Today, April 17, is our 26th wedding anniversary. We have never really made a big deal out of anniversaries. Birthdays either. Not because we don’t think they are important. I think it’s more because there are now so many societal expectations around bigger and better celebrations of milestone events that celebrating in any big way sort of feels like giving in and becoming just another consumer in a society driven mad by consumption. Think about it, there are entire industries built on human’s desire to celebrate stuff. Greeting cards, balloons, flowers, cakes. I like all that stuff, but I like it best when it’s not expected, if that makes any sense.
This year was different. This year we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in what was, for us, a pretty big way. First, Mike and I flew to Hawaii for a two-week vacation. Then, we topped it off with an entire weekend hanging out at home with our three children. Today, our 26th anniversary sort of marks the end of a three-week celebration of us. Not just us, the husband and wife, but us, the family.
It’s been a journey for all of us, really. Full of various bumps, misdirections, obstacles large and small, with some mental and metaphysical challenges thrown in that were more monumental than I think anyone ever expected. But we have all persevered, and we all continue to grow. Some of us are struggling more than others, but that’s sort of to be expected. We are, after all, each in various phases or stages of our individual life’s path. But we still like and love each other, and I think we always will. That’s huge. We may not all be bound by blood, but we are bound by something. It could just be familiarity and a collection of shared experiences, but it feels like more.
The family in 1993.
We have all come a very long way from being the people we were in that picture to the people we are now.
The family in 2019.
It is not often that we all get the chance to just hang out and reconnect. In fact, I think the last time we were all together without significant others and offspring was in 2004 when we took a family vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
The family in 2004.
It is fun to look back and see how far all of us have come.
The kids in 2004.
None of us are exactly the same people we were back then. We have all grown so much since then, in so many different ways.
Mike and I have been blessed in so many ways. And we are very proud of these people we were each given as children to raise. They are each very special and very unique in so many ways. They have all grown into amazing adults.
We are so very glad they all chose to come visit and help celebrate our 25-year anniversary milestone. It meant the world to both of us, to all of us, really. Even when Mike and I are dead and gone, the kids will still have each other. Isn’t that what all parents want? Being a family, whether or not related by blood, doesn’t always guarantee that good, strong connections will be forged. That takes work, careful nurturing of spirits, and maybe even a little bit of luck.
I, for one, am happy and proud to be able to share my life with each and every one of these very special people. I love them all very much. Especially this guy.
Me and Mike in 2019.
Happy anniversary, Honey! Here’s to many more years to come. And thanks again, Shannon, Amy, and Eric, for wanting to come together to celebrate with us. It meant more to both of us than I suspect any of you will ever truly understand.
Have you heard about this new concept of a “risky” playground? If not, check out this video.
I find it both interesting and sad at the same time. Interesting because it seems people are finally starting to wake up and realize the quality of life in our society has been declining in more ways than one. Things that seem relatively minor in the whole scheme of things, such as overprotecting, constantly entertaining, and thinking for our children, are bad. Parents are supposed to provide a solid foundation for their children, not hand-feed and guide them every single little step of the way into young adulthood.
We learn through failure. If kids aren’t allowed to fail, they’ll never grow into well-rounded adults. People may scoff at so-called “free range” parents, but I would rather see parents easing their children into independence than hovering and over-protecting them. It’s really ironic that it’s the helicopter parents who also let their kids run amuck, doing what they want, when they want, with little or any consequences.
I’ll get off the soapbox now. Maybe this “new” concept of allowing kids to learn for themselves is a sign of hope for society? Perhaps. I know one thing, I’m glad I’m not raising young kids in this day and age.
L-R, Eric, Amy, and Shannon
Thankfully, our children are all grown. Getting them all together is a rare treat. I think we did a pretty good job raising them. They all turned into pretty nice, interesting, independent people. They get along well, too, on the rare occasions that they’re all together.
Speaking of getting along, or not… I have been meaning to share this picture with y’all for AGES. It took me forever to actually stop and take the picture, then it sort of got lost amidst the other clutter on my phone.
