A special not-quite goodbye

As I mentioned earlier, tonight's dinner was my last for the Grands. It was a bittersweet meal to prepare because I have felt honored to cook for them and will be sad to be without an excuse to visit them regularly. The boys and I have become so fond of them, and they of us. Fortunately, their new home is just a mile or so away, and they have already welcomed post-move visits. Surrounded by their daughters and sons-in-law, they've been busy packing up 43 years of memories. My mom and her siblings have been doing the same with more than 60 years of accumulations and remembrances at Nanny's house. It must be so emotional to help sort, toss and box up a lifetime. I remember sitting in the bedroom of our old house (the one before my parents' current), on the floor with my mom, crying our faces off about leaving behind ten years of memories. I can't imagine leaving a place in which I moved as a newlywed, raised my babies, watched them move out, learned to empty-nest. Tough. Heavy. A whole host of feelings to be sure. I knew one or more of the Grands' daughters would likely be there this afternoon, so I made a big dinner, enough for all, of some of my favorites: roast chicken, broccoli with a smoked paprika-sherry vinaigrette (to die for), couscous with red wine vinaigrette, celery and parsley (from A. Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte), and my spiced chocolate Madeleines with espresso-cream sauce. Comforting, good, hearty, saves well = good for people in the midst of a move. I wrote a letter to the daughter who hired me for this job, thanking her for the opportunity and sharing this post which you might remember I wrote just after I took the gig. I forgot to truss the chicken so he was splayed in every which way, but looks aren't everything!

It was so nice to see everyone and hugs and smiles were shared. I left dinner in the kitchen, unloaded the bubble wrap I'd brought from my too-large stash (who ever has enough bubble wrap when they move?!) and started to tear up. It is rather rare that I feel I receive back all that I give, but today I felt I'd been, by virtue of this lovely family letting me be a small part, the grand winner. I felt, again, faith in the hope put forth each time a new connection is made; when meeting someone, you never know how you might be blessed and even when others are selfish or limited or flawed or whatever, there are still those who aren't. Those who will enrich you, make you happy, simply by virtue of your knowing them.

As I started to say goodbye, a cardboard box was passed to me. Stunned, I found I'd been gifted with some of Mrs. H's demitasse cups and saucers and individual porcelain tart shells. They said they couldn't think who'd enjoy them more. My eyes are again welling up just thinking about how touched I was. Am. I will treasure these, and I look forward, eagerly, to the boys' and my first visit.

Good morning from back home

After a long trip home from Lake Charles, during which my ear felt as if an electrified ice pick was jammed into it, I stepped into my house around 11p last night. It was so nice to be here though I quickly realized just how much of a heathen-living-in-squalor my husband might become if he didn't have me in his life. This suspicion is easily extrapolative to most men as I'm sure many of my gal-pals would attest. Good god, man. All the clean dishes I'd left drying on the rack were starting to collect dust rather than sitting nicely in cabinets; the two enormous bags of toilet paper I'd made the boys clear from Percy's crate (yes, those multiple rolls they'd gleefully unrolled so as to procure the cardboard tubes inside) were just sitting by the garbage; the fridge looked exactly as I'd left it leading me to wonder if T had eaten anything but take-out pizza; the freshly laundered pillow sham cover that I'd left by the sham on which it usually resides (on the bed; on Tom's side of the bed!) as an experiment to see if T would actually take the three seconds needed to reapply it was now on the floor next to the naked pillow. I could go on, but you get my drift.

Nonetheless, the primary pets are alive (I wasn't going to tell you but I will that I found a hermit crab body on the floor of Jack's room this morning leading me to think that T did not properly flush Yoda but instead put him in the trashcan which was then knocked over by a bored cat OR we actually had more hermit crabs than I thought and one jumped the tank; I am DONE with hermit crabs), and I'm secretly glad that it's rainy outside today because I just won't be able to work in the garden (read: one less thing I need to do).

I am going to go to the market and cook a last dinner for the Grands before they move into a nearby assisted living facility. A jam session is in my future too and I need to attend my Italian class tonight. I really need to shave my legs but for now, it's coffee and quiet time!

Heading back to DC. Solo.

I am totally un-thrilled to be back on antibiotics, this time for a Eustachian tube infection. It's fun times in Em's body these days.Not.

Anyway, I've just said goodbye to my parents and sweeties and am soon to board flight one back to DC. It will be so quiet and easy, and I plan to nap and do some Italian homework that is hanging over me like a menacing cloud.

About that adult trike...at the water park the other day, I happened to look at the paved path running round the park's periphery; on it pedaled a woman atop a large, yellow tricycle with no handlebars. Honestly, it was an extremely odd contraption, and unless she was in some powerful core-based training, I am flummoxed as to what this ride was for. It didn't look fun, for example. Kinda hilarious.

Last night I made brandy-flambeed shrimp; zucchini gratin with salsa verde and jarlsberg; and a yellow and red plum tart atop a gluten-free crust I made for mom. The crust was a grand success, and I will definitely share the recipe with you (a combo of oat, hazelnut, potato, tapioca and brown rice flours). If you hadn't been told it was GF, you'd never have guessed; such is not always the case with GF baked goods!

Off to board. Here's another pic of Mr Egret I snapped but didn't see yesterday.