dinner worries (lyn)

My mom has gorgeous legs.  She’s been walking 3 miles, about five times a week, for the past twenty years or more.  She is a beautiful woman.   No one would ever guess that she will be 81 in September.  She has many friends, ranging in age from 50 to 90.  Everyone loves my mom.  She has a great sense of humor, can laugh at herself, and is fun to be with.  She also worries about things that most people don’t.  Traffic (when no one is going anywhere).  Weather.  And Food Preparation.

When we visit, my mom’s major stress is the food.  If we didn’t have to eat, she would be calm and relaxed, but not eating is not an option.

Today Alexander and I are going to my sister Jean’s for the night.  We are leaving very early tomorrow morning with Jean and Sally for a trip to look at colleges in upstate New York.  But even still, my mother is concerned about food and eating.

 “So, what should we do about dinner?”  she asks my father at 10 this morning.  They are going to hear Kenny Feinberg (Obama’s Compensation Czar) speak in Hyannis.  Kenny hails from our hometown of Brockton Massachusetts and my parents knew Kenny and his parents when they lived there, many many years ago.  His speech starts at 6, but “we should be there by 5:30 in order to get a parking space.  That means we should leave about 4:30.”  So the big question is, “Should we have an early dinner before we see Kenny, or should we eat after?”  By the time we leave for Jean’s, my mother has not made a decision.

Then there’s the question of “What should we have for dinner on Thursday?”  We return to the Cape on Thursday evening.  We throw out some ideas.

• Pork tenderloin?  "Maybe, but I’ll have to buy them.  I don’t have any in the freezer.” 
• Lobster?  "That's not a good idea if Sally comes back with you; she's allergic to fish."
• Chicken shish kabobs at Roche Brothers?  The ones that Miriam said were so good, and all you have to do is barbeque them?  "Maybe, but only if they’re on sale. Remember, Miriam said she bought two-for-one last week."
• I know; I can pick up pizza at Charlies in Buzzards Bay!  “We’ll see.  It’s never as good when you bring it home.” 

This question, too, goes unresolved by the time we leave for Jean’s.