While one of my nephews was working in Chicago in the sixties, he met, fell in love with, and married a beautiful girl. Joni had lived in Chicago all her life. He brought her home for visits, and then would return to Illinois. Everyone here loved her.
As their anniversary was approaching, Joni wanted to do something for her husband Orrin that would remind him of back home. She knew he missed the hills of Oklahoma very much.
Joni picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hyello," answered a female voice of sweet Southern music played to the tune of an Okie accent...
"Hi, this is Joni. Is this Grandma Louise?"
"No chile, this hyear's Granny Loner. Louise has gone to Aint Connie's house fer Quiltin'."
"Granny Loaner?" Joni asked, not familiar with the name.
"No, Granny Loner."
"Oh, Granny Lona."
"Yes, chile, that's what I said."
"Is Uncle Earl there?"
"No, him and Aaron went noodlin' in Rush Creek."
"Granny, could you suggest something I could make that would remind Orrin of back home in Oklahoma?"
"Shore, chile! Make him a bait of biled okrie. Hit was his favorite when he was to home."
Not sure if she understood, Joni repeated, "A bait of biled okrie?"
"Shore 'nuff, chile. I got to go now, the dog's is a barkin' and they's been some varmint after my banty pullets! Bye now, you give some sugar to Orrin fer me!"
"Bye, Granny." Joni answered, hanging up the phone.
Joni knew that Orrin often made his own bait, but she had no idea what a bait of biled okrie was. Suddenly, she remembered that her cousin Tony from New York had spent his Army basic training in Louisiana.
Joni picked up the phone and dialed.
"Yeah?" answered a male voice.
"Tony? This is your cousin Joni."
"Hey! How youse doin'?"
"We're doing great. Listen, the reason I called, I wanted to make Orrin something special called a 'bait of biled okrie'. I know you spent some time in the South. Any idea what it is?"
"Biled... oh wait, you mean berled okra."
"Burled?"
"No, berled."
"Oh, boiled!"
'That's what I said. Those Southern boys loved it. Youse can probably get some okra at the Farmers Market there."
"Tony! Thank you!"
"Fugitt about it. We'll see youse at the re-union"
Joni went to the Farmers Market in Chicago, found a vendor selling okra, and asked how long to boil it.
"Just till it gets tender. Slice it up, and be careful of the slime. I don't sell too much of this. I grow it more for the novelty."
Joni carried her prize home. She had been thinking of how to concoct her bait. Suddenly, an idea! Since most of Orrin's home-made baits smelled of fish, she would add a can of cat food to the boiling mixture!
Joni wasn't sure about slicing the okra. Since they were long..somethings, she sliced the pods lengthwise. Immediately a slime began to form.
"Eww. No wonder they use this for fish bait."
She took the slices, and began to rinse them. The slime seemed to increase. She placed the slices in water, added a can of cat food, and boiled the mixture until the okra was tender. The slime increased in volume. As she was removing it from the heat to cool, the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Russell, this is Miss Kowalski, Joy's principal. I'm afraid she has been fighting again. One of the children she fought will require stitches. According to our 'No Tolerance' policy for fighting, Joy will be expelled for three days. You must come pick her up immediately!"
"Is Joy o.k.? What happened?"
"She hasn't a scratch on her. It seems as though some boys were teasing her, one called her a dumb hillbilly, and she attacked all five of them. The three that were knocked unconscious were x-rayed, but they don't seem to have a concussion."
"I'll be right there!"
As Joni was reaching for her purse, her husband Orrin came through the front door.
"Sweetheart, the school called, Joy beat up five boys in school."
Orrin said, Youd thank sixteen-year old kids would know better."
Joni hurriedly spoke, "I've got to run pick her up. I made you a bait of boiled okra; its cooling on the stove. I made up the recipe myself. If you like it, I think I'll share my recipe with your Mom!"
