She made a simple spaghetti. Noodles and V8 juice. Yep. Just noodles and V8 juice.
I still remember sitting at her dining room table. Slurping. Laughing. Eating.
I make a more involved spaghetti. Whole wheat noodles. Pasta sauce. Ground beef. Mushrooms. Garlic. Seasoning.
My boys sit at my table. They slurp. They laugh. They eat.
Every time I sauté the mushrooms, garlic and seasoning, I think of her. As the ground beef is browning, I remember the way she would move around her small kitchen.
As I pour the whole wheat noodles into the boiling water, I chuckle at her plain white noodles. I wonder would she use whole wheat now.
As I pour in the store-bought three cheese sauce to simmer, I can almost taste the V8 juice. As I watch my boys eat, I think of sitting at the table with my siblings and cousins.
My boys cheer for my spaghetti. I’m sure I cheered for my grandma’s spaghetti. What I wouldn’t give to slurpe, giggle and eat at her table just one more time. Her simple spaghetti of noodles and V8 juice.
My grandma died in a car accident almost fifteen years ago. The older I get, the more I miss her.
Maria says:
Beautiful. My grandma made much more complex sauce (ask Tony about the squid sauce some day), and I miss her too!
March 17, 2012, 9:57 amKaren says:
The memories of your grandmother with her version of spaghetti sauce is touching. I’m actually posting about my grandmother again today, as well. I love how the simplest of tasks can transport us back in time.
March 17, 2012, 10:04 amLoretta says:
I thought as I started reading this you must be writing about my Mother, your Grandmother. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, I miss her too. We have so many good memories. Thanks for sharing this.
March 17, 2012, 12:00 pmlaurie says:
Good writing!! I miss my grandparents more the older I get too. My gpa and gma used to make us red hot dogs when we visited. Silly memory that sticks…Im sure they had no idea they were even creating those memories!
March 17, 2012, 12:22 pmKellylou says:
Loved reading this about your grandma and your boys. I teared up at the end — I miss my grandma too, and I especially miss being in the kitchen with her!
March 17, 2012, 3:24 pmAnne says:
It really is true that grandparents are a part of our life forever. Memories are powerful and I love yours. I think today I will write about my Grandmother – I have been rehearsing in my mind for a while.
March 17, 2012, 6:43 pmpamelahodges says:
A lovely slice about spaghetti. How things we do in our life today bring back memories of loved ones. I am sorry about her death.
March 17, 2012, 8:10 pmAn interesting layering of past and present.
Dana says:
Simply beautiful.
March 17, 2012, 8:20 pmCathy says:
What a great slice about your grandma. Wouldn’t it be a delight to sit at the tables of our grandmas one more time. The short sentences really give the piece a nice cadence. Great memories to treasure.
Cathy
March 17, 2012, 9:14 pm