A Southern Grandpa



grandpa

My Grandpa will be 93 tomorrow. I wish everybody could have a Grandpa like mine. Grandpa has always lived his life with a passion. Whenever I think about Grandpa, I think of him with a smile on his face. He has the best stories of anyone I’ve ever known and his life would make a great movie.

From Grandpa, I learned a great work ethic. When I was in high school, I worked for him in one of his businesses and I remember being 7 minutes late one morning. He told me if I was ever late again he would fire me. I learned at a young age the value of being on time.

Grandpa has always been so full of life. He always worked hard and played hard. He loves fishing. He used to go fishing in Canada and Mexico a lot and has wonderful stories from those times.

He always has the most beautiful lawn around and he is an expert on growing green lush grass. He used get the Wall Street Journal. I remember, he would give his old copies to me. He told me three columns to read so that I could carry on an interesting conversation with anyone.

Happy Birthday Grandpa! I love you.

Today’s Lagniappe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This is one of Grandpa’s favorites. It was also a favorite of my Daddy’s. Grandmother Dicus and Mama used Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise for this recipe but you could use either one.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

1 cup sugar
1 cup miracle whip or mayonnaise
2 cups flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoon soda
4 teaspoon cocoa (Mama used a little less)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together sugar and miracle whip. Add soda and cocoa to warm water and then to stir it into the sugar mixture with vanilla.

Bake 325 for 20 to 30 minutes in a 9 x 13 pan. Let cake cool then spread with chocolate fudge frosting. Place pecan halves all over the top of the cake.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar (Mama uses regular sugar)
1/2 cup hot milk
2 tsps. vanilla

In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add cocoa, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat, set aside to cool slightly.

In large mixer bowl combine sugar and milk, beat until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature to spreading consistency, about 1/2 hour.

Leave comments for Grandpa here. If you haven’t commented on this blog before, your comment will be held until I approve it. I’ll be checking often so I can approve everyones comments. Once I’ve approved you, you can come back anytime and comment without me having to approve you 🙂 and I hope y’all will come back to visit.


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10 responses to “A Southern Grandpa”

  1. Kyle Cantrell Avatar
    Kyle Cantrell

    Happy Birthday Frank! It’s been a long time, but I think of you and Betty often. One of the best “jobs” I’ve ever had was house sitting for you guys while I was in college. I loved spending time at your home, and getting to know you. Many blessings, and Happy 93rd!

  2. Jimmy Eppler Avatar
    Jimmy Eppler

    Happy Birthday Mr. Dicus! I hope I’m as solid as you when I turn 93. Actually, it would probably take me longer than that to become that stout. You are certainly an inspiration. It is an honor to have been associated with you through the years. Best wishes for many more happy birthdays!

  3. Anne H Avatar
    Anne H

    A while after we lost Ray and Cheryl Floyd, Anita asked me to come over and take Ray’s motorcycle away from the house and arrange to sell it. It had been mine at one time, so it seemed like the best idea. She and Paul were worried that it might fall on one of the kids. She asked that it be before the kids got out of school so it wouldn’t cause hurt feelings.

    A lot of heavy storage boxes and things had to be moved to get to it. The tires were low, so it was a struggle just to roll it the few feet to the garage door.

    The motorcycle had been sitting all winter; it wouldn’t crank. Now it was sitting out in the middle in plain sight with no way to drive it away. Anita was beside herself.

    I called Dicus Cycle and asked who I could hire to come get the bike and take it to the shop – and quickly. Mr Frank was the one who had answered, and said he didn’t know of anyone that did that. He must have heard the panic in my voice, though, because he asked what the problem was. When I told him, Mr. Frank said “Just stay right there.” He came over in a flash in his own truck and loaded up the motorcycle himself.

    When I came to drive the motorcycle home and pay for the pick up and service, he just said, “No charge this time.”

    From his face it was obvious it was a gift from his heart.

    Happy Birthday, Mr. Frank.

  4. Shelley Ross Hamby Avatar
    Shelley Ross Hamby

    OK, I just typed a novel and lost it because I didn’t enter an email address! Well, let me start over…..
    Jackie Savage cooked dinner tonight for your grandfather, Alma (who, apparently is 8 or so hours older than your grandfather), Betty, Ted, Jim and myself.

    When Jim and I first started dating, he introduced me to his coffee buddies. At this time, they were meeting at McCortney’s. Big, Frank, LT (Kathryn’s Dad), Ted and several others were there every day. They had to move to the Donut Shop (a place where a lot of my memories are) and continued to meet on a regular basis. One day I called Jim on his cell phone, it was around 10 a.m. so I knew where he probably was…when he answered, I asked him if he was with the old farts. All of sudden, I heard laughter and he then announced that he had me on speaker phone. After that, they called themselves The Old Fart Club. We hosted them at the Stonewall Lake a few summers ago….but that is another story…I’ll find the pictures and send to you and Kathryn.

    My grandmother (Nenny) will be 96 on Sunday!

  5. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    It doesn’t seem that long ago that we planted a tree for Grandpa’s 80th birthday. Certainly my work ethic is the Dicus way. But what I think of most when I think about Grandpa is GENEROUSITY. It didn’t really matter who you were, he was always willing to give you a chance. . . he is very generous with his love. Most recently, I love the stories about the goats and donkeys. I hope we get to celebrate his 103rd! I love you.

  6. Tammy Avatar
    Tammy

    I love the time I get to spend with Grandpa, now only about once or twice a year. Even though his stories become a little more embellished as the time goes by we all laugh out loud each time we hear them! Happy Birthday Grandpa. I love you very much! (A story of my own about Grandpa…I took a wonderful picture of Grandpa and Betty during a visit one Thanksgiving. At Christmas I called and told him what a great picture I had, that he looked 20 years younger and that I would send him a copy. He said, and I quote, “to hell with the picture, send me the camera!!”)

  7. Alan Dawson Avatar

    Happy Birthday, Mr Dicus! May God continue to bless you with a long life and a good cup of coffee!

  8. Mama Avatar
    Mama

    Papaw D. (as we called him) was a great Father-in-Law and a good friend. I have many fond memories of Him. It’s true he worked hard and played just as hard. Family was very important to him.

  9. Christi Avatar

    Thanks Kathryn, I know your Dad has been a good friend to Grandpa. I know they enjoy their morning coffee visits at the donut shop.

  10. Kathryn Drennan Donovan Avatar
    Kathryn Drennan Donovan

    I met your Grandpa at morning coffee with my Dad several months ago. What a great man!! You have every reason to be proud! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA…MAY YOU HAVE MANY MORE!

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