my grandmother's...

... pickle dish went on a road trip to Decatur, for Easter lunch. I have a very clear memory of the glass dish always being on the table when we would be invited for a special meal. Not necessarily celebrating a holiday, but times we got together when there were guests - family members visiting, or someone not routinely present in our lives. My cousin in Decatur now enjoys that table with chairs, now in her dining room, and possibly a table cloth or two our grandma used. Sitting at that table is a sweet memory.

One of the things often prepared and served when there was occasion to be invited to sit at the dining table (as opposed to family eating in the kitchen) was Brunswick stew. A one pot meal, served with cornbread/saltine crackers, easy to prepare for a crowd. With simple side dishes of pickles and stuffed celery (cream cheese, mayo and diced green stuffed olives spread in the groove of celery sticks). No one seems to be able to tolerate the taste of celery in my immediate family, so when I thought of grandma's glass dish, I knew it should serve gerkins instead of that highly undesirable celery.