Friends……………

I never met a quilter who doesn’t love a good recipe whether to feed friends at a quilting retreat or your own family.  What’s not to love about a good recipe.  Betsy and I brainstorm each Monday morning about where we want our blog to head and recently I shared some stories about my very good friend, Sandy.  They haven’t met yet but they will and Betsy will love her just as I do.  Sandy is not only a wonderful friend but one of the best cooks I’ve ever met!  So I’m going to introduce you to Sandy and each month share with you one of her terrific recipes.  So subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss a single recipe!

Sandy and I first met about eleven years ago and were introduced by my former boss’s wife, Carol Peters.  I worked for Bill and Carol and they knew I loved to quilt.  Sandy was their neighbor and Carol knew she loved to quilt.  Carol invited us to lunch and the rest is history!  We’ve been friends since.  When a person meets Sandy for the first time, they meet a  lady who is outgoing, bubbly and always has a great story.  And she is the most caring person you will ever meet.  She brings out the laughter in all of us.  She always has a smile on her face and those smiles are contagious.  Sandy grew up in Cortland the only daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Shay – hmmm, Doctor’s daughter you’re thinking possibly a little spoiled and a life without troubles.  Yes, maybe a little spoiled as she was the apple of her father’s eye but certainly not a life without hardship.  She’s had her fair share and then some.  But she’s still smiling and caring for others.  Her brother introduced her to Gene Waters and warned her “don’t date one of my friends !”but he didn’t say don’t marry one of my friends.  Good thing because that’s just what she did – married Gene Waters the love of her life.  A love some of us never experience, a love that stays alive long after they are gone.  Gene was killed in an automobile accident when 3 of their 4 children were in college, ten minutes after he kissed her goodbye one morning.  Gone the love of her life but never forgotten.  She has shared stories with me over the years.  And have I laughed and laughed over the antics of their life together.  She is still laughing all these years later about their good times and the years of caring for their four children alone.  And now at 76 years of age, she’s caring for her son, Kevin-blind from complications of diabetes.  But she’s still smiling.  And its not just her family she cares for, it’s her friends, too.  And she cares for her friends by feeding them !  Thank God, I can count her among my friends because she feeds not only me but cooks every time I advertise a class – class fee includes lunch – class fee includes dinner-class fee includes snacks !  As many of you know, I rarely cook these days not because I don’t know how but because Sandy just does it better !  Now, you too can enjoy some of the same dishes I often enjoy in front of the fire in Sandy’s kitchen. Enjoy our first recipe from Sandy !