consecutive tries, but were all done on Friday nights.  

No luck.

I called my Mom. She told me how to do it. She asked me if any of the batches had been eatable.

Well…

In the beginning the kids would run in and watch me make the fudge.  Sometimes it was too runny and they could spoon it out.  Other times it was rock hard and I had to throw it out.  Eventually, the kids got older (and wiser) and said, “let us know if we should come”. 

I was determined not to give up.  So I kept trying. I  got so desperate I WATCHED my Mom make old fashioned fudge.  

Then I went back home (we lived about 3 hours from Kansas City) and I would try again.   

Still no luck.

Eventually I admitted defeat and started making fudge with marshmallow cream and chip chocolates. My Mom still makes that better too, but I came a little closer with that recipe.

I was kinda disappointed when I finally threw in the towel.  I talked to God about my disappointment.  The conclusion I came to is, “you win some, you lose some, and a few get rained out.”

I think it’s called life. 

What was interesting is that learning to talk to God about my disappointments is a crucial part of our relationship.  I learned that God cares about every small disappointment I experience.  I realized that God wants to walk WITH me in the middle of my disappointments.  I think it's called heaven.