Friday, March 1, 2013

Friday, March 1, 2013

Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2009. I remember this day like it was yesterday. You can see Linda, Mattie's childlife specialist, speaking to a group of people in the hospital hallway. It was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the childlife playroom, which was a crucial addition to the in-patient pediatric floor. When Mattie first entered the hospital in August of 2008, there was NO playroom. There was no place for the kids to gather to do activities, so when this room opened it, it was a God sent! But Linda knew Mattie VERY well, she gave him the opportunity to cut the ribbon during the ceremony which hung on the doorway to the playroom. Clearly, Mattie was TOTALLY focused on the door and the ribbon, with scissors in hand! That was Mattie.... a boy on a mission!


Quote of the day: A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely. ~ Pam Brown


Most of my friends live in Northern Virginia and yet I live in Washington, DC. To me commuting back and forth is not a big deal. After all I have been doing it since 2005, when Mattie went to preschool in Alexandria, VA. The car practically can drive to Alexandria without my guidance, which speaks to my frequency of trips.

A month of so ago, my friend Tina mentioned she would be happy to come to the city to visit me. I was so happy by her willingness to do this, that I decided instead of us going out to lunch, that I would have a luncheon at my home. Since Tina's birthday was this week, it made the perfect excuse to have a birthday luncheon. I can't remember the last time I cooked for friends and had them over to visit me! I can safely say it has been years, certainly before Mattie got sick in 2008. In many ways, since Mattie's death I live in isolation, and when Tina said she would come to the city, I took this opportunity to do something different.

At first I was apprehensive about preparing a lunch, but then my lifetime friend Karen piped up and said..... "what are you worried about!? You cook meals for people ALL the time, it just may not be at your home." I stopped to think about what she was saying, and she was right! Karen gave me the right perspective. Cooking is very tied to my maternal grandmother. She is the one who taught me to cook at a very young age. So to me, cooking is an experience and a labor of love.

Before my friends arrived, I snapped a picture of our table set up.

 

This photo wasn't my idea. I was requested to take a picture of all the foods on a plate! Featured were a hazelnut crusted rockfish with a tropical fruit salsa, risotto, and a salad with pears and candied pecans.

 

Karen asked me for a cake picture.... so here is the Cake Roll I made. I got the recipe for this cake from one of mom's cookbooks while I was in Los Angeles. Inside the cake is cream cheese, strawberries, and coconut.

 

 

Ann's Aunt Helen was visiting from Massachusetts. So Helen was kind enough today to snap a group shot! Also Helen coaxed Patches to eat some fish with us. Typically in the past, Patches was scared of visitors. But today, she was intrigued and very social! It was a girls' luncheon, and clearly she considers herself one of the girls!

Pictured from left to right are Junko, Ann, Vicki and seated was the lady of honor, Tina.