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A Recipe for Friendship
By Joanne Acabbo
My favorite tea and kitchen story is still continuing. My best
friend, Jayne and I, have shared so very much over countless cups of
tea. We've been friends for 29 years and have been through good times
and bad times together, always over a cup of tea! My son was injured in
a car accident in 1989 and was a quadraplegic at the age of 17. At
times, the only relief I had was to take a few minutes to stop at
Jayne's for a quick cup of tea. We were joined, in time, with her
grandsons and oh, what smiles they put on our faces. They have been
calling me GrammyJoanne since they learned how to talk.
In 1996, my 24
year old son passed away and it was the comfort of Jayne's kitchen and
her company that got me through some of the darkest days of my life.
A year after my son's death, Jayne's oldest daughter, Tisa was
diagnosed with a malignant high grade brain tumor. She had just given
birth to her third little boy and was 28 years old! We were stunned.
Many a night was spent in Jayne's kitchen, lamenting over the courses
that our lives had taken. She is still doing chemo and with God's help
she will survive.
In 1999, I was blessed with a granddaughter, Olivia Jayne! The love
of my life! Once again Jayne and I celebrated the birth of a grandchild
over a cup of tea.
Most of the gifts we exchanged over the years have something to do
with tea...teacups, teapots, stationery, etc. But the best gift of all
was having Jayne as a best friend, for all of these years. We'll
continue to drink our tea, discuss our problems and thank God for all
that we have.
A Recipe for Friendship
1. Take two
people with common interests.
2. Mix together with love and
understanding.
3. Stir in a sense of humor and a lot of compassion.
4. Bake for a lifetime...and enjoy the fruits of your labor knowing that you
both have made a remarkable concoction that will last forever!
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing