Mylee is helping me make soup.

Chopped
I cook with my grandkids. In fact, it’s one of my favorite things to do. Whether or not this activity has had an effect on any of them remains unseen. What I do know, however, is that many of them like to cook. I have talked about Alastair’s love for food and cooking in my blog before. You might be aware that for a while, Addie contributed to my blog through a kids’ cooking segment. (She is now a very busy 7^th grader, so she hasn’t much time to fiddle around with my blog.) Kaiya and Mylee both love to help me cook when they visit, and it’s an activity we often enjoy together. Yesterday I watched Mylee make her presentation as Afternoon Kindergarten Student of the Week at her school, Willow Creek Elementary. One of the questions the teacher asked her was What do you want to be when you grow up. I was absolutely certain I knew her answer, as she has always told me she wanted to be a doctor.  Anyhoo, her answer to the teacher’s question? “A chef,” said Miss Mylee. Who knew? One thing I will tell you is that when I was 5 years old, I would never have heard of a chef. The days of Food Network.

This is one of my favorite photos of my mom, helping Court do heaven-knows-what at their home in Dillon.

Happy Birthday, Mom
Yesterday my mom would have turned 89. She died when she was 68 years old following a long illness. Having myelofibrosis certainly didn’t stop her from enjoying her life, however, at least not until the very end. She was so, so young when she passed away. I miss her every day. I miss her especially when I watch my grandkids and think about how much she would have enjoyed her great grandchildren. She was unable to meet a single one of her great grands. She loved all of her grandchildren, but I think we all agree that she was partial to her girlies. I wish she could have met Kaiya and Mylee. I don’t know if you celebrate birthdays in heaven, but just in case: Happy birthday Mom!

Who Was Lady and Who Was Tramp?
The other day when Kaiya, Mylee, and Cole were spending the day with us, I brought out my apple peeler. It’s Fall, after all. The inevitable Apple Crisp. I don’t know why I think Apple Crisp can only be made in the Fall, but I never, ever make it at any other time of the year. And I never fail to make at least one in the Fall. Anyhoo, my old-fashioned apple peeler peels the apple in one very long strip. It is simply too tempting to ignore. So this happened…..

I told the girls they looked like the dogs in Lady and the Tramp during the romantic kiss scene in which the two dogs eat the same strand of spaghetti leading to the kiss, which made Kaiya giggle as only Kaiya can giggle. “Nana, what kind of dogs are Lady and the Tramp?” she asked. Now that is kind of a good question. I’m pretty sure Lady is a Cocker Spaniel and I’m pretty sure Tramp is a mutt. I haven’t seen the movie for 50 years, but I think that was the controversy. No?

Strapless
Yesterday morning I was in the locker room at 24 Hour Fitness. I noticed a woman getting dressed for, I don’t know, work? A social function? A wedding? It doesn’t matter. What struck me is that she was wearing a really pretty red dress with a square back that was cut a little low, but not inappropriately so. What I particularly noticed, however, is that she was wearing a red bra. I know this because the straps were entirely visible. I have noticed this many times before. Women nowadays use their bra as part of their, well, I don’t know, accessories? I wasn’t a bit horrified. I just remembered how when I was young, we went to all sorts of lengths to make sure our bra straps were hidden. We wore strapless bras, bras that crisscrossed in the back, halter bras, anything so that the dress hid the bra straps. Most were highly uncomfortable. If only……

Ciao!