Tonight, we had a 4th of July cookout with our crew, Sydney and Jenna’s boyfriends, and a couple of neighbors from the dirt road. Technically, I guess this qualifies as another “first” occasion without you. You would have approved, except for the absence of country-style ribs from the menu. Instead, we had the Jalepeno grilled chicken, your mom’s potato salad, red beans and rice, and oven roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, brussels, and broccoli). We did keep your tradition of making the sugar cookie, cream cheese frosting, and fresh fruit dessert alive, as a way to feel your presence with us, but also because it is just so darn good!
The preparations were not without difficulties. A brief but intense storm came through around 6 pm and we lost power, which took the double oven out of play. Also, I failed to check the propane tank on the grill, and it was empty; so I had to go to plan B and use the charcoal grill instead, and barely had enough charcoal. But as is true for most of the things we worry about unnecessarily, the chicken did get cooked, and the power eventually came back on so we could roast the veggies, and everything was delicious. We just ate about an hour and a half later than planned! Fortunately, our neighbor graciously brought some delicious feta cheese sprinkled watermelon, fruity salsa, and other charcuterie goodies to nibble on during the extended pre-meal fellowship time. Perhaps the pitchers of whole fruit margaritas in the Vitamix helped as well!
All in all, it was a wonderful evening of good food, drink, and fellowship. We learned a lot about the Netherlands from Hendrik, shared remembrances of you and Ron Milligan, and spoke of our love for our little piece of rural small-town Americana.
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