Monday, February 26, 2012

We are hoping for a good weather day tomorrow and although the weather forecast looked promising yesterday it looks like we will make our way to the celebration site either in the rain or snow.  In spite of the prediction that today would be a sunny day it is snowing as I write this blog entry.  My joy is boundless.

Susan awoke early yesterday so she could meet Rachel’s plane that was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 at the Sacramento airport.  From the airport they made their way to Bevmo to buy some wine and beer and then it was off to Trader Joe’s to purchase some  goodies for Rachel so that she could have a variety of things to eat while she is here in Nevada City.  They made it back home a little after 1:00 and soon thereafter Saul’s wife Sue and their son, Jacob, pulled into the driveway.  Now the cast of characters was complete.

This is one full house, but the good news is that is a large house.  It is currently populated by Mary, Miladie, David, Saul, Sue, Jacob, Robert, Sara, Katrina, Elio, Susan, Rachel and I.  It’s a good thing that I am not superstitious.  The decision was made to have dinner at home and that the main course would be shrimp.  Saul and I volunteered to go down to Savmart in Grass Valley and buy the necessary ingredients.  In addition to ten pounds of shrimp we picked up a good supply of salad vegetables, several baguettes and all the necessary ingredients to make a Caesar salad.

Sara and Katrina volunteered to prepare our evening meal and while the assembled group watched the Oscars they set to work preparing what turned out to be an outstanding meal.  In addition to the Caesar salad we enjoyed a pasta salad made with angel hair, arugula, Parmesan cheese and a garlic butter dressing.  The centerpiece of the meal was the six pounds of shrimp that had first been cooked in a crab boil mixture and then broiled to bring them to their proper state of doneness.

When the Oscars program ended all the adults gathered around the table.  When we were comfortable seated we joined hands and those who wished to shared their thoughts about Sam.  The testimony to the gifts of this man and his wife was the fact that gathered around the table were all his children and their spouses, as well as all his grandchildren.  The importance of family was a concept that was very well ingrained in all of us who were partaking in the meal.

We then proceeded to make quick work of six pounds of shrimp and the rest of the goodies.  When the table had been cleared and all the dishes were in the dishwasher I set up the magic show that I had been requested to perform. I ended up doing seven or eight effects and the laughter and the amazement turned out to be a good tension reliever and an up moment in a very trying series of days.

When the magic show was over Sue, Saul and Jacob headed over to the motel where they were spending the night. Robert headed down the hill to sleep at Sam’s house and David returned to his house. The rest of us spread out to our respective sleeping spaces in Mary’s house and by 11:00 PM we were all tucked intoour beds.