Almost four years, one thousand four hundred twenty-three days to be exact, since May 15, 2018. Almost four years since I had to say good-bye to Lance. Since then I’ve jotted down bits and pieces, snippets of remembrances, nothing more. It’s as though through memorializing, fingers to keyboard, will somehow close a door that I … Continue reading Lessons
Pressing the dough that makes the base of Grandma's Lemon Cookie Bars into the 9 x 13 pan a couple of weeks ago was just as maddening as I remembered. Each time I made them I was convinced there wasn't enough dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Using my hands only made the … Continue reading When
The sharp blade of the device slid quickly and effortlessly into tender flesh, instantly drawing blood. A small rivulet of crimson was simultaneously accompanied by an intake of breath and a high pitched shriek…. The hefty, worn shaft of a butcher knife grasped tentatively, the long blade hovering indecisively above its assignment, connecting instead with … Continue reading Fear
This morning's sub-freezing temperatures and my own recovery from a cold was inspiration enough to make a potato and sausage stew, one that my mom started making when we lived in Kansas over forty years ago (eek!). The recipe was featured in the Kansas City Star and contained the simplest of ingredients that came together … Continue reading The Heart of It
“Your shoulder surgery is scheduled for December 4th,” was the perfunctory greeting from Dr. Kennedy’s office. My first thought was not about the impending pain and my own well being, or even the required four weeks off of work. Instead my mind did a quick calculation...December 4th....twenty-one days before Christmas, which left fourteen days for … Continue reading Limitations
My very first? I was eleven. I had felt intense longing for years, longing which was quickly replaced by thrill and excitement in what proved to be a birthday that set the stage for a lifelong passionate romance. Mysteries unfurled, secrets unlocked, the power now mine...all located within a bright yellow cover. Betty Crocker’s New … Continue reading Collection
11 Days. Three days in Oslo, one in Fråm, one in Balestrand, two in Bergen, four days (so far) on the MS Vesterålen. A variety of settings--urban, rural, boat... yet, with Norwegian breakfast comes consistency. When reading up on what to expect before leaving on my trip to Norway a particular phrase came up repeatedly..."traditional … Continue reading Frokost
“Which Grandpa is it?” This would seem to be a simple enough question. Through the process of renaming picture files with the names of family members rather than numbers, in hopes of capturing identities lest I forget names, I ran across a picture of a great-great grandfather on my dad’s side of the family. Although … Continue reading Threads
Over the years my role in the kitchen has changed. Starting out at an early age, I was the ever eager assistant in the kitchen, working along side my grandmothers or mom, where I was just as excited to scoop, measure, stir, and wash dishes as I was to sample the end products of our … Continue reading Kitchen Help
Confucius says the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In this case quite literally, and more specifically, a single step and a cow. Jens “KB” Anderson, my great-grandfather, sold and then delivered a cow, walking the cow from Kent to Seattle to its new owner, a distance of over twenty miles round … Continue reading A Cow, Coffee, & the Pyramids
Butter + Benedictions 