John-Boys All-You-Can-Eat

We took my mother-in-law to John Boys All-You-Can-Eat yesterday.  She goes there weekly with her Bible study group but did not get to go this week - or yet, until yesterday that is.

The buffet' has a large variety of food and seems to specialize in country cooking.  Many people love their fried chicken.  I found it true many times the places with good southern cooking many times are owned and operated by Asians or Europeans who studied southern recepies and perfected them.

I am partial to a very similar restaurant on Sandy Plains Road called Judy's Country Kitchen All-You-Can Eat.  Probably Judy's and John Boy's are tied on the tasty of their food and the variety, but what puts Judy ahead  in my book is that Judy, which is not her real name, is a friend of mine; an ex-co-Postal employee.  I think she told me one time that she and John-Boy are related.

John Boys' is one of those non-superficial restaurants that elderly native Mariettans are drawn to.   I have never been there that I haven't seen someone I knew either from the present or the past.

Yesterday several people came by and spoke to my mother-in-law, they go to the same chuch, Noonday Baptist.  One couple that came by to speak to her used to live down Hawkins Store Road from her.  I also remember him from about 35 years ago coming by our house to give us an estimate to roof our house.  I thought it was too high and did it myself.  The tip ends of my fingers are still numb from that foolish decision..  When introduced to his wife she asked me if I was related to Frances Hunter.  I said she is my sister.  She asked how is she doing and I said fine the last time I talked to her, a few days ago.  She asked how her brain tumor was doing, and I was surprised she knew about that - but told her it was halted but Emory still has to check on it about twice a year.  She told me she belonged to a prayer group and her name was given to pray for.  Well, they must have said the right thing to the Divine.

The husband, the roof man, told me he got rid of all but 7 of his goats.  He said his goats love to eat poison ivy.  That reminded me of my cousin Anthony and his goats.  One day he got down on all fours and were playing with his goats and what he didn't realize they had just eaten some poison ivy alongside his fence.  Later that day he had to go to the ER - his face was swollen beyond recognition.

I also saw a hligh school friend Ray Denard there yesterday but he was on his way out and didn't see me.

It reminded me the last I was at John Boys' months ago I saw and recognized Sibel, a redheaded girl that lived two houses down from us on Manget Street.  Once she recognized me she talked and talked about what all happened to her family.

The owner/cashier is a very relaxed man who doesn't seemed to be bothered about anything.  His waitess pool sort of polices itself without supervision. 

Afterwards, on the way out, I glanced at a boar with hundreds of snapshots of people dining at John-Boys.  In the very center of all the pictures was a picture of aunt Ruby Hunter staring at me.