Carla and I (Greg) have been together for 39 years, the first 15 while I was still wearing the uniform (she got out after her first tour, right before we got married). Through deployments, changes of duty station, the birth of two wonderful kids, retirement from our beloved Marine Corps, adapting to civilian life and the travels and toils all of that entails – we still manage to hold each other up. We are a united team, through the good and bad with core values (Corps values?) we have honed and still sharpen daily. But, after 20 years in uniform and another 25 working on the civilian side, I decided it was time to retire.

As I lived my life, I’ve always been a “planner”. Striving to be prepared for every
contingency I could think of. What I quickly realized was that I needed something to do with my time – or my wife would put me to work doing things I really didn’t want to do (I hate yard work!)

So, I looked at “side hustles” and odd jobs I might take up but nothing seemed to fit. I wanted something I could do that allowed me the time and freedom to still be “retired” but kept me busy and maybe make a little spending money on the side. I knew I did not want to become a couch potato.

One weekend, I was following my wife along on a side trip to a local flea market. It was getting close to lunchtime, and I wasn’t quite hungry enough for a meal. But I was a little “snacky” from just cruising all the booths. Then I saw a vendor selling fresh pickles of various flavors. So, while my wife was distracted, I popped over and bought some dill slices to munch on while I waited for the rest of my spare change to be spent on whatever attracted her at the next booth. The epiphany hit me right then! These were good pickles, but I could do better! And, if they were selling them – so could I!

After we got back to the house, I dug out a family cookbook and started browsing. In the back of the book was a section of “This and That” and it included quite a few recipes for pickles, snack foods and my Granny’s delicious apple butter and the rest is history (or will be if this venture works out).

I don’t have much of a mission other than to stay busy (not TOO busy) and bring some of my family’s munchies to the locals. If you like them, fantastic! If not, I can only try.