Cherries in Winter

I read Cherries in Winter by Suzan Colon today, yes, in one day! I laughed, cried, felt twinges in my heart, nodded my head, and finally, after it was all over, emailed my mom and told her I love her... I realized today one of the main things I feel I have been missing - one of the things that made me move to Texas - I was in search of family history, stories, traditions... Because I lived overseas I didn't see my grandparents very often, didn't participate in their daily lives, didn't laugh at or make fun of their ways, didn't hear the stories of what it was like in the depression... it's a shame, I'm sure they had stories to tell, but I was too young and self-centered to ask. Now I read this book and I remember that Grandma Hamman had an exterior pantry in her garage that my cousins, sister, and I cleaned out and we were amazed at the food that was stored there and how old it was!!! My mom said, "well, they were products of the depression"... And there was also the "clean plate club".... product of the depression - don't waste food... I wish I knew their stories.... So, I made a joie de vivre committment today - since my grandparents can't tell me anymore, I'm gonna hear my mom's stories! She's still around, she communicates very well, surely she can tell me! I remember our last visit in Texas - I cooked a lot - very planned, rushed, focused, as I often do things, and one day for whatever reason, my mom and I made stuffed green peppers. a little of this, a little of that - hamburg meat, worchestershire sauce, spaghetti sauce, whatever else you want to add, stuff in a green pepper, bake for a while at 35o.... After reading Cherries in Winter, I realize how special that was...
Even living in Texas didn't get me closer to what I thought I was looking for - I realized that I was going to have to create those memories, stories, traditions myself... So this blog is partially to fulfill that legacy for my 2 little ones, Zoe and Liam.