It’s not terribly far west of us in what I think is Culpeper County. We refer to it as the house with the “spite wall.”
Spite Wall
You can only see one of the houses in that photo. The other is on the right-hand side of the wall, not far at all from that unsightly divider. The wall looks like it’s been there for quite some time. I imagine there’s an interesting story or two behind THAT one.
Yesterday, I did something very different and very exciting. Exciting for me, anyway.
It involved an uber-fancy, free five-course lunch at The HCAT Institute at Anne Arundel Community College, “Maryland’s premier choice for hospitality and culinary education.”
One of the chefs preparing the meal was my son, Eric, who is about to graduate from the fully accredited HCAT Institute.
Eric and Me
Eric, who just turned 24 on October 1, is the youngest of our three children. Growing up, all of our kids presented different parenting challenges. I often tell people I survived raising three teenagers. Parenting is hard work!
Eric was the least-motivated of all of our kids. He’s very smart, but was a terrible student. He wasn’t exactly ambitious professionally for a long time either.
But, finally, that proverbial light bulb went off and he enrolled in a hotel/restaurant management and culinary arts program at the local community college. He’d always enjoyed cooking so his then-fiancee (now wife) Kelsey encouraged him to make it his profession.
He’s done well. Last I heard, his GPA was in the mid-threes. And, most important, he LOVES it.
Eric is just about finished his final semester. One of the things the school does at the end of a particular class, which I forget the name of, is have the students prepare a lunch for family and friends. The students are segregated into groups (they get to choose their own teams) and are tasked with creating a menu and then preparing the meal.
They didn’t choose the recipes, they developed the recipes. And they made all of the food completely from scratch.
Take a peek at the menu (click on image for a larger view). The meal wasn’t in an actual restaurant, it was in a classroom turned banquet room at The HCAT Institute.
The Menu
Eric was responsible for the bread basket and one of the third course options. The bread basket, pictured below, included Focaccia and Lavash (a super-thin cracker-bread).
Eric’s Lavash was seasoned with some sort of cheese and herbs. He told me the Lavash details, but I didn’t write that down. Sorry, son!
Focaccia and Lavash Bread
He also had to make some Brioche. More on that later. Rather than skip right to Eric’s “meal” offering, I’m going to show you images of the other meal elements. The students did a fabulous job.
The Amuse-Bouche
According to Wikipedia, an amuse-bouche is a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre.
This one was described on the menu as…
Cranberry Marmalade and Goat Cheese Mousse on a Cheddar Cracker Spiced with Old Bay
Amuse-bouche is a French term, which can be literally translated as mouth amuser. It’s different from an appetizer in that patrons don’t order an amuse-bouche from a menu, it is served at no cost and is prepared according to the chef’s selection and specifications. Typically served with a complementary wine, the amuse-bouche is served both to prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef’s approach to the art of cuisine.
The Cranberry Marmalade was a nice complement to the goat cheese mousse, but I’m not sure the Old Bay added to the flavor. It was still lovely.
I forgot to mention that I was seated with Eric’s wife, Kelsey, his mother-in-law, Jane, and his biological father, Ron. Hubby couldn’t get away from work for the entire day.
There were two offerings for the first course, but we all chose the same dish, a salad.
First Course Salad
The menu described the salad as…
A Salad of Mixed Greens, Pears, Apples, Red Onions, and a Pear Vinaigrette. Accompanied with a Bit of Chicken Liver Pate on a Crouton.
The salad was delicious. Jane and Kelsey pronounced the chicken liver pate tasty, but I have NEVER liked the flavor of chicken liver. I tried two of the three pate-topped croutons, but it wasn’t my thing.
There were two second course offerings, too.
Option 1: Pan-seared Scallop
– and –
Option 2: Roulade of Rabbit
I was the only one to choose the rabbit since I typically prefer my scallops well-done to eliminate the metallic taste that you can get when the middle isn’t fully cooked.
I did get to taste the scallop, and it was delicious (no metallic taste). But I LOVED my rabbit roulade, which was described as…
A Roulade of Rabbit Served wirh Parsnip Gnocchi, Braised Red Cabbage, and Apple Chutney
It was truly delicious.
