The boys and I picked strawberries at a local farm yesterday. There are several places nearby to do that here. Today we had strawberry shortcake for lunch. I know, my mother's best judgment wasn't kicking in there, but I had my reasons. About a year ago my grandmother died. She was the grandma that braided my hair before school, always had time to listen, never condemned me, made buckwheat pancakes in the fall, laughed until she cried, loved her husband and children ferociously...She was wonderful. Grandma was a flower lover much more than she was a good housekeeper. She never dusted or swept if it could be helped, but she always had flowers growing, inside and out. For her 50th wedding annivesary her children gave her a rose bush for each child- 13! Papaw planted them out front of the house and each was a different color. She tended them and he dusted them. Roses remind me of Grandma. When she died we planted a rosebush in her honor in the front of our house. So what does that have to do with strawberry shortcake? One of Grandma's favorite stories was about the time they loaded the kids in the back of the truck and drove from WV to Michigan to visit relatives. When they got to an older aunt's house the aunt was concerned about what to feed all of them. Grandma had noticed the large strawberry patch and said if it was alright with her, she would make a shortcake and they could just have strawberry shortcake for dinner. She said the kids were never allowed such a luxury at home and it would certainly be a treat to them. So that is what they did, strawberry shortcake for dinner. So today, knowing it was not the best nutritional lunch we could have, my children and I enjoyed a special treat; they strawberry shortcake and me, a good story with my grandmother. I miss you.