Ten minutes later, Orrin was on the phone, "Ma, if Joni gives you an okrie recipe, don't cook it! Hit tastes terrible! But, the cat shore likes it!"
As their anniversary was approaching, Joni wanted to do something for her husband Orrin that would remind him of back home. She knew he missed the hills of Oklahoma very much.
Joni picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hyello," answered a female voice of sweet Southern music played to the tune of an Okie accent...
"Hi, this is Joni. Is this Grandma Louise?"
"No chile, this hyear's Granny Loner. Louise has gone to Aint Connie's house fer Quiltin'."
"Granny Loaner?" Joni asked, not familiar with the name.
"No, Granny Loner."
"Oh, Granny Lona."
"Yes, chile, that's what I said."
"Is Uncle Earl there?"
"No, him and Aaron went noodlin' in Rush Creek."
"Granny, could you suggest something I could make that would remind Orrin of back home in Oklahoma?"
"Shore, chile! Make him a bait of biled okrie. Hit was his favorite when he was to home."
Not sure if she understood, Joni repeated, "A bait of biled okrie?"
"Shore 'nuff, chile. I got to go now, the dog's is a barkin' and they's been some varmint after my banty pullets! Bye now, you give some sugar to Orrin fer me!"
"Bye, Granny." Joni answered, hanging up the phone.
Joni knew that Orrin often made his own bait, but she had no idea what a bait of biled okrie was. Suddenly, she remembered that her cousin Tony from New York had spent his Army basic training in Louisiana.
Joni picked up the phone and dialed.
"Yeah?" answered a male voice.
"Tony? This is your cousin Joni."
"Hey! How youse doin'?"
"We're doing great. Listen, the reason I called, I wanted to make Orrin something special called a 'bait of biled okrie'. I know you spent some time in the South. Any idea what it is?"
"Biled... oh wait, you mean berled okra."
"Burled?"
"No, berled."
"Oh, boiled!"
'That's what I said. Those Southern boys loved it. Youse can probably get some okra at the Farmers Market there."
"Tony! Thank you!"
"Fugitt about it. We'll see youse at the re-union"
Joni went to the Farmers Market in Chicago, found a vendor selling okra, and asked how long to boil it.
"Just till it gets tender. Slice it up, and be careful of the slime. I don't sell too much of this. I grow it more for the novelty."
Joni carried her prize home. She had been thinking of how to concoct her bait. Suddenly, an idea! Since most of Orrin's home-made baits smelled of fish, she would add a can of cat food to the boiling mixture!
Joni wasn't sure about slicing the okra. Since they were long..somethings, she sliced the pods lengthwise. Immediately a slime began to form.
"Eww. No wonder they use this for fish bait."
She took the slices, and began to rinse them. The slime seemed to increase. She placed the slices in water, added a can of cat food, and boiled the mixture until the okra was tender. The slime increased in volume. As she was removing it from the heat to cool, the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Russell, this is Miss Kowalski, Joy's principal. I'm afraid she has been fighting again. One of the children she fought will require stitches. According to our 'No Tolerance' policy for fighting, Joy will be expelled for three days. You must come pick her up immediately!"
"Is Joy o.k.? What happened?"
"She hasn't a scratch on her. It seems as though some boys were teasing her, one called her a dumb hillbilly, and she attacked all five of them. The three that were knocked unconscious were x-rayed, but they don't seem to have a concussion."
"I'll be right there!"
As Joni was reaching for her purse, her husband Orrin came through the front door.
"Sweetheart, the school called, Joy beat up five boys in school."
Orrin said, Youd thank sixteen-year old kids would know better."
Joni hurriedly spoke, "I've got to run pick her up. I made you a bait of boiled okra; its cooling on the stove. I made up the recipe myself. If you like it, I think I'll share my recipe with your Mom!"
Ten minutes later, Orrin was on the phone, "Ma, if Joni gives you an okrie recipe, don't cook it! Hit tastes terrible! But, the cat shore likes it!"