The third course offerings were…
Option 1: Open-faced Bison Sandwich
– and –
Option 2: Seared Duck Breast
Three of us chose the bison, which was Eric’s creation, and one of us chose the duck. Kelsey said she felt like such a traitor for choosing the duck, but Eric had previously served the bison at home as a test run, so she decided to sample the duck.
Not only did Eric have to develop the recipe, he had to prepare his dish yesterday, and was also responsible for the final plating.
Doesn’t it look beautiful? That’s my boy!
I always used to stress presentation to him, especially with salads. Not that I EVER made anything that looked that fancy, but I do enjoy making attractive salads. Food just seems to taste better when it is presented with care.
I didn’t taste the duck, but can say that the bison was fabulous. It was also my favorite dish of the day. And I’m not just saying that because Eric made it. Here are the details for the bison…
Open-faced Bison Sandwich. Served Medium-rare with Grilled Brioche, Fresh Baby Arugula and a Horseradish Napa Slaw, Topped with Shaved Onion.
All of the elements of the dish complemented each other perfectly. There was just a hint of horseradish in the slaw, which was good, because that’s one thing that can easily be overwhelming. As a whole, the slaw was perfect with the bison. And I usually avoid red meat that isn’t well-done. The brioche had a very delicate flavor, too.
Dessert consisted of this selection of House Made Chocolate Truffles.
Chocolate Truffles for Dessert
Clockwise from left were Hazlenut, Coconut, and Cappucino Truffles.
They were all delicious, but the coconut was my favorite .
Classroom Kitchen
Classroom Kitchen
Classroom Kitchen
As we were leaving, I snagged a few shots of the classroom kitchen with my phone.
Eric looks so at-home in the kitchen. He has truly found his calling. How awesome is that?
And, having seen him in action in my own kitchen, I know he has a bright culinary future. I won’t be at all surprised if he ends up teaching one day.
He and Kelsey dream of one day opening a bed-and-breakfast. Maybe it will be a learning bed-and-breakfast where guests go not just to vacation, but to learn how to cook certain foods at the same time.
I can’t wait to see where his talents take him.
Shannon, our eldest daughter who just happens to be a foodie-type, would have really enjoyed yesterday’s luncheon. But San Diego is a bit far away…
Our youngest, Eric, got married this past Saturday. I now have a daughter-in-law (DIL).
Kelsey & Eric Brandt
It was a lovely event. Kelsey not only planned the whole thing, she did an awful lot of work to make it all happen. Favors, flower arrangements, linen and cutlery purchases, decorations, etc. You name it, she did it. A monumental feat. And even though it took us all a bit longer than anticipated to get everything set up, she remained calm. It was her day.
Drip Catchers
Her and Eric’s day, that is. The two of them were absolutely glowing with happiness.
These pics were captured by my sister-in-law. I didn’t take a single picture at the event. There was a photographer there, so I’ll have better pics to show you later. I just didn’t feel like I should be behind a camera lens during the affair. No matter how badly I wanted to. I’ll have to trust that Marcus, The Annapolis Photographer, captured it all.
First Dance
These two are a lovely couple. So in love. They were meant for each other.
More later after the official pics are available.
Here’s one of Eric and me…
Eric and Me
It was taken just before I walked Eric down the aisle. I had just pinned one of my Mom’s angel pins on his lapel. If you look closely, you’ll see that I am wearing one, too. She so wanted to be at Eric’s wedding. Even though she wasn’t there physically, she was definitely there in spirit. And in our hearts.
We’re both happier than we look. We were just using those last few seconds to steel ourselves for the big moment. I was telling myself, “Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.” I didn’t want to be bawling on the way down the aisle. But I didn’t want to look terrified either. Which is how I looked in the pics from Amy’s wedding as I was being led down the aisle to my seat!
I did something special the weekend before last. The first full weekend of this crazy 2013 Spring. My son, Eric, and I went skiing.
Yep, skiing. In Maryland.
