Tickled, tearful and trained

Mary Anne, Maria, Mom and Dad, you have made James and my mornings. I am so excited to see you all posting. So as promised - first post anecdotes.

Maria- I think of you often when I am cooking. I think that part of my cooking is inspired by your Chez Maria's. Sometimes when I have invited people over and have nothing in the house I remember Le Mac and Fromage and realize it is the love and not the food that matter. I am a trained host in part because of your tutelage.

Dad and Gram- I have so many fun stories with the two of you but movies are a common thread in our family history. And one lackluster film we went to see together was "An American Haunting". I hope not to give away this "classic" but it had incest as the central tension of the haunting which was revealed in a flash back that Gram watched and ----didn't get. Dad, Dom and I were reduced to tears laughing at poor Gram who, to her great credit, took it like a sport and joined in the laughing. At the point that Dad's nose is running he is laughing so hard, you know it is a good time.

Mom- One of your great skills is your ability to take lemons and make lemonade ... with sparkles. When our roof was strangely absent and we were all living in two hotel rooms and I had lost my voice and had a show to do with Josh, God rest him, who hadn't learned his lines, you ordered room service. I couldn't believe the decadence but you let me sit in your hot tub and ordered a shrimp and steak salad and I ate in my robe and we watched bad tv and laughed. This moment has seen me through many a hard time.

I love you all. Keep up with the posts remember it is just the orange b and it will take you to posts. You all have very much made my day.