Everyone take out your time machine viewer screens. Set the time for 9:AM, October 12th, 1942 and dial the location coordinates for the kitchen of my mother, Eunice Landers. See her gathering the ingredients for making her world-famous apple pie. But look, her tin of whole cloves is empty and the pie cannot be made without whole cloves because it is one of her secret ingredients.
Eunice calls her son, Billy, to come run an errand. Go next door and ask Mrs. Robinson if I can borrow some whole cloves, she tells him. When Mrs. Robinson comes to the door Billy delivers the request he heard from his mother: "Mama wants to know if she can borrow some old clothes?" Mrs. Robinson pauses and then says, "I'll see what I can find." She soon returns with with a well worn sweater belonging to her son, Calvin, an undershirt that belonged to her husband, Reggie, and one of her blouses.
Billy returns with the items that will not improve the flavor of the pie. A puzzled Eunice asks Billy what he told Effie Robinson and hearing his answer, breaks into laughter. Then she returns the old clothes to her neighbor and sharing the laugh, returns with the borrowed whole cloves and soon, another iconic apple pie is on its way to a 350 degree oven.
Where have you been, Billy boy, Billy boy?
Where have you been, charming Billy?
I've been to seek a wife, she's the joy of my life
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.
Can she bake an apple pie, Billy boy, Billy boy?
Can she bake an apple pie, charming Billy?
She can bake an apple pie quick as a cat can blink an eye,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.
