Several weeks ago, our Sunday School class held a Chili Cook-Off. I brought bowls of shredded cheese and sour cream to help calm anticipated spicy fires of the tongue. I also won second place with my vegetarian chili, substituting ginger ale for the beer. The recipe is in GraceTable’s free Fall-Winter Volume I cookbook for subscribers.
Anyway, that night I spent some time getting to know another class member better. I don’t remember how it came up after we’d sampled the seventeen (or more) types of chili, but we discovered that both our moms died from a glioblastoma multiforme—an aggressive form of brain cancer. As we shared our stories, I told her about the hospitality the Sacramentine Sisters extended toward my sister and me.
It was in October 2011, after my mom fell, after they’d found the tumor, and after the words the brain swelling spat from her mouth, “You are not my daughter. I don’t have a home. I don’t believe in adoption.” It was after all the ugliness of those initial days and after several weeks in the nursing home waiting for enough healing to allow diagnostic surgery . . .
Continued today over at GraceTable in a post titled “Inventive Hospitality.” And a simple recipe for my son’s favorite blueberry muffins.
Soon. Soon, I hope to have an update for you on what’s been happening around here.
Soon. I hope. xo
In the stillness,
Sandy
Debbie Baker says
Sandra, people who know you well are praying for you, and people who are getting to know you through your blog are praying for you, too. We don’t have to know the details that God knows. We can still pray. Take good care.
Debbie
Sandra Heska King says
Thank you, thank you for this, Debbie. 🙂
Glynn says
Sandra -is there a link to Grace Table?
Glynn says
Well, never mind. I found the logo at the bottom and clicked through to the site.
Sandra Heska King says
Thanks, Glynn! I thought I’d linked it.