Secret Family Recipe

December 21, 2012

Multitude of startling red, creepy black, fluttery winged, hairy sticks, insistent spiked, bigger than life, pesky waddlers, fearless fly in your nose bugs join us in the house thru the propped windows due to the excessive rain. Persistent boys secure wii handles and Play Station games hours on end. Took a break from the gaming to splash ‘round in the pool late this afternoon in the scorching sun. While I avoided the dreaded blue and yellow noodles whipped past my head, had difficulty keeping count to fulfill my PT requirements as the boys plunge and sideswipe at one another.

Ethan’s parents speak in spattered English with their young son. He is picking up expressions in Portuguese to everyone’s delight. I did chi chi in the toilet! I correct the parents’ grammar and improve their vocabulary by speaking directly to Ethan. I suspect Ethan stares up at me with a confused look on his face since I have such a different English speaking accent than his parents. Initially he would instantly stop whatever he was doing and gape up at my moving mouth.

Making bread tonight and tomorrow I will slave away baking chocolate chip cookies. The years I lived here I turned out various breads, giant cookies of several flavors and biscuits to sell and improve my financial status. One enterprising friend, Vera, lived across the street and owned a merceria (small convenience store the size of a one car garage.)  She parked a huge pickle jar of cookies on the front counter with a colorful sign designed by Taelor that included the detailed ingredients and ample prices. A good friend, Fabio adored the chocolate chip cookies and became one of my best (and chubby) customers. I generously shared the detailed recipe with Denise. She made Fabio a batch for his birthday one year and he flatly refused to share one cookie. Not long after that, the recipe disappeared. The sole copy was in Denise’s mother’s diary that she packed to visit her son in Calgary back in 2006 and inadvertently left behind. On the long drive from the airport Denise insisted I had to make my famous chocolate chip cookies for Christmas. Hope I can live up to the legend!

Tonight this family suddenly deals with grief of grave test results from the clinic, we prepare for a difficult process ahead. In an instant, everything changes perspective. Fresh memories of challenges after a startling diagnosis arise and the tumultuous emotional ups and downs cloud the holiday spirit yet it is a great relief to be together as a community.