Pie a Day Give Away

Maybe you have noticed that I am now more than one third of the way through this year of pie baking and giving. It’s been an interesting journey thus far and some of my friends have helped me along the way.

Katrina is one of those friends. She has helped me find two pie recipients thus far – and both of them seemed pleased to get a pie and become a part of this voyage. And today, as I was driving to deliver dinner to someone (with my pie in the car) I thought of Katrina.

We met about fifteen years ago. Katrina was a neighbor of my friend Ken who was nearly crippled from Lyme’s Disease. Because I often brought meals to Ken, I got to know her. It seemed to me that everytime I stopped by, Katrina was there smiling and I really appreciated how helpful she was to Ken – even though he insisted he didn’t need any.

One day, I suggested to Ken that he might consider asking his friends to help him. I was thrilled when a short time later, he held a meeting for his friends and told them what kind of help he needed. Katrina and I were both part of that group of friends who volunteered to assit Ken with a variety of tasks. What I remember most about that group is that many of us had names that began with the letter “K” – Katrina, Karen, Kate, Ken, etc.

Sadly, Ken’s condition continuted to deteriorate and he passed away due to complications from his disease. It was a devastating loss to our community. However, if there is a silver lining in this story, it is that I met some wonderful people through my association with Ken – and Katrina was one of them.

When I arrived at Katrina’s house tonight she saw me with the pie (really it was a lemon tart) and was delighted. Somehow I got the feeling that she was not expecting to receive a pie this evening. And that’s okay – because I really liked surprising her and seeing her so happy. I think that’s what friendship is all about.

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.
Henry David Thoreau

Many of you may know Shannon already – especially if you travel often. I’ve known Shannon (and her family) for a number of years. She has assisted me with travel plans for a while and I am especially grateful to her for her help with a “situation” that occurred last December on an international flight. There was a lot of confusion, tears and tempers involved (none of them Shannon’s).

What transpired is not important now, but what is important is that I had someone who was calm to help me through the process. It took about a month to resolve the issue, but in the end it was resolved – and I was pleased.

Shannon has been with Rogue Travel for some time, and she is professional and knowledgable about all things concerning travel. You may be able to find a cheap flight on your own, but you’re better off if you have a good travel agent in your corner. They know the ropes and can help you out when you are tied up in them.

Tonight I brought a Quiche Lorraine to Shannon. It is my hope that in some way this “pie” gift will make her life a tiny bit easier – for example, perhaps she won’t have to cook one night this week. It is my way of saying how much I appreciate her friendship and support.

Today I walked over to my friend’s house to care for her kitties while she was away. I noticed a garden on the corner that I had not seen before. It was really amazing – dozens of tall, colorful sunflowers for the birds, a large squash plant (that looked a lot like a bush) and another plant that looked like it was growing “skinny” broccoli.

When I arrived at my destination, I tended to my friend’s kitties and plants and then headed back home. As I passed the lovely garden plot I had noticed earlier, I saw a woman watering the plants. I told her that I thought that her plot of land looked better than I’d ever seen it before. She commented that she was a gardener – almost as if that was a problem! She just couldn’t help making her yard look incredible – it was her gift. And as we chatted, I introduced myself and she offered me some gorgeous yellow squash from her garden.

We each have our gifts. I love to be in the kitchen – cooking, baking, creating. It is my “studio” and I love to make people happy with food. And it is such a wonderful feeling when I know that I have succeeded.

Tonight I brought an Apple Blueberry Pie to Judy, my nearby neighbor. I wanted to thank her for sharing the bounty of her garden with me. Imagine what a different place the world would be if we could all share our gifts this easily.

After having returned from my camping trip today my first concern was to get a pie into the oven. It was about 3 PM before that happened but I knew that this pie would find a home today.

Once the pie was done, I was ready and willing to deliver it to a worthy recipient. As I knew that the staff at the Medford Food Co-op had been working long hours this weekend preparing for their grand opening, I headed there this afternoon certain that I would find someone who deserved a pie.

When I arrived at the co-op I found a crew busy at work. And then I found my husband who is the co-op’s General Manager. When he saw me with a pie, he asked if I had a recipient in mind. I told him that I thought that each and every co-op employee was worthy of a pie. And that is when he mentioned that a co-op board member had volunteered to help this weekend and had worked more than ten hours on a tedious but critical project.

The Medford Food Co-op is truly a beautiful space. The employees have been working very hard to make it so and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts – and I think the 1400+ co-op members will be thrilled when they see it.

Tonight I gave a Kickass Apple Pie to that dedicated board member. I want to thank him for his dedication and support of this amazing project.

Let me start by explaining a little bit about Frank. First of all, Frank isn’t a person. It’s an expression, a state of mind, an attitude.

FRANK is also a camping trip that involves five families and nearly twenty years of sharing a few days together in the Oregon woods. This year we number (approximately) 23 – though we’ve seen higher numbers when the extended family members and friends show up.

We sing songs, tell jokes (mostly Irish), cook like mad, toast our accomplishments, forget about the effects of too much sun, share our concerns, and watch our children grow.

This year, my contribution to dinner is dessert (go figure). I prepared three pies – a Kickass Apple Pie, a Raspberry Peach Pie and a Brownie Pie (no I didn’t make them at camp – but I’m willing to try sometime!). If I can find a wireless network, I will send a photo or two of the pies (and team FRANK). If that doesn’t work, I’ll send them later.

Here’s to friendship and a Happy Weekend!