Last week I was invited by one of the older women in our Meditation Group to come to her home in order to learn to make Fresh Strawberry Mochi. Over the years in which we have been associated with our Spiritual Family, Pete and I have come to love this Asian dessert. For those of you unfamiliar with Mochi, look here:
My friend, Betty, brought some of these homemade delicacies to a recent Pot-Luck. They were so delicious! I really didn’t want to be greedy, but I must admit I ate two of them! She remembered how I loved them, and called a few days later to invite me over to a cooking class. On the appointed day, only one other “student” came. Alma also belongs to our group, but is just in her seventies. Alma still drives and regularly volunteers at a nursing home to assist with the elderly residents. I brought lunch, and we had a morning filled with fun and laughter.
Betty called me again yesterday, to invite me to join 8 other ladies for another cooking class. This is the regular group of neighbors and friends who join her weekly to learn a new recipe. Today we made Spam Musubi as well as special Jello with Pineapples, made in the pineapple can.
Spam Musubi is a Hawaiian Comfort food made with Sticky Japanese Style rice and Spam, wrapped in seaweed. This dish apparently became popular in Hawaii during World War Two, when Spam became a staple in many homes. The Japanese Americans in Hawaii adapted many ordinary American foods to their taste, an in the process, created many completely new dishes.
To tell the truth, I never much liked SPAM … But Pete loves it and our oldest son followed in his footsteps. Mike wrote about Spam here:
Since I had not yet acquired a taste for this dish, I didn’t think that I would eat any of what was made. Anyway, I reasoned that one piece would put me over my quota of sodium for a full day. But Pete adores this stuff, so I decided to go. And he deserves to eat anything he wants before he leaves for the rigors of Ghana!
Betty told me in no uncertain terms not to bring anything today. Just come. We made about two dozen pieces of Spam Musubi, and Betty demonstrated how to make the gelatin. We did however, have lunch together. A few of the other ladies had brought something for lunch. Earlier, Betty had made a brown rice and bean mixture and several “cans” of Pineapple Jell-O for us to eat. We all had a piece of the Musubi. It was wonderful!
I would like to tell you about my friend, Betty. Now in her eighties, she was born in Hawaii. She is the mother of four children just a bit younger than me. She is also a grandmother and great-grandmother, and one of the most beautiful women I have ever known. The first thing you notice about her is her ready smile. She is friendly, warm and giving. People just want to be around her!
I know a bit about her past, and she did not live an easy life. She worked from the time she was young. Married, and took care of her elderly in-laws as well as her husband and four children. She also worked outside the home.
Since all of her children had migrated to the LA area, she and her husband moved to the mainland after he became ill. Since I have known her, she nursed him without complaint until he left his body. She has had two knee replacements and wrist surgery. Yet, she never complains, and is always ready to give you a firm bear hug and a loving smile! Like a ray of sunshine, she brightens any gathering, when she walks into a room. She always is the first person to offer help when needed.
After moving to Torrance, Betty quickly befriended all of her neighbors and is regularly seen out walking with some of them. She possesses a way of bringing people together in harmony. I always tell her I would like to be just like her, yet she would be impossible to duplicate. And, I have not developed such selflessness or humility. Yet, she sets a wonderful example of of loving kindness and it has been a blessing to know her.
Posted by Judi at June 18, 2003 4:30 PM | TrackBack