Thanksgiving and More

My last blog post was before Thanksgiving and here it’s almost Christmas. Where has the time gone? Actually, it’s really not a lack of time that’s kept me from writing, but lack of inspiration. For the past several months we’ve been faced with one life challenge after another...not the kind of stuff that I particularly want to write about or share with others and certainly not in keeping with the “good eats or good times” suggested by the title of this blog. But then I was recently reminded how very fortunate we are as my sister-in-law gave me an update on her 14-year old grandson with Spinal Bifida. He just underwent his 17^th surgery and undoubtedly is facing that many more in his lifetime. The story of this brave young boy and his parents certainly put our family’s “challenges” into perspective…they are just that: challenges. We will each rise to the occasion and be a stronger, better person (and family) for it. So, here are the highlights of the past month…

Thanksgiving can be summed up in a single paragraph. We stayed home this year after spending the holiday in Portland the last three years. Both girls managed to get away from work and spend Thursday and Friday with us in Volcano. Our dear friend Cece drove over from Nevada and also spent the holiday with us. Our dinner was very traditional, just the way Cece and I like it! No pear basted turkey or pear dressing or pear gravy like we had the year I had a meltdown…I don’t remember that last part, but that’s their (Verne and the girls) story and they are sticking to it. We enjoyed a good old- fashioned meal the way my mother used to make it. She wasn’t a great cook, but I do remember her Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey dinners to be worth the wait. Anyway, why shouldn’t it be all about me and what I like? Jana is a vegetarian (no turkey or meat of any kind for her), Lauren doesn’t like turkey (so we also served Honey Baked Ham), and Verne will eat one piece of turkey to humor me, but he really doesn’t enjoy it (with or without pears). Bottom line, we had a simple, but delicious meal and a relaxing and loving day together.

(Black) Friday night we celebrated the girls’ birthday. We’d discussed dinner plans for at least a month and during that time had reservations first at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, then Biba’s (both in Sacramento), then they were changed to Taste in Plymouth. A few days before our celebration we all decided to keep it close and not waste time driving to Plymouth, so we changed our reservation to the Union Hotel (five minutes from home). At the last minute, Jana decided she really wanted Pine Grove Pizza (after all, she is the oldest by two years so should have first choice – “it’s my birthday” is a constant refrain). I called to order and found they were closed for the holiday. Dang! It was back to the Union. Dinner and service were perfect. We talked and laughed and cried over stories that have been told and retold for the last 25+ years. They just keep getting better.

Last week we were again together with the girls in So Cal and we enjoyed a belated celebration of Verne’s birthday. We started the day by walking across the street from Jana's home in Culver City to Bar 9, a trendy breakfast/lunch restaurant in an old warehouse. 

Jana’s gift to her Daddy was dinner at a new Italian restaurant in Culver City, Bucato. Wow! What an experience! They make their own bread, which was absolutely delicious, and their own pasta, which was equally amazing. If I had to choose just one item from the menu to order, it would be the Fried Cauliflower ‘Sicilian style’…or maybe the Squash Blossoms with goat cheese and mint…or the Crispy Polenta with wild mushrooms topped with a sunny side egg and Parmigiano Reggiano. Okay, I can’t choose just one item and I didn’t. I had all of the above and a taste of the other entrees, which were equally delicious. We finished the meal with a persimmon sticky pudding, chocolate torte, and fried fritters, which we ordered for Lauren, but sadly had to eat because they were filled with a crème anglaise. Once again Lauren’s food allergies were at play and forced the rest of us (primarily, me) to over indulge. We definitely have a new favorite restaurant!

During the holiday we were notified that our good friend, Neil McElroy, died from cancer. He celebrated his 90^th birthday in August and probably beat most statistics for Stage 4 Melanoma, which was diagnosed about seven years ago. He had a good life and we have a decade of shared memories of him, including several years of the “Grub Club” (our dinner group with four or five other couples), his childhood stories that he so vividly remembered (and shared), his love of old Western movies (that he also shared…sometimes to excess), dinners at Pine Grove Pizza, and his willingness to always watch the critters when we traveled. That reminds me…when we would return home from a trip, we’d find an elaborate spreadsheet on the counter that listed by day the number of eggs he’d collected sorted by color and size (small to extra large). It makes me smile to think about it…only Neil would do something like that. Sweet Neil…we’ll miss you!