Food for Thought....

It would have been Alain's 51st birthday last week. 

I heard a story about a family that lost their husband and father in a car accident.

They decided to remember him each year on his birthday

by eating his favorite foods.  

The kinds of foods we love can sometimes define us in a way.... 

I remember stories about one of my grandmothers. 

Her homemade bread and roast dinners on Sundays were some of the most precious memories

her family had of her.  

I just read last night that my other grandmother was beloved for her homemade ice cream....

...we're talking the 1930's and 40's.  

They would go get ice from Bear Lake when it was frozen over,

haul it home and store it in a root cellar 

so they could have homemade ice cream on the 4th and 24th of July. 

One time she made it for a church social and my uncle went to get his...

and it was thin and runny.  

He spoke up to the ladies and said, "I don't want this...  I WANT MY MOM'S ICE CREAM!"

He felt like the women were trying to pawn off the not so good stuff on the kids,

and he wasn't going to have any of it..

He had chopped through the ice, drug it to the root cellar and put saw dust all around it

so he could have

"His" mom's ice cream.  

Precious story!

I decided to try the idea this year.  

Again I use the expression bitter/sweet! 

Alain's mom and his two sisters Chantal and Joce and their families came over, 

along with my daughter Jamie, Aaron and grand kids, 

my sister Tam and the Cook family.  

We had an evening of eating BBQ chicken and many, many of his favorite snacks.

Raisin Oatmeal Cookies, Black licorice, cashews, sunflower seeds,

Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Turtles, Oatmeal Cake,

Frito Boats, Symphony Toffee Bars, and Homemade Caramels!

Each food had its own time and its own story.

My granddaughter Paige woke up at 6am the morning of his birthday.

It was still pitch black outside.

She was SO excited to eat 

french toast with peanut butter for breakfast.

Anna, another granddaughter, asked her mom if she got to stay home from school!

 Again...precious!

I am touched by family and friends who were kind enough

to share another "first" with me...(both here and far away)...

without him!