HOW'S TRIX?

Sometimes people getting on in years try something brand-new. A couple I knew in their 70s tried parasailing. This morning I did something I had never done in all my 58 years. I had a bowl of Trix for breakfast. In that lies a long story.

When I was growing up there were a limited number of cold cereals available: corn flakes, rice krispies, shredded wheat, Wheaties, Cheerios, puffed wheat and rice. Eventually there was Special K and Alphabits–my favorite. Our mother was not one to buy every new product to hit the shelves. No sugar frosted cereal of any kind entered our house, and there were only a few choices available at home at any one time.

I have continued this narrow approach to cereal. I alternate between Brand Buds and Fiber One. Actually I'd prefer raisin bran, but I'm supposed to be on a low carb diet, so these are the only ones permitted. A couple of months ago I stayed at a hotel that provided a free breakfast. They had a series of dispensers with various kinds of cereal. I avoided this area like the plague knowing I'd have a terrible time deciding between what I should have and trying some new adventure like Fruit Loops. I mentioned this fact in a sermon as an illustration of a difficulty in making choices even when there wasn't much consequence to the choice. Several weeks after this was my birthday. To my great delight one of the members of my church and her daughter gave me a variety pack of eight different General Mills cereals.

Of course this presented a dilemma: which should I eat first and how often should I eat one. Yes, I think about things like that. There has to be a plan for everything. You can't leave things to chance. After much deliberation, I decided to try one cereal each Friday–my day off. So far I have worked through four flavors–Honey Grahams, Lucky Charms, Frosted Cheerios, and Trix. Here follows a review.

Honey Grahams are the best so far. I have always been a fan of Graham crackers and milk as comfort food. And chocolate covered Graham crackers are a special treat to be rarely enjoyed. I once walked a mile with my grandmother Kofink to a drugstore to buy chocolate covered Grahams because they were on sale. Nothing like a sale to suggest the need for a special treat. I think I'll buy a box of Honey Grahams to eat on special occasions, but not too near my doctor's appointment when I have to get on that demon scale.

Lucky Charms. Yuck. I'm not sure what the cardboardy cereal itself was made of (wheat, oats, corn, barley?), but the special added feature of colored marshmallow bits was just too strange for words. Marshmallow is for toasting over a fire or putting in hot cocoa (though I prefer whipped cream), but not floating around in youe breakfast bowl.

Frosted Cheerios were good. I had eaten regular Cheerios as a kid, but the sugar coating was a new feature. I always use artificial sweetner, so I probably won't be buying them for regular consumption. Besides, every time I'd eat them I would picture a disaproving look on my mother's face.

Finally, Trix.* The first thing is the shocking colors, like a bowl full of marbles. I was fortunate that I eat a late breakfast on Friday (around 9:30 after I finish the laundry). If I had chosen them for breakfast at my usual 6:30 hour, the shock might have done me in. And then the taste. They are supposed to be fruit flavored and I suppose that is fruit flavor, but I have no idea what kind. Many years ago when I put lemon in my tea as well as sugar, the notion took me to use lemon drops and thus cover both lemon and sweetness in one small package. AUGGGUUHH! Was that awful. Well, Trix has something of the same effect. I think I might be inclined to serve it as a desert rather than a breakfast food. It does have 12 grams of sugar per serving. No wonder some little kids are so wired in the morning. A bowlful of Trix would make anyone hyperactive. For us older folks it probably causes instant diabetes.

The nice thing about receiving this variety pack (thank you) is that I have been able to sample things without buying the giant economy box and then finding out I don't like it. I am looking forward to trying the remaining four flavors.

May your life be flavored with true delights. And may the Lord God bless you on your way and greet you on your arrival.

Wayne

*There used to be a commercial where a rabbit (the one on the Trix box) tries to get the Trix away from two little kids. It always ended with the remark, "Silly rabbit. Trix are for kids." From that commercial comes this joke. Once upon a time there lived the twins Samuel and Sadie. Every time they went to their religious school, they had to cross a bridge, and under that bridge lived a mean old troll. Every time the twins crossed the bridge, the troll leaped out and gave each one a hard kick. Samuel and Sadie soon grew tired of this treatment and complained to their rabbi. "Rabbi," they said. "A mean old troll kicks us every time we cross his bridge and we're tired of being kicked." "He kicks, you, does he?" said the rabbi. "Don't worry, I'll handle this." So the rabbi went out to the bridge where he shouted, "Come out right now, you mean old troll." And the troll said, "Who are you?" And the rabbi said in a loud voice, " I am the rabbi." "What do you want rabbi" the troll growled." I want you to stop kick kicking the twins, Samuel and Sadie." "I won't," said the troll. "I'll make a bargain with you, " said the rabbi. "If you stop kicking the twins, you can kick me instead." And the troll replied, "Silly rabbi. Kicks are for twins."