Steve and I have had some special meals in our lives but last week we had one that was on our Top Five list.
Was it expensive or fancy? No.
Was it in some exotic locale prepared by a famous chef? No, again.
We had to drive a couple of hours to get to the table that had been set for us but it was well worth it.
Because the cook? The cook was this gal!
This was the first time Sarah had ever cooked for Steve and me in her own place. (A similarly special meal was when Meagan and Nathan had us over the first time after they were married.)
We hadn’t been to this particular apartment yet since she and her roommate had moved over Christmas break. We figured it was time we finally saw the place since she is only 23 days from graduating.
She loves having her own room with its two beds, two desks, and two closets.
We got to see, in person, the little picture that Sarah had made for the wall above the place where she and Bec hang their keys.
I tried to get a picture without the shadow but then thought the shadow looked sort of cool so I left it in.
We were honored to see our names had shown up on the schedule board that Becca keeps. (The numbers on the right are just random.)
I loved this shot; it looks like the quintessential college hang out place.
We were also honored to meet the famous, Diana, who is Becca’s cat. (Becca was there for just a few minutes and then she and her boyfriend went out to dinner.)
I was happy to see this Willow Tree figurine show up; I gave it to Sarah a long time ago
She showed me her new tea kettle (on the left) and I oohed and ahhed over how graceful it was. She said something about the shape of the spout makes it pour better. She is a tea/coffee aficionado so she thinks about things like that.
She put a few finishing touches on the meal . . .
and then it was time to sit down to a delicious dinner. (Or supper. Depending on how you were taught to say it growing up.)
After dinner, we took a little stroll around campus. It was bit drizzly so we mostly stayed inside the Communications building, which is a great place to wander through. (It wasn’t very busy because classes were over the day.)
Here are a few highlights from both behind the scenes (in the drama area) and in the front of the building. Some of the photos show student artwork.
Sarah enjoyed showing us the art room where she has taken some classes over the years.
Don’t you love her North Face jacket that she got at a thrift store for 5 bucks?
I mixed a couple of Regent photos of her and Steve with some older shots for a little trip down memory lane.
These last two are especially poignant.
The first one is of Steve and Sarah leaving Duke University Hospital after some testing. We didn’t know where this hall was going to lead her; we didn’t know whether or not she would even survive into adulthood after her relapse in 2006.
And this one ten years later, walking down yet another hall with her dad . . . this time as a senior at Regent University.
A hall of hope. A hall leading to the brightest of futures. So thankful.
What about you? Do you have any special meals you’d like to tell us
about? Maybe the first time you cooked for your spouse or your in-laws or your boss?
Did it go well? Or not so much?And do you call the evening meal dinner or supper? Why?
I don’t think the numbers on Bec’s board are random. You had dinner with Sarah on Friday, April 5. Notice 5 is aligned with Friday. Bec had the 8 on M for Monday, April 8.
Anonymous,
Hmmm.You definitely have a good analytical eye. When I asked Sarah about them, she said she thought they were random so I didn’t give them much more thought. But what you said makes sense. Thank you for enlightening those of us who are not so analytical. 🙂
I just love this post. I still love to cook for my Dad (Mom died last year). It’s fun to have him over for a meal. He doesn’t cook, so it’s a treat for him.
When I lived in Boise, Idaho, it was Lunch and dinner. Now that I’m in Grand Forks, ND, it’s lunch and supper. Most people here call the noon meal, dinner, tho. I never did get used to that.
Have a blessed week!
Krista,
I know those are high points for your dad to come over and eat your good cooking with you and your son. So many good memories to be made around a table that can’t be made anywhere else.
It sounds like you’ve had to transition from lunch and dinner to dinner and supper. It DOES take some getting used to, doesn’t it! 🙂
The relationships in your family are so special—the closeness and love shine through the photos!
We call it supper here usually—dinner can refer to the lunch or supper meal so it’s a little confusing.
The best meals of my life were the simple ones my grandma made for the family every Sunday for years (Sunday Supper). What I wouldn’t do for just one more or those suppers, not just her cooking but mostly herself—her ability to talk, laugh, hug, laugh, tell us her feelings and thoughts . Now we often bring Sunday supper to her nursing home picnic style. But she won’t eat any of it. If we can get her to eat half a tiny bowl of porridge we are thrilled. She’s now just 72 lbs and that makes my heart break. But I really cherish the memories of the special times we shared in my heart and I am so glad to have her still in my life. I love her so much.
Jenna,
It’s wonderful that you have so many special meals all lined up in your memory bank; those memories will bring you a world of comfort when that sweet lady has passed away. I know it is so hard to watch her fading away before her eyes but love the fact that the Sunday meals are continuing, even though in a different form.
