A Walk Down Memory Lane

Come for a walk with me down Memory Lane!
And if you have a "Memory Lane" post, head on over to Scottsville to join in on the fun!

I would like you to meet my Aunt Dee (on the left) and my grandmother, Foxy (on the right). They were two of the most loving, compassionate, hysterically funny people you could ever meet. This picture was taken at Foxy's house in Farmingdale, NY around 30 years ago.

I have a funny memory about each one that will always stick with me. Aunt Dee Dee had the LONGEST nails I have ever seen on anyone. And oh, did she LOVE those boxes of assorted chocolates. However, she did NOT like certain cream fillings in the center. To make sure that she didn't get one that she wouldn't eat, she would stick her looooooong fingernail into the bottom of the chocolate and then pull it out. If it was one she liked, she would eat it. If it was one she didn't, she would smooth the bottom back over and then put it back in the box. EEEEEWWW!!! I'll bet you can guess that when we went to Aunt Dee Dee's house, NO ONE ate chocolate! ROFLOL!

Ok, now for my Foxy. Being Norwegian, it was a tradition in our house that we celebrated our Christmas on Christmas eve, at home with our families. Then on Christmas day, we would ALL (cousins, aunts, and uncles included) go to Foxy's for presents and dinner. That was always so much fun. There were a LOT of us! LOL Now EVERYONE loved having dinner there because Foxy was an AWESOME cook and she made the most delicious macaroni and cheese and a mean pan of Magic Cookie Bars )I will post the recipe for these later).

While we were opening our gifts, you could just smell the aroma of the mac & cheese baking in the oven. Mmmmm.....I couldn't wait. The food was set up on the buffet hutch and we all anxiously took turns getting our food. As usual, the mac & cheese was the first thing to go. As we all took our seats, said the blessing and started to eat, a hush came over the room. Everyone was eating their mac & cheese. But what I started to notice was not the usual face of cheesey satisfaction, but the look of extreme horror. One by one their faces became distorted, but yet no one said anything. I took a bite of mine, and to my dismay, that same look now appeared on my face as well.

I got up and went to my mom and said, "Mom....what's wrong with Foxy's mac & cheese? It feels like I'm eating sand!"

Perhaps she dropped the cheese on the floor and didn't get all the dirt off of it," she said.

"But mom, it's not just on mine. Look at everyone else's face. Theirs is the same way but no one wants to say anything to Foxy!"

My mother stood up and whispered in my grandmother's ear, "Mom, did you drop the cheese slices on the floor while you were making dinner?"

"No," Foxy replied.

"Did you do anything different this time?" mom questioned?

"Well, I did put grated parmesan cheese on top instead of bread crumbs like I normally use."

"Mom," my mother said, "Would you please go get me the can cheese that you used?"

Foxy got up and went into the pantry closet in the kitchen, grabbed the can and came back and sat down. "Here it is," she said, passing the can to my mom.

"EVERYONE STOP EATING IMMEDIATELY!!" my mother yelled.

"Foxy," my mother said, "This is NOT cheese......this is COMET!" Well, I have never seen so many people get up and run to the bathroom in my entire life! I laughed so hard my stomach hurt!

"I can just see the headlines now," my mother said. "Matriarch kills entire family on Christmas with her Macaron & Cheese!" ROFLOL!

Needless to say, no one ate the beautiful white cake Foxy made for fear she had used shredded Ivory soap instead of coconut!

Thanks for the memories, Aunt Dee Dee and Foxy. WE LOVE YOU and MISS YOU BUNCHES!