Week 19: Food and Drink (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks)

Week 19's theme is "Food and Drink." Few things bring back memories like food does. This week, write about an event that prompted a special meal, an ancestor who was a really good (or really bad!) cook, or a food that always makes you think of someone in your family. (Or whatever else you want to write about). Click here to check out all the themes for 2022. 

Growing up my family always had a gathering at our home for Father’s Day. In fact, my mother was pregnant with her seventh child on my father’s first Father’s Day. My mother and father had married the year prior. My mother was a widow with six children and this was the first year my father was celebrating Father’s Day as a father, even if it was as a stepfather. 

In the morning as my mother was preparing for the gathering, she went into labor. My older sister was born, a month early. It just so happened it was my other older sister’s birthday too. So now I have two sisters born on the same day, five years apart. So, on Father’s Day, we always celebrate the father’s and my two sister’s birthdays. 

In 1990, my parent’s retired to Arizona and my oldest brother started to take over the Father’s Day Celebrations. Then my oldest brother’s daughter had her only child the day before my sister’s birthdays and his birthday was added to the Father’s Day Celebrations.

We had four cakes at many of these celebrations, one for the fathers, one for each sister and one for my great-nephew or is he called my grand-nephew. One year my niece brought some really delicious Cup Cakes instead of cake.  

Though I don’t remember all the details of those younger days, because I was an aunt by the time I turned seven, there were many of my nieces and nephews running around. Sometimes I would be responsible to entertain them and thus I don’t really remember what we ate. I am sure we had cookouts and people would bring a dish to pass. I do remember one brother-in-law always made the potato salad. It was delicious. 

Over the years, on the many Father’s Days we would play badminton, yard darts (those were dangerous toys), the adults played cards such as Sheepshead. 

Anyway, this will be the first Father’s Day that this special celebration and gathering might not take place. My oldest brother died this past October. My brother’s Father’s Days didn’t have all the siblings or nieces and nephews there. But I did my best to attend them when I was back home, since I moved out of state. My brother sometimes cooked Brats and Hamburgers, other years he made Sloppy Joes. We all would bring a dish to pass. 

In 2020, I moved back home permanently, and I hope I can continue our Father’s Day celebration. I will probably have at least one sister over for Father’s Day, but I am not sure who else will come over.