Tag Archives: Dylan

Day 360: Bob and Juli

31 Mar

Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream Pie

This morning I woke up early because I had a nightmare of sorts.  In my “dream” I was at a place where I was to cater a brunch and deliver the food at 10:30 AM.  However, when I saw the clock (in my dream) it was 12:00 noon… and none of the breakfast breads had been baked yet.  Talk about a wake-up call!  The only other food nightmare I’ve had involved a  guest at a wedding that I was making the cake for… but I had forgotten all about it… and I had less than two hours to make a wedding cake for 100.  Yikes.

Let’s just say I was happy to get out of bed after that!  I was supposed to go for a walk with a friend at 8AM, but the rain was coming down too hard for me… and so that was cancelled.  This afternoon I was scheduled to help at the Rotary Garden, but that too was cancelled due to the weather.  So, instead I caught up on my chores and made my pie of the day.  Last year I made a lemon chiffon cake for this couple… and that is why today I decided to make them a lemon curd pie.

Years ago, Bob worked with my son Coco and his friend Dylan to help them record their first songs on a CD.  Coco  had told me that they were working together… but I was still surprised when he brought home the CD and put it on to play.  As we listened to the music I asked Coco, “Who is that singing?”  “Mom”, he said, “it’s me.”  “No, really Coco… who is it?”  And that is only because I had never heard Coco sing before!  Here was this lovely voice emanating from the speakers… and it had come from the boy who lived in my house… unbelievable!

Juli has been the Superintendent for the Ashland School District for nearly twelve years.  She has had the unenviable task of doing all that she can to make sure that the Ashland School District is one of the top schools in the state, and possibly in the country.  To achieve this, it means that Juli is always preparing for and attending meetings with people all over the state.  She is relentless when it comes to the quality of education that the students in Ashland receive.

To Bob and Juli, I offer my deepest thanks for their commitment and dedication to the students of Ashland.  I am so very thankful for their tireless efforts on behalf of our children.

“The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” Kahlil Gibran

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Day 359: Aaron

30 Mar

Apple Blueberry Pie

Today I chose to make a pie without knowing where it might end up.  I was present for the making of the pie.. and worked carefully to make a lovely pie… but still I was not sure where it would be delivered.  After it was baked I asked my daughter to go for a walk with me so that I might have a chance to think of a pie recipient… and as we exited our house I saw Leslie.

For those of you who have been following my blog, you will recall that Leslie is a woman who I met when she was having a garage sale…  and at that sale our sons became friends.  That was the beginning of our friendship and it has been almost 16 years since that first meeting!

Tonight it was Leslie that suggested I bring a pie to Aaron, for he was the person who had coached her son Dylan when he was training to become a black belt in karate.  She told me that Aaron worked with men who were incarcerated and he helped them with rites of passage ceremonies.   These men may never again be on the outside, but Aaron works to help them move forward somehow.

Tonight I want to recognize Aaron, and others like him, who work with the people in our prison systems.  They do this work without judgement… and most of the time without pay… and it is such a valuable service that they offer.  I extend my heartfelt thanks to them for the gifts that they give to the people that they serve.

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
― Nelson Mandela

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Day 216: Leslie

8 Nov

We moved back to Ashland about sixteen years ago. Not long afterwards, I was driving around town and saw a sign for a garage sale. I followed the sign to a street by Ashland Community Hospital and parked my car. My children were with me and as we got out of the car I noticed a sign for “free kittens.” Before we went another step, I told my children that we could pet the kittens but we could not take any of them home. I waited until they agreed before we proceeded into the garage.

Once inside we met a friendly lady who turned out to be Leslie, and my daughter Alexandra went off to play with the kittens while my son took off to play with Leslie’s son. Leslie and I chatted for quite a while and I thought, “she’s got things to do… we should go” and I found my daughter and gently extracted her from the kittens. When I asked where my son Coco was, Leslie brought me to her son Dylan’s room and we found the boys playing together nicely. Leslie then said, “If you’d like, you can leave your boy here for a while since they are playing so well.” I thought, “Really?” It was such a nice offer… and they seemed so engrossed in what they were doing… and so I said “okay.” It was a few minutes later when I was driving home that I started to wonder, “what have I done?” After all, I didn’t even know Leslie’s last name!

But anyone that knows Leslie knows that this was an easy offer to accept. She is warm and kind and gentle and somehow I “knew” that my boy would be safe with her. And as it turns out, her son and mine have been friends ever since… as have Leslie and I.

When I think back to that day, I can’t help but think “what a lucky day that was!” And that is why tonight I brought a Pecan Pie to Leslie and her family. I am very grateful to her for a friendship that has continued to grow over these many years… and for her welcoming spirit that invited us into their lives.

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