Lunch with Johnny Blaze

Today - like every Wednesday - I have a lunch date with my 80-something grandparents. Each visit I get told the same ole stories I have heard since I was young. And I love it. Today's we talked about Lucky dog (their bull dog from the 1950's) and how silly or sweet pets can be, my cousin Mike with the 4 sons (eek!) who has to commute 2 hours every day and also about when my Grandma worked in a bakery that made oven-baked fresh bread daily...yum. Can't get freshness like that any more. See, my Grandpa "Johnny Blaze" (we call him) is/was a very honored Chef working mostly in Chicago and Dallas. (He retired like 15 times). He can cook or make ANYTHING! I unfortunately cannot cook worth a lick. My dad also went to culinary school then the army then to college, so now he does more of the administrative aspect.... anyway, when I met my now husband back in the mid-nineties and he heard that my grandfather and my Father's were both chefs - he thought he had died and gone to heaven. Well, guess what???? Was he so surprised that I do not cook. *First, I was never allowed in the kitchen b/c I "got in the way". *Second, when one is not invited to the kitchen, one does not care what happens in the kitchen and *Third, when one does not care about what happens in the kitchen, one does not learn how to cook. So, on my behalf it was their fault. This is my Grandpa and me when I was about 2yrs. I was always his favorite granddaughter....which was funny b/c I am his only granddaughter. I do love them so much and enjoy every lunch date with them b/c I know that they will not be here forever no matter how much I wish it. It is especially nice to get to know them on an adult level, something I was able to do with my other set of Grandparents who both died when I was a youth. My "Johnny Blaze" is so special to me.

Anyway... Thought of the day: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Norman MacEwan

We can give of our time, our attention, our patience, our love and our hope. We can give to save the multitudes, or the one lonely soul. We can give our used things, our new gifts or our of our past earnings. But most of all we can give by how we change the lives of others. Peace be with you this eve.