Smorgasbord of thoughts at Easter

I made mashed potatoes for Easter dinner Saturday.
I’ve made mashed potatoes like a hundred times, but this time, it was like I had no clue.
Easter dinner at my brother's house is a smorgasboard of similar, but different, foods.
You get deviled eggs, but if they don’t have yellow mustard and vinegar, I’m not interested. I can be a little picky, but not too picky. I usually eat what’s in front of me and I don’t complain.
The list of menu items came out in a text message that kept growing and growing and growing. But my name wasn’t attached to anything, so I was told to make mashed potatoes.
I was at the Wal-Mart in Burlington with the extended family and went to get a couple bags of red potatoes and all hell broke loose.
“Red potatoes?!?!”, my nephew chastised me like I was going to make them with pomegranates or something.
“You don’t make mashed with red potatoes!”
I distinctly remember this boy not eating anything but rolls. He certainly didn’t eat mashed of any sort. Hayden had just had a great spring game at William Penn playing fullback and tight end. So he gets a pass. Truth be told, he normally gets a pass.
But then my brother and sister-in-law and my niece were all laughing at me. Red potatoes?
You know mashed with just a few of the red peels left in there with some salt, sour cream, chicken broth, butter, salt, and pepper, and just a little skim milk make a smooth and savory mashed potato.
The niece texted me, “not too much salt.”
The nephew told me, “I don’t want any lumps.”
“They can eat what you put in front of them,” my brother said.
I made the confounded things without much of an issue and my nephew only complained once… just to complain. They were almost all gone after the 18 people in the kitchen got done eating.
The rest of the table was brisket, turkey, ham, cornbread casserole, rolls, cole slaw, fruit tray, relish tray, my niece’s baked mac and cheese – which has quickly become one of my favorite side dishes. I always help her make it, so I don’t feel guilty eating most of it.
There were more desserts than side dishes.
I’ve been fasting lately and putting on the feedbag out of the blue at 1 p.m. didn’t do much for the stomach. My paper plate wasn’t sturdy so I had to double up on them and then Willow the Wonder Dog settled in next to me for the trimmings off the brisket and whatever else she could mooch.
I’m usually an easy touch. She’s a German Shepherd and she gets spoiled pretty hard, so I think she probably ate more off my plate than I did. You’d think when someone else came up the stairs with a plate, she would be distracted. Nope. Sits right at my feet. She has a high confidence level for Uncle Chuck sharing his food. If we eat at the island in the kitchen, she never fails to put her front paws up on the chair next to me and rests there until food from my plate finds her face. I could tell she had enough to eat because, instead of me settling in for a snooze, it was her on an oversized ottoman in the living room. Her ears ever on alert, but the rest shut down. My brother came up with a brisket/roll leftover sandwich and she came to attention and settled in at his feet.
Needless to say, we’ll all be tinkering with recipes this weekend, baking or smoking meat, peeling red potatoes, mixing up sides, and prepping desserts. It’s hard to put aside the anticipation of the food and socialization and the nostalgia of the day.
Houses will be filled with aromas appropriate of the holiday weekend. Kids running and screaming, wanting to get past the food and to the yard where candies, treats, and toys await.
The nap will come, as it always does, and the thoughts of friends and family not here for whatever reason. And that brings me to a sympathy note to two really good friends of mine and their family.
Ryan Blind passed away unexpectedly at the heartbreaking young age of 40 on Friday. His two brothers, Tyler and Seth, worked for me when I ran the KFC/Taco Bell in Fort Madison. We’ve played golf together occasionally since then and have stayed in touch, stopping for conversations when they are in town and texting over the past 20 years.
Their mom and dad, Doug and Melinda, I’ve grown to know through work Melinda’s work at the city, and through following the twins' lives.
My heart breaks for all of them and a holiday prayer for some peace in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. They are hoping for memorials to be sent to PAW Animal Shelter and contributions there in Ryan’s name will be put to good use.
Losing a child is a horrible, horrible darkness, and the one thing I’ve learned after five years of suffering is that you need to accept that it's normal. Don’t worry about when you will stop being upset. You won’t. But if I can share one thing with that family, it’s this. Don’t feel guilty for not wanting the pain to go away. It gives you a connection that no one else will have. You don’t have to let it go and you can be sad whenever you need - and want.. Just let it come. And then it's okay to find a smile in the memories and other things.
Godspeed Ryan on your ascension to the place where suffering doesn’t exist.
Pen City Current wishes everyone the happiest of Easter holidays and the best of the upcoming warmer weather – But that’s Beside the Point.
Chuck Vandenberg is editor and co-owner of Pen City Current and can be reached at Charles.V@PenCityCurrent.com.