Captain SO and I just traveled a significant distance to and back to spend time with family during the Holly Daze. The drive is long and our stiff bodies always appreciate the arrival on either end of the trip. Try as we might to walk during rest-area stops, our bodies so seem to stiffen up sooner than they used to. This, I believe, is a sign of age.
Although my SO and I spend some parallel time with each of our families, we did manage to at least make an appearance and have some conversation with the other's loved ones. If there is one thing that we each were blessed with, good family cooks would be it! You can always count on returning home from a far-family visit weighing a bit more than before you left home! You can also count on lively conversations in a wide range of topics to experience. There are young cousins, nieces or nephews taking part in sports games and those are always exciting to observe. Other relatives have new pets or have done remodeling that begs to be seen so there is never a dull or boring moment.
One of this year's highlights was a pan of cinnamon-bread pudding. (Of course it is food related. Did you expect some lofty observation?) No one, or hardly any one, expected to be very excited about bread pudding. Pre-dinner everyone was eye-balling the homemade raspberry pie (made by Capt. SO) or the homemade apple pie made by SO's Daddy-O, who happens to be ninety years of age. When the evening was said and done, the bread pudding was mostly gone, as was the raspberry pie. The two intact apple pies were quickly cut into slices and frozen, ready for another family gathering. All those present were moving a bit more slowly and trying desperately to stave off the onslaught of the carb-coma that we all knew was inevitable. Only the little nieces found their second winds by singing and dancing.
Now the Holly Daze can officially begin!
Ancora imparo
