Another generation...

Catie has spent the afternoon and evening with me today. My goal for this afternnon was to complete Ally's cake for her reception. Catie was helping with this goal. As we were in the kitchen, I realized that Catie is the same age I was when I started cooking. She has spent alot of time in the kitchen with me this summer and is turning into a great little helper. She is very opinionated and will tell you "straight up" if she does or doesn't like something you have cooked. She is also eager to start cooking things by "her very self." We decided today that she can make Sarah's birthday cake this year. Catie is going to ride down to Orlando with me on the 2nd and will be able to deliver it to Sarah in person. She is very excited about "really cooking something important." I find it to be a great source of joy to spend time with her in the kitchen and to be able to pass on the skills Mom taught me, I taught Sarah and now am teaching Catie...There are many traditions that can unite a family and I think sharing Grandmomma's recipes and cooking secrets is certainly one of those. I cannot even measure how important the cooking skills Mom taught me have been in my life. (I helped put myself through ABAC by catering and spent almost 30 years working in the Food Service/catering field) I still love to read cookbooks just as much as I do a novel. One of the realities of life is that Momma has lost her ability to cook or create new recipes to share with all of us. My talent for cooking was nurtured by Mom in its early stages. Because it is no fun to cook for just one person (me) I am able to use this talent to help out my parents by cooking for them from time to time. I know that cooking helps me to get rid of stress... something about beating those eggs and whipping that cream... :-) I also love to share my cooking with the missionaries, my children, my students and my special friends, I guess it's my small way of "giving back" to those who bring me joy on an everyday basis.