So where did the name Baked Bean Cookies come from? It all goes back to my paternal Grandparents.
I was always very close to my paternal Grandparents, especially my Grandfather. My paternal Grandfather was the quintessential small-town family doctor, and my Grandmother was his nurse. He was a General Practitioner who cared for many of the people in the small town where they lived, and in surrounding towns. Since many of his patients were elderly and unable to travel, he made house calls to see these patients at their homes.
My grandparents were very kind and generous. Many times they accepted gifts of homemade food and baked goods in lieu of payment for medical services, since many of their patients were low income or on fixed incomes. Up until their retirement, their office visit rates were lower than those of most larger medical practices.
My Grandmother was active in many Community organizations as a volunteer. She was a teacher in the Sunday School of the local church, and active in many local service organizations. She was very talented at making crafts and was a very good cook, and she shared those talents with the Community often. She was very generous with her time, and always had a kind word for everyone.
My Grandfather was very talented in the fields of art and music. He played the trumpet and organ, and shared his music publicly at church and Sunday School, and at the retirement community where he and my Grandmother lived towards the end of their life. My Grandfather also played unusual instruments, like the carpenter’s saw and the Mouth Harp.
My Grandfather was also a talented cartoonist, always drawing cartoons on the cards and letters he sent to me and his other grandchildren. He performed public “Chalk Talks” where he would draw pictures and cartoons on a large pad sitting on an easel while telling a story and bantering about what he was drawing, frequently with a surprising and delightful result when the picture he was drawing turned out to be something entirely different when he turned it upside down at the end.
My Grandfather also had a great sense of humor, and was always joking around. When I was young, probably around 7 or 8 years old, I was at my grandparents’ house for the day, which was along a busy road, and I got the idea to set up a stand to sell lemonade. I asked my Grandfather about it, and he suggested that we instead set up a stand to sell “Baked Bean Cookies”. He was kidding, but being young, I thought it was a great idea! It is from that experience that the name of this endeavor was born.
I love to learn and try new things, particularly in the fields of electronics, computer programming, art, music, science and technology. So I decided that when I explore these fields with new projects, I will bring along all of those who care to join me. I will share my experiences, including the mistakes and missteps, just as my Grandparents shared their many talents with their Community. By choosing the name Baked Bean Cookies for my endeavor, I intend to honor the memory of my paternal Grandparents and their spirit of cheerful service and giving back to their Community.