Last Splash

The gene pool could use a little Chlorine.

Pickles...

So, when I was looking for something to make for lunch today I began eyeing the fridge and looking for leftovers. (I ended up making spaetzle, go figure.) I spotted, in the door, a jar of dill slices and a jar of sweet gherkins, and my grandmother's apartment in the final weeks of her life came flooding back to me. She had dementia, which is in a way like alzheimer's but it's a short term memory loss. I could call her and she would immediately know which of her 20-odd grandchildren or great chandchildren this voice belonged to, but she would get lost coming home from the store to the house she had lived in for over 20 years. Hence the pickles. I swear, the woman must have bought one or another jar of pickles every time she went grocery shopping, because she simply forgot that she had 6 or 7 jars in the fridge. So, when she became very sick and we knew it was the end (she was too spirited for us to ever consider a nursing home), we moved her to an apartment closer to my aunt's, and we all took turns staying with her in case she needed us. And we all took home pickles or relish, because by that point she could have been running a Mount Olive store from her refrigerator. As I stood there today staring at these familiar green and darker green jars, I briefly considered having one before the ridiculous notion popped in my head that I should save these pickles and pass them down through my family. Because pickles never really go bad, right?

posted by: Cannonball14 at 20:18 | link | comments (4) |

Comments:

#1  14 November 2005 - 23:02

 

My grandma would always make sweet pickles and give them to us. Those were the best. Just like her sugar cookies, we could try the recipe, but we could never make them like grandma.

She had a tradition of embroidering tea towels as a wedding present for all of her kids and grandkids. Some days I would give anything to look forward to getting those.

Man, it's getting really dusty in here...

greeneyes

#2  17 November 2005 - 23:51

 

I've kept stranger things for sentimental reasons. . .

Uh, what on earth is a spaetzle? (I don't cook or enter the kitchen much)Is that something reeeeealy rare, or difficult?

spartanjen

#3  18 November 2005 - 13:54

 

It's a German semolina dish. Like pasta, but maybe mealier. It's bland, so you kind of add whatever you want to it. (In German restaurants oil, but in my kitchen butter, cream, cheese, pepper.)

Cannonball14

#4  19 November 2005 - 03:22

 

Ah. . . thanks. I like the name :)

spartanjen

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