John took his first ride in the backpack yesterday. I had to have Rob take a photo – just so he can see it in 20 years and believe that he ever rode on mommy’s back.
John in his backpack
Dear friends are leaving VAFB in less than a week; John’s first backpack trip was a walk through our neighborhood to a friends’ half-empty house full of boxes. I didn’t really believe they were leaving until I saw it all packed up. At first, it’s stressful to see all our friends leaving, but after a few moves we get used to saying ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ often. It’s the circle of the Air Force…someone leaves, a new neighbor moves in, and on and on.
The worst thing about this goodbye is that I had found a kindred foodie spirit. Espresso brownies, fresh strawberries, veggie paninis, butternut squash soup, and home-made ho-ho’s (yes, they are as good as they sound)…now I’ll have to travel all the way to Nebraska to get good food and good wine.
I’m realizing that food is has, for me, emotional ties. Many of the reasons I eat what I do are related to fond feelings for old and new friends: kiwi fruit, cut and spooned out just like a high-school girlfriend taught me; string cheese from our looong hiking trip in the Bob; yoplait lemon custard yogurt and a childhood friend who lived around the block; cantaloupe from a high-school summer spent goofing off; raspberries and reses pb cups bring me back to after-school snacks at grandma’s house (ditto with cherry jello), rhubarb and swordfish can only be eaten (seperately) in pismo beach; hopple-popple and blackberry cobbler is eaten camping on the coast; kielbasa is for keeping our strength up during New Year’s Day football or early morning campfire meals; bridge mix(empathy gift), hamburger helper(college staple), cranberry juice(cures all ills), hot chocolate and cheese fries(Perkins to study, anyone?), TCBY yogurt, dairy queen, Perkins’ chocolate french silk pie, and of course Crunchy Corn Bran: all tied to memories. Is this called emotional eating??
