Hands

I rocked dinner tonight. Seriously. I don't usually brag about my accomplishments and we all know that I've ruined more dinners than I have completed in a satisfactory manner. Just ask His Royal Highness about the almond scented enchiladas, that's one that I will never live down. But tonight's dinner was outstanding and the fact that I used to leftovers to already prepare a second completely different dinner for tomorrow is just amazing. I was really proud of myself.

As I was cleaning up from dinner I started thinking about how my cooking has progressed over the years. However no matter how hard I try, I still am not as good at cooking as my mother and grandmother. I've tried over the years to recreate their masterpieces but they always flop. I call my grandmother at least 12 times a year asking once again for her famous chicken and dumpling receipe and at least 20 times a year, I totally destroy the same recipe. I don't get it. Then I thought that maybe it's just being in her kitchen that makes that recipe so wonderful. Her house has always smells the same and that kitchen is just magical. Then I started thinking about how I have seen her hands make the meals a thousand times for us. One thing stood out to me when I was thinking back to watching her cook and that is that I have never seen her without her wedding ring. Stay with me here because this is a crazy stretch and a rabbit trail of my own mind but I have never seen her without it. Whenever I think of her or her hands, I picture it with her wedding ring.

I know it's crazy to go from cooking to wedding rings but this is in all honesty, how my mind works. My mind is a scary place, this is not new information to anyone.

Her wedding ring is simple and pretty. The one I remember her wearing is not her original set, it is one that my grandfather gave her after years and years of marriage but it's the only one I remember seeing her wear. I have seen her original set and it's so small with a tiny diamond chip. I LOVE that original set. Today when everyone is putting huge rings on credit because it's a status symbol rather than a symbol of love and true commitment, I think back  to their original set. My grandfather couldn't afford a really nice ring when they were first married but he gave her what he could and they have both stood strong to those promises they made with that first ring. They have now been married 60 years. WOW.

Sometimes it's easy to forget what a promise is within marriage. Fights happen, life happens, baby diaper explosions happen, war happens, but to still wear that ring after 60 years is amazing.

Now that I've taken that thought the full circle that it will go, I'm really excited that I've been able to wear my wedding ring this week for the first time in three years. I've lost a lot of weight since I had Princess Newbie three months ago. I never lost any of the baby weight after Princess Goofy and I had gained more after I had her. I won't tell you the number amount yet because I'm stuck at one number that I can't get off of!!!! GRRRRR! but I will prevail! Last sunday on our sixth anniversary, I put my ring back on and it fit. From here on out, hopefully it will stay there for at least 54 more years.

His Royal Highness, the good news is that you only have at least 54 more years of my cooking experiments. You've already survived through six years! You must have the intestinal tract of a wildabeast!