WhyΒ did the process of leaving a family friend or relativeβs house seem to take forever?Β Little kids hated adult small talk,Β βMy how youβve grown.Β Β What gradeΒ were you in school? Youβre almost as tall as your older brother.β
AdultΒ chattering never stopped.Β Pitiful expressions, tugging at momβs skirt, never made the process go faster.Β Going to your father for helpΒ didnβt work, either.Β Β His standard response, βGo ask your mother.βΒ Which really meant, he knew from years of experience, saying goodbye could not be hurried.
Two generations later, blessed with moreΒ patience, the process hadnβt changed.Β Only the players in these mini-dramas were different.Β Grandma, family matriarch,Β cooked at homeβdid most of the cookingΒ away from home.
For that reason, the head chef neededΒ proper utensils, small appliances,Β to feel at home away from homeβanything easily transportable.
LeftoversΒ had to beΒ divvied up.Β Grandma refereed the process.Β Β βDonβt take all of thatβtake more of this.Β Your sister likes cranberries, you know.β
βWhere were theβ¦