Hommel Mangas
On Thursday morning I had breakfast in a small diner in Newago, Michigan.
Diner Between the Dams is a quaint restaurant open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. They have the thick, white coffee mugs with local advertisement. Steve had the 2021 mug which advertised Gene’s Family Market and Mecosta County Collision. My 2022 mug edition claimed Platz Electric Company, M & J Hardware and Aggressive Tree Service.
I was reminiscing over my eggs — ordered over-easy — as Steve tackled his huge omelet, so big that he commented “they must’ve used the entire dozen of eggs.” Sipping my tea I added, “I love these mugs, they remind me of Grandma Hommel’s thick mugs on the farm.”
We drove up Wednesday to do some steelhead trout and salmon fishing. In case you were wondering, late February, March and April are one of the best times to fish the Muskegon River.
I’ve read the Michigan guide websites: “The Muskegon River never freezes so we fish all winter long, offering great fishing year-round.”
The problem is Janet from Indiana does freeze. So Thursday I was sitting in a warm living room Airbnb, overlooking the beautiful Croton Dam Pond, which in my unprofessional aquatic definition is way bigger than any pond I’ve seen and moves like river.
Steve was out on the Muskegon River on this sunny 33 degree morning fishing for our dinner. Friday looked to be a bit warmer, with a high of 56 degrees — but rainy all day.
I was thoroughly content with my decision of the day to stay in, although trying not to notice that at home in Indiana it was a balmy sunny and 62 degrees.
After we left Diner between the Dams and I was settling in to do some writing, I noticed the photo I’d taken of the thick mugs on the diner table. There was some side-ways writing on the mugs that I hadn’t seen before, which read, “www.mugsacrossamerica.com.”
I felt I’d been duped — were these even local businesses that were advertised or just fake coffee mug promos? Was I getting an early April Fool’s Day joke? After some research (I called one establishment), I found the mugs did actually advertise current local businesses — and that made my heart warm inside.
I’m going to be hyper alert today as April Fool’s Day has seldom passed without a family prank of some sort — but cheers to April showers bringing May flowers.
Janet Hommel Mangas grew up on the east side of Greenwood. The Center Grove area resident and her husband are the parents of three daughters. Send comments to [email protected].
