Taters

They're known by many names - taters, potatos, pertaters and spuds. As a Hoosier lad I toiled hoein' taters and flickin' bugs off their buds! So I was very well qualified when I entered the service, by and large, When 'volunteered' for kitchen police to peel taters by a mean old sarge! There's even a National Potato Day observed with tumultuous celebration, With a Potato Queen, parades and other such nonsense across the nation! Politicos pontificate about the virtues of taters 'specially in Idaho and Maine, Where they transport them to our kitchen tables by truck, plane and train. There was a national debate on how to spell potato with or sans an 'e'! Dan Quayle didn't know how but I would've spelled it 'tater' if it were up to me! Some taters have a patriotic bent since some are called reds, whites and blues! Other varieties are yellows, fingers and russets from which you may choose. To fill a feller's paunch the lowly tater can be mashed, diced or sliced. You can make a tater salad or tater soup though you'll want them lightly spiced! Taters roasted on the grille or scalloped tater casseroles will go with anything. Barbeque tater chips or French fried taters with hamburgers are just the thing! Mom would've been horrified to find lumps in her taters when company came! In cafes today lumps are cela va sans dire s'il vous plait and is their claim to fame! No matter how you slice 'em, taters are savored by commoner and king as well! And you can argue 'bout the spellin' of 'potato' but 'tater' you can easily spell! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired © All Rights Reserved