Circle of Life

It's been a tough week. Last week Dan's Grandmother Florence died and today my Uncle Ted passed away. I don't know what this has to do with food but life and death have been on my mind lately...maybe it's always on my mind. For both Florence and Ted their bodies gave out or gave in, depending on how you look at it. I never met Dan's grandmother. She wasn't able to come out for the wedding but she sent a nice card.

As for Uncle Ted, well, he didn't talk much and he had a special talent for leaving a house without notice. He was a diabetic who loved dessert and a seafood lover allergic to shrimp. As a kid, I remember him always coming by to drop off a whole fish, usually a bass or catfish--like every week or so. It would usually still be flapping around when he handed it to my mom. That man really loved to fish.

He always drove a truck too. I remember hopping into the back with a bunch of my cousins on one of those Sunday afternoons and driving around town. This was before seat belt laws. Yeah, it's amazing what we used to do in the 70's. I think we'd go on the freeway that way, too.

Somehow at every family function, one of us would always ask, "Hey, did Uncle Ted leave already?" Some of us would look around and one person would always know, "Yeah, he left a couple hours ago."

Uncle Ted, you didn't say much but you always let me tease you. And even in your final departure, you leave us quietly and without fuss. I will miss you.