When we were growing up a highlight of the summer was the fresh corn-on-the-cob from the Qu’Appele Valley north of home.  We could have a meal of just the corn with butter and a sprinkle of salt, sometimes that was the entire meal.  Just delicious.

Over the years we have celebrated mid summer with corn-on-the-cob meals.  Taught our kids the proper technique for eating corn.  If the corn is great the kernels are flying.

Now there is a proper technique for eating corn.  You position the cob with the stem to the right and if necessary a fork or cob holder on pointy end at the left.  You melt butter all over and add a sprinkle of salt.

Then you pick up the cob and start to eat on the left.  You munch along on a line to the right just like a typewriter.  When you get to the right end (katching) you rotate the cob and begin again at the left.  Rows after rows with an occasional pause for breath.

This is the way that you eat Corn-On-The-Cob.  Rules written down for the last 3000 years.  Even if you are left handed, this is the way you eat corn.

Over the years I have enjoyed thousands of cobs. Always concentrating on the cob to make sure I did each set of rows properly.  Never bothered to watch the others at the table.

When we arrived home from our trip we bought some fresh corn to enjoy at our dinner.  Tonight I paused in mid row and looked over at Pat eating her corn.  I was stunned.  She starts on the RIGHT and rotates around then moves left for the next column.  The way a chipmunk would eat it.

I said, “Pat what are you doing? Do you not know proper corn-on-the-cob etiquette?”  She told me that this is the way she has always eaten corn.

How could I be married 46 years to this woman and never noticed this corn eating deviation?  How weird.

Still it is nice to be married this many years and still have an occasional surprise.