Friend of Julie: Memorial Day Reflections

This Memorial Day weekend, I paused to think about my parents and others in my family who have passed on, including David, my oldest brother, who died from skin cancer almost a decade ago. Unlike my brothers, I did not follow the family tradition of visiting the family graves this year.

As a child, my parents took my brothers and I to the graves of our relatives, where we spent time visiting relatives who were gone long before we were born, and where we met other relatives who were there to do the same, then we went to my grandparents house for a family gathering and cookout.

In my grandparents backyard, my brothers and I played with cousins we hadn't seen all year and we watched grandpa shuckle and eat raw clams. Unlike my cousins and my brothers, I did not indulge in raw clams. I preferred the steamed ones that were dropped into a giant pot of boiling water, which sat on top of an open fire pit, until Grandpa deemed them perfect for eating.

This Memorial Day weekend, I joined my brothers and their families in Rhode Island. There were kids in their early 30's and grandchildren from one year old to "oh my goodness, you're going to high school this year?" The later is the eldest of my brother David's grandchildren.

We didn't have clams this year. Instead of Grandpa's open fire pit, we cooked on a gas grill. Our menu was a variation of  Grandpa's: hot dogs and hamburgers, baked beans, a variety of salads, chips, and cupcakes that looked like mini hamburgers. The later did not tempt me in the least, especially since the heat caused them to melt. Besides, I was never a cupcake-kinda-girl.

Baked beans were my challenge this weekend. Specifically: avoiding tasting them as they cooked. I kept asking others to taste them; I relied on them to tell me if there was enough flavor. But there was a moment when I was alone in the kitchen and I tasted the beans a couple times. I realized what I needed to do was get out of the kitchen and I did just that; I did not go back for more. Truth be told, they were rather tasteless, especially when I think back to how incredible grandma's baked beans were; she slow cooked them and no amount of doctoring up canned beans come close to the flavor of grandma's.

In the big picture of life, tasting those baked beans won't take me off-program. It's not the end of the world, but they are not on program and I was disappointed in myself. I have a whole new appreciation for my friends who are on this program and on a daily basis cook non-program foods for their family. I get how difficult that must be, especially compared to my solo meal preparation.

Back home today, my plan is to go shopping for organic meat and veggies. This week, I'm going to  mix up my meals a bit more and try new recipes, including some old favorites that I haven't had in a while, like meat crust pizza. Lately, I've been eating the same foods, which goes against what the program teaches us: variety is essential.

Another plan is to get back into the gym tomorrow. I've been out of the gym for two weeks now. My Achilles heel still on the mend, so I'm going on the bike and the rowing machine instead of the treadmill. BTW, here's the stretching exercises my doctor suggested for Achilles Tendonitis. Another valuable lesson I've just learned: the importance of stretching!

How was your Memorial weekend? What kinds of challenges did you encounter at family or social gatherings? Tell us about your success stories too!