The Widows' Cooking Club

  January 21st would have been Bruce’s 81 st birthday.   And on January 2 nd , we would have celebrated our wedding anniversary.   So, the special dates that trigger sentimental thoughts have been coming hard and fast with the holidays just past.  That means that I’ve had an extra dose of missing my guy! What I have discovered since Bruce has been gone is that I barely recognized the daily joy in my relationship with Bruce when we were together.  Now I know that he surrounded me with a blanket of love and admiration every day we were together.   I miss that very much. Yes, my family and friends all do love and support me, but there is something special about the comfort you fall into with a long-time companion, if you are lucky, as I was.   So, I strive to cook up contentment every day.   I sprinkle in moments of joy in the present, seasoned with fond memories of the past.   One of the best ways to bring small pleasures into my life is wit...

  Everyone dreads it. It is a struggle at first.   The loved one is missing from the holiday dinner table, the chair next to the Christmas tree is empty and holiday traditions are bittersweet.   But I know it is important to stay upbeat.   Friends and family members try so hard to keep me company and create a cheerful atmosphere. I try hard too.   It might feel like a pretend smile, but after a while, it becomes a real smile. It helps to live in the moment, but not ignore the past, conjuring up fond memories. My husband loved to see the newly decorated Christmas tree and would bring his evening glass of Jack Daniels to sit in the living room just to enjoy the lights, balsam fir scent and the sentimental ornaments collected over the years (lots of black and yellow labs for one…). I’d light a fire in the fireplace to make it perfect.   A live Christmas tree is an important tradition for me, so I continue on.   I simply love Christmas and this year, her...