I really enjoyed this piece. What stood out to me was how many of us can relate to how our relationships are created, sustained and centered around food. Especially comfort food. Her memories are fond and written with care and the love that Jeanne showed to her by putting an extra dose of that special magic into her cooking that would create the fondest of memories when recalling every dish she ever made. Even the small nuances of things that her mother in law did…like the careful way she made gravy, or the onions set apart from the salad (always non-cooked vegetables) are permanently etched in her memory.
It was as if the closer she came to becoming “family”…from just being the girlfriend to finally the wife, she was able to describe at each stage where she was at those times in her mind. It was always something poignant she could recall about her mother in law. Like the time the minister came to visit and she savored the fresh baked bread. She was so precise I could almost taste the bread myself! And the presentation of the meal which Jeanne passed along as well, something the writer will never forget I’m sure as she described it in “When I bring it to her, the plate will be warm through. She will take and eat.”
Cindy Davis
This was the best one in the bunch. I sort of read it differently. Well, maybe if I have ever tasted pallid sauce (which I had to look up) I would have a better visual. For that matter I have yet to taste biscuits and gravy. I love metaphors and every aspect of what she used them in this piece. From the birth to the weakening of the friendship because that is what any relation is. We have ups and downs so her description and play on words really inspired me.
ReplyDeleteCraig Fontenot