“Something Good” Sunday
While I wasn’t initially all that excited about going to my sister-in-law’s house yesterday to celebrate Easter, it turns out that my “something good” this week is from the dinner we shared. Josh and I were originally supposed to host Easter at our house, but we just have too much work still to do on the house that we’re just not comfortable having people over yet.
So, Josh and I said we’d bring a ham to the feast. My sister-in-law decided to move the event to yesterday instead of actual Easter Sunday because we were forecast to have rain and storms today. She had just built a new deck onto the back of her house so she was planning for us to eat outside on that.
The people gathered yesterday included: Josh, me, his three sisters, the host sister’s husband and her three kids. Her two daughters brought their significant others. Her son is currently flying solo. He just recently moved back to North Carolina. The youngest daughter got married in December and is now experiencing holidays for the first time as a married woman with a home of her own. All of the kids are grown. In fact, the oldest daughter is only two years younger than me. It’s how I always remember how old she is.
What I found to be most special about the day and the meal we shared, is what we ate and who prepared it. We all contributed something and looking back on it, I think it’s beautiful that the kids, now all grown and on their own, each contributed something.
Josh and I (really, Josh) made a ham which was so good even the host sister said it was good. Apparently, she doesn’t really like ham.
The host sister provided lamb chops, green beans, asparagus and a spread of olives and pickles for us to snack on. Oh! And macaroni salad. She also had drinks and lovely decorations and a little Easter tea towel wrapped in a ribbon and an Easter ornament for each of us to take home.
Another sister-in-law (perhaps the middle sister? I can’t remember who is the middle and who is the youngest) brought Rice Krispie treats and pretzels dipped in chocolate.
The oldest sister-in-law brought rolls that she had made.
Now for the “kids”, who flexed their adult muscles and brought the following:
Oldest daughter brought mini cream puffs.
Youngest daughter made a corn casserole that was covered in cheese and an additional side dish of roasted corn.
Youngest daughter’s new husband made a cheesecake that had fresh berries and a berry sauce to go on top.
Youngest/oldest/only son made mashed potatoes. He seemed very excited to tell us about the hand-held ricer he bought that he used to mash the potatoes and he also explained what went into making the potatoes, to include browning the butter. He also made a fabulous sticky pudding with dates in it and a sauce that went on top. So delicious!
It was a true pot luck with everyone contributing something to the meal, especially the children who were now all grown and able to fully participate. I have been with Josh for 26 years as of June of this year. That means, with the exception of his oldest niece—the one 2 years younger than me—I have known these kids since they were itty bitty. Single digit ages. We are now able to interact and bond with them on an adult level. The only boy/man has a very high position in our city government and given my new job, there is potential for us to collaborate in the future. We can be a connection for each other. One of those, “hey I know somebody” kind of situations when something comes up in our respective positions.
It’s fascinating to me watching kids grow up. I don’t have kids of my own and now having two single-digit aged nieces, I’m wondering what they’ll be like when they reach the point where they’re cooking a side dish to bring to a family holiday meal. I’ve got one grown nephew and I’ve got another niece and nephew who are at the phase of their early 20s where they’re figuring out what kind of “grown” they want to be. With how fast time goes by, I’m sure it won’t be long before I know how all of my nieces and nephews turn out.
With that said, Happy Easter to all who celebrate!
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