Aunt Gail's Banana Pudding

Tomorrow is the Fourth Of July, and Mr. Beers and Mr. Bobo are invited to a friend's place for a day of America-ing. Happy Independence Day, y'all. We'll be splashing around in the pool, eating, drinking, laughing. Mr. Bobo thought it might be appropriate to bring a dessert. Perhaps a banana pudding. Coincidentally, my Facebook feed has been reminding me that I was with my siblings and my dad about four years ago. And that combination of random thoughts (dad, banana pudding, etc.) reminded me of Aunt Gail's Banana Pudding.

Here I am with my darling Aunt Gail.

All the women in my family are great cooks. All the women in my extended family are great cooks. One "recipe" that stands out in my mind, though, is my Aunt Gail's Banana Pudding. When I was around middle school age, my dad and my Uncle Royce (Aunt Gail's sweet husband) worked together as mechanics at Hope Volkswagen in Hope, Arkansas. Every day around noon they would find something good to eat during the midday break. On one of those days, my Aunt Gail was talking to my dad and mentioned to him that she had some fresh banana pudding at her house over on Belew Street that he was more than welcome to go by and enjoy... Well, Ray Von Bobo did not have to be told twice. Banana anything and he's there. Banana ice cream, banana cream pie, banana anything.

When my dad got to Aunt Gail & Uncle Royce's house, there was no banana pudding. There was a package of vanilla wafers on the counter. Next to the vanilla wafers was a bunch of bananas. But there was no banana pudding. Ray Von asked Aunt Gail about the banana pudding that she had told him about. His frustration was nothing but amusing to her, as she explained that banana pudding was indeed right there on the counter, it only needed to be assembled.  You see, Aunt Gail has always been a joker. A prankster. Come to think of it, there's a good amount of that in the Lauterbach family. (I'm looking at you, Uncle Dan.)

Aunt Gail and Aunt Mary playing cards. There are rumors about her card playing. Let's just leave it at that.