Cook

 What goes with everything? Bacon, Butter, Bread not necessarily in that order. When you are done with the bacon you get a glass jar and save the bacon grease for another meal, another snack or heat it to make the house smell great.

Nan's job was to travel with her employer since the wife was on kidney dialysis. She was under a doctor care every day so she needed a nurse on staff too. Nan was 6 months in New York City and 6 months in Palm Beach. It was a job that gave her security, interesting sights, 8 hours a day 5 days a week. When another staff member called out sick Nan was there in a jiffy.

One year her children and grand children decided to travel to Florida for Christmas to surprise Nan. She had a two bedroom apartment because her brother lived with her, working as an accountant in a famous hotel on the graveyard shift. They rarely saw each other but would share Sunday church and coffee every week.

One of her grandsons "S" was an early riser. He loved to read verses of the bible early in the morning so he could revel in the word of the Lord. While he was staying at Nan's place he would hear her move around the kitchen before anyone else was awake. He walked out, gave her a morning hug to say hello. Of course she started cooking bacon so he began to assist her. Being alone with Nan in her kitchen was a treat for all of us. Today was his day to adore her as he watched her serve her family. He kitchen table had 6 chairs but 22 people were served breakfast that morning. She loved cooking for her family.

Nan was a teacher but not in the kitchen. She did not have time to go step by step with an oatmeal cookie batter. She tripled the batter, we were allowed to put the batter onto the cookie sheet, with the treat of having both beaters full of cookie dough all to ourselves. There were days we had tuna casserole, on Fridays during Lent, most of the time it was dinner for 9 or more with meat, mashed potatoes, a vegetable with a glass of milk for everyone. As I think back how did she do it? I am totally amazed since I have not cooked a meal in 22 years. I eat at work, buy a bag of lettuce, grab a energy bar and off I go. What about my family? They have keys, they have a car, they have money - get your own food.

Chef for a Lifetime!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overload

 As Nan was getting a divorce from a 25 year marriage of physical, mental and verbal abuse she never dreamed things could get worse. She moved into a two bedroom apartment from a 14 room home with the two remaining children under 16. There was a little child support from her ex-husband, a $2 an hour job to meet her new commitments. The youngest child, a girl, would get dressed walk to school, then not go in to her room, she was 12. Every other day the school would call the apartment and quiz Nan on the whereabouts of her child. She was in the grasp of a pimp dealing her out for $2 a trick. Nan discovered this horrendous situation and immediately sent her to live in Seattle with her older brother, his wife and son. By this time she was 13 and pregnant. Nan paid for the abortion, scraping together extra money for medical care, food also a little something to help pay for food and lodging in Seattle. The Pimp found out where she was shipped off to and went to bring her back to his slu...
Read more

Runaway

 We headed to the Jersey shore to share a weekly rental with friends. There were 11 children in the station wagon and Nan. There were no seatbelt mandates in 1954. It was not until 1964 they were in American cars. It is 85 miles to Ocean City, New Jersey from our home. Roadside rest areas were few and far between. We played "I Spy" and other car games for the two hour drive. We pulled up to the beach at 10am and rushed with our towels to the edge of the water. Within two minutes we were all called back to the car to help carry chairs, umbrellas, snacks, drinks, floats and boards to our spot. Every child over 7 had the responsibility of attaching themselves to a child under 7.  I had it easy, Richard fell asleep in the car and was ready to play in the surf. He was 3 1/2 years old and very rarely left my side. It was two o'clock and that was time to head to the boardwalk for the afternoon ice cream cone. We held hands, avoided the sea gulls, and sang "I am a little tea...
Read more

Do It

 We are responsible for our own actions. There was no sugar coating what we needed to do to fulfill our programs we advocated for in daily activities. I chose to be a girl scout, to be a part of a group, laugh and giggle while making new friends. At home Nan gave us chores every week, she did not nag us to do them we knew that we owned it and it make her life less hectic if just gave a little help from time to time. Our girl scout troop wanted each girl to sell 50 boxes. I could have gone to my aunts, uncles, neighbors and family friends. That was the easy way out. Nan got a card table, one chair, 50 boxes of cookies and a cardboard sign with a green shamrock on it. We drove to a busy corner in the middle of downtown of our small community. She dropped me off with the table, chair, sign, cookies and $5 in quarters. In those days a box of girl scout cookies were $.75. She knew I would need change. I put on a uniform, hat and sash before I entered the car. I shouted,"Cookies, come a...
Read more