A Little Celebration for My 200th Post!

There's a lot going on this weekend.  The Oscars Awards Ceremony is tonight, and a lot of people are excited about that.  There are smaller celebrations taking place as well.  Yesterday, Katie, Sydney, and I took a lovely drive to Winstead, Connecticut where we attended a baby shower for Sydney's soon-to-be-born grandson.  This will be Sydney's third grandchild and she is thrilled.  An expert quilter, she made a beautiful quilt for baby Nolan.  She is a textile artist and her works are cherished.  I returned home last night in time to have dinner at Great Bay in Ballston Spa with my sisters and my mother's oldest and best friend, which is especially meaningful since it's almost 8 years since we lost our own mother.  While I was at Great Bay, my ex-husband and his wife arrived to have dinner at Katie's house (where I have a mother-in-law apartment) with a couple of Marino's pizzas (a family favorite) and dessert.  This morning, I took a cake out of the oven for my brother Steven's birthday today.  All of these events revolve around the food that is shared.  Food is not the reason for the get-together, though it enhances the experience.

Today marks the 200th post of this blog, started May 26, 2009.  While it is a milestone, it is more an indication that this endeavor is worth the effort, though I must admit that writing this blog is more pleasure than work.  Fears that I would run out of things to write about were groundless.  There's always something to say.  The other day, I passed two men in conversation, talking about a recipe.  It was yet another example that discussion of food, whatever the forum, is basic and universal.  Everyone eats.  If we don't eat, we die. Everyone thinks about the next meal.  For some, it's a matter of survival; for other fortunate people, it's about options.   Some people, like me, expand those thoughts toward the creative to produce and provide food that does more than nurture.  The sharing of food creates an atmosphere, provides a sense of home and community, marks a special occasion, and makes a memory. 

Food is so much more than what we ingest.  For me, food is what I can give, what can be shared, that makes it such a primary focus in my life.  More than anything, it says "I care about you." 

Photo image: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS282US282&gbv=2&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=celebrate&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&start=0