Life without regret . . .

Last Tuesday started as a normal day in our household. The kids heading out to school anticipating an easy day and week as it was the last before the winter break. Preparations for the Christmas celebration the next week were in full swing, and I was doing my usual catching up on what was new with friends and family through my daily perusal of Facebook.

I did not expect the posting on my brother Eric's page to be so shocking and sad--nor did I expect to learn of his passing through a post of one of his friends on Eric's page trying to locate family. I was in shock and called the number left on the post, gathered the details of the unexpected death of the my baby brother, and then made plans to travel to his home the next day.

My blog is about things learned from past generations and while I think about our loss, I remember my grandmother telling me time and again to be grateful for the things you have while you have them, appreciate the people in your life while you have them, and never take anything including the time you have to do this for granted. It is the Christmas season. It is a sad time for our family now, but what I will never forget is how I was able to walk into his apartment knowing I had cherished every moment we had together--no regrets.

Listen to those who are older than you and take to heart the things they are trying to tell you without sounding old and creepy. They have experienced what you will at some time in your own life. . .slow down, take time for you and yours. . .life without regret is priceless and serene.

Don't Cut That Roast!

There is a story of a family dinner attended by many generations on a holiday that goes something like this.

A young girl went to her mother and asked, "Mommy, why do you cut the roast in half before you cook it?" Her mother replied, "I do it because my mother taught me to cook and showed me how to do it that way. Go ask your grandmother to tell you why?"

The girl went to her grandmother and asked, "Mommy says you taught her how to cook her roasts, and I want to know why you cut it in half first." The grandmother said, "My mother taught me how to cook. She is in the kitchen; she can tell you."

"Great Grandma, grandma and mommy told me you could tell me why you cut a roast in half to cook it. Can you tell me, please?" "Well," Great Grandma started, "when your Great Grandfather and I were first married, we had very little money; we raised our own food, and Great Grandpa butchered and aged our meat. Because it was easier to age bag then in larger pieces, when he brought in a roast, I had to cut it in half to fit into the pans we had. That's why."

The little girl was delighted and giggled back to her Mother and Grandma to tell them why. The two older ladies looked at each other for a moment and burst out laughing! To think they thought it had something to do with the method of cooking only to find out it was all about economics!

There are many family traditions circulating for the very same reason. Maybe you have a few of your own you would like to ask about and pass along to us!



              

I love to learn!

I was lucky to be raised by my grandparents in what use to be a small town in Oregon. 

Always the inquisitive one, my grandparents were able to pass on the 'old' ways of doing things and the reasons why they were used while answering my questions. Many of my contemporaries ask me these same questions when they see me make bread a certain way or make sure to touch the pie crust dough as little as possible.

My thinking was there may be more out there who, for perhaps nothing more than curiosity, may want the same questions answered.

Feel free to post questions about things you  want to know the origins of or reason for doing things. MANY of these still make sense but have not been passed along--until now