I actually started this post last Thursday. Almost a week ago. I didn’t finish it before heading north to Dad’s on Friday. He doesn’t have internet access. He, my brother, and I spent the weekend going through and weeding out his worldly possessions in preparation for his impending move. That’s a story for another post. While there, I caught a humdinger of a cold that had me on my back for a couple of days. Today, finally, I feel like I can function. Still sick, but WAY better. So life goes on.
Now, back to the last time referred to in the title…
My baby boy, Eric, is getting married on April 20.
Kelsey and Eric
He’s marrying Kelsey, his middle-school sweetheart. They may have “gone out” off and on a bit in high school, but his high school years were rough times for all of us. He prevailed, got his life back on track, and they re-connected a few years back. They rest, as they say, is history.
In 17 days, he’ll be a married man. We couldn’t be happier for them both. They make a really cute couple.
When Eric was younger, he and I would often do trips together. Usually to visit my brother in Chesapeake, Virginia. But we also did camping trips and other stuff, too, like ski vacations.
So I decided, since he’s going to be married soon, we should have a final Mom and son trip while he was still single.
I was having a heck of a time deciding where we should go. Since Winter has dragged on for so long, I thought maybe we could squeeze a ski trip in.
Windmills
Eric captured the windmill pics while I drove. It was a gorgeous day.
Windmills
This has been a crazy weather year, but it worked out well for us.
Deep Creek Lake, Frozen
Who would ever have thought we’d be skiing in Maryland in Spring?
Lift Ride
As you’ll see in these pics, we had the place practically to ourselves.
Eric
Hamming it up for me. I trained him well…
Eric
The place was deserted, but almost all of the trails were open and the snow was in great shape.
Me and Eric
Some folks asked me to take their picture. So I asked them to take our picture, too. A great shot, right? Except my pockets were crammed full of stuff and I look about 30 pounds heavier on the top than I actually am!
It was a great day. He’s a good boy.
🙂
After we’d exhausted ourselves on the slopes, we headed to the WV Place to spend the evening. Sunday, we were thinking about heading down to Green Bank, West Virginia to see the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. But the weather dudes were predicting snow for the next day. Lots of snow. While the roads around Green Bank are a motorcycle Mecca, they’re no place for an almost-new car when the roads are sleet- and snow-covered.
So we took our time on Sunday morning. I drove home via the scenic route, through Bean Settlement so I could show Eric my favorite Oreo cows.
Eric had never seen Oreo cows before.
We continued east on WV-55 through Wardensville and found the cutest little old timey mercantile/cafe. More material for yet another blog post.
Star Mercantile in Wardensville, WV
It was a perfect Mom and son bonding weekend. I do love my boy-turned-man.
Where HAVE the years gone? Sigh…
Yes, we’re looking forward to gaining a daughter-in-law. She’s very sweet. She’s got a lovely family. Those two are made for each other, that’s for sure. More on them later. I promise.
Now, since I am actually feeling human again, I need to get to work!
It’s been quiet around here lately. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just doesn’t give me much to blog about.
House at Corner of Main & South 6th Street in Warrenton
Eric and Kelsey were here for a visit this past weekend. It was nice spending time with them. But I didn’t lift the camera even once.
Sometimes I get in photographic slumps. Although I must admit it was nice just enjoying their company.
Eric and Kelsey (from November 2011)
That’s an old picture. Not old-old. It was taken four months ago. I figured I’d better post at least one pic of them in case you’ve forgotten what they look like.
It was fun watching Eric cook. And clean up after himself.
Even the baby of the family is growing up. He’s taking college courses in culinary science and loving it. He made dinner (a jalapeno cornbread casserole) for us on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday (French toast with strawberry sauce).
We don’t get to see them much, so I really enjoyed the visit. I just didn’t take any pictures to prove it.
This year was different. This year we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in what was, for us, a pretty big way. First, Mike and I flew to Hawaii for a two-week vacation. Then, we topped it off with an entire weekend hanging out at home with our three children. Today, our 26th anniversary sort of marks the end of a three-week celebration of us. Not just us, the husband and wife, but us, the family.
