Remembering

HOkay...it has been a busy summer , so much so that the Giroux's have not had a vacation ( which for us is doing something together away from the home base for at least 4 days..simple criteria, unachieved this season...oh well...)

I saw Dad and Aunt Joanne yesterday at Mary and Buddy's home in Woburn , a farewell to Sam who leaves again shortly to be in harm's way in Afghanistan..Be safe, Sam! ( Good to see Joanne-ie! ....and by the by ...it was her B-Day! on Sept 1st which leads me to another B-Day! Mark's!! ( I can tell you Mark I remembered BEFORE, and AFTER , after speaking with you on the phone...reminding myself! I needed to remember next call and forgetting then, too! ~woo hoo it was a remembering disaster, I'm telling you!)SO.. Missed that, too, so Happy Birthday WHENEVER to you both!!!.Grandpa Dad was pretty appalled at all the B-Days he has forgotten.. and I, apparently without my mother's help have failed miserably also in B-Day remembering area...

...which leads me to finally finding my way here to you all...

I cooked a lot today, something I don't do often... most of it was because I had to, it's the end of the garden and time to get it in your mouth/canning jars or the freezer, and I'm getting too old for this I fear...so after the beets, and corn were boiled , cut, frozen and bagged and I made sausage and peppers ( I told Dad and Jim to come over my house since hey! they were in Massachusetts..) from our garlic, onion and long Italian red sweet peppers from the garden...Lili likes corn!, and then a peach cobbler with all of our 12 peaches this year...so I'm taking off the apron, today called for one and stopping by the blog...

This is a rough weekend for us all, only a short year ago, and it seems like no time has passed, speaking for me. I am having trouble keeping my head up these past few days....something like being "in the wash" at the ocean....and it occurred to me that maybe a joint effort would help us all through. So I started a recipe and you ( if you find your way here) should feel free to add , or whatever, as all good recipes need personal touches...


So here goes ...with LOVE...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Recipe for Rememberence~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time for preparations...? that's up to you.

The recipe is done when you start to feel better...




Preheat your heart to warm:


Gather about yourself:


1 cup of tea
Several well worn cook books
paper and pen
an apron, of course, but optional for the men
sweet memories


Look in your cookbooks, for at least 1/2 hour, in a comfy chair, preferrably at your kitchen table.


Discard cookbooks, who needs them?


Check cupboards and refrigerator for any likely indegrediants. Find something with chocolate, keep that with you. Cookies? even, better.


Pour yourself some tea, in a nice cup.


Resume sitting.

Write someone a letter.


Smile. And remember.


Take as much time as you like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So....( and here's where I need your help! and input) some other things that will jog your memory..

1. Next time you make soup , only use what you have in the refrigerator, nothing is off limits as long as it's in there....call it "refrigerator soup"

2. Make brownies, or macaroni and cheese, serves 50.

3. Next time you feel alone, shout " JIM-mee!" at the dog...see what happens.

4. Make a list of all the ways you realize you are like Mom Smith ( at least 5) and try not to run screaming from the room, I dare you.

5. Look at that list again, rewrite it if you have to... and thank her.

Did I hear a smile?


Sending Love to all,

and don't forget to call the G-Pa...often.

Marion