As you and I both know, it is the love that makes those meals what they are; not the food. Hugs to you.
Wow, it’s honor to have made it into your Top 5 Meals! Thanks again for coming! ❤
Sarah,
Hooray! A comment from the star of the post! Thanks again for a wonderful meal and a fun night.
What a beautiful building to explore on Sarah’s campus! And her apartment looks so cute.
I remember my Grandma calling it dinner and supper. Growing up we had Sunday Dinner at Grandma’s almost every week after church.Sometimes I would walk from church to her house. She almost always made delicious homemade rolls and every year from the time I can remember until I went away to college she would make me fried oysters for my birthday. That’s probably my most treasured meal memory.
Sue Ellen,
A fried oyster. I live at the beach and I’ve never even had one of those. I did have a couple steamed ones though, and that was enough!
I LOVE homemade yeast rolls. You can call it dinner or supper–just give me the roll!
I have lunch and dinner but my parents have dinner and supper. So clearly I grew up with dinner and supper but at some point switched to lunch and dinner – probably when I started fulltime work and I had a lunch break.
Special meals – one of my favorite; aside from meals I make at Thanksgiving and Christmas for my parents, brothers, sister-in-law, nieces and nephew; was when I made lunch for my department at work. My house is only 1/2 a mile from my old office so everyone just came to my house at lunch. I think I had 13 here that first year. I cooked again the next year but had a different boss so it just wasn’t the same. Making sure that I made dishes that everyone would and could eat was tricky – one woman was Muslim so no pork. I make a baked bean dish that has bacon in it. So I mixed it all up except for the bacon, then dipped out some for her to cook separately and added the bacon to the rest of it. Another woman doesn’t like pecans. The frozen fruit salad I make in cupcake liners has pecans in it so again, I left them out, spooned one or two cupcake liners out and stuck a toothpick in them. The cake I made for dessert had nuts in the frosting so I iced one corner without nuts. It was a lot of work but everyone enjoyed it and it was so nice to be able to sit and talk without waiters wanting us to leave.
Phyllis,
I have to commend you on your creativity in accommodating so many dietary needs. Sounds like you made it a special, memorable meal for everyone. I am in FULL agreement on how nice it is to eat in a home rather than a restaurant. I hate having good conversations interrupted by waitstaff who are just doing their job but still make it hard to talk easily.
I can just picture how much fun you and your co workers had eating together over the years. Great memories for you and them, both.
It made my heart happy to read this post! Such a special time as a family. It was fun to see Sarah’s place–really cute! And I loved that tea pot too.
Love to all,
Deb
Deb,
Yeah, Sarah’s place is definitely the quintessential college spot. Quirky and cute–just like her!
Love you back!
We call it supper in these parts. 🙂 I remember when we had Jeff’s parents over for supper right after we were married. We smoked a beef brisket and it was fabulous!! I really felt some ‘pressure’ to do good on the meal since my father-in-law was such a great cook. The meal went perfectly and Jeff’s parents were very impressed. Whew!
I think it’s awesome that Sarah cooked supper for you and Steve. What great memories you all are making! Sarah looks beautiful, as always.
LeeAnne,
Hooray for you, making that first meal so great! Always nice to impress the in-laws right out of the gate. 🙂
I grew up with supper but now we call it dinner. Funny how it changes from family to family.
Sarah looks so vibrant and beautiful, and having followed her and your journey from the beginning, it brings tears of gratitude and joy!
This post is an encouragement needed as a 14 month old cousin, Olivia, has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Just this morning I shared Sarah’s journey with Olivia’s grandmother…lots of tears ensued.
My Dad told me when he grew up lunch was called dinner and the evening meal was super. What I call them depends how formal I feel!
Guerrina,
I just hate to hear when such a young child is diagnosed with cancer. So thankful, though, that Sarah’s Sarah has brought some hope. I don’t know who said, “Where there’s life, there’s hope,” but it certainly is the truth.
Prayers for sweet Oliva–and for the family who loves her.
I call it supper before 6 and dinner after 6. Really, whichever one I think of first. Mama called it supper. I cooked one Thanksgiving for two special friends in their 70-80. Went and picked them up and then took them back home. One night during revival I cooked for our former pastor and wife. That was very special as they had moved before Jim and I married. Mrs Faile was thrilled because she said she had always wanted to eat at our house. Special memories. Sarah looks so good.
Ann,
Hmmm. You’re the first person who has given a logical reason for the whole dinner/supper naming conundrum. Very interesting point!
And what a privilege for you to get to cook for the Failes, especially when you found out she’d always wanted to eat at your house. There are few things better for relationships than to share food together. Sounds like you have that down to a science!