A Special Request

It is now almost routine that my Sunday posts include food or a recipe of some sort......well this week is no different, but my choice has a very special meaning......so I ask that you hang in there with me on this one....

My grandfather, on my father's side, who happens to be my last living grandparent, always requested this meal if he knew he was coming to my Mom and Dad's house for dinner. My Mom has the Italian heritage and that is where all the great recipes have been handed down generation after generation, so for my grandfather, her cooking was such a treat.

He is 92 years old and outlived my Nana who passed away 8 years ago. They were one of the cutest couples you could imagine. Just to give you a visual, they walked their neighborhood hand in hand each day for exercise and in their younger years, they rode a tandem bicycle....my Poppop would be in the front, with my Nana in the back. Everyone in the neighborhood knew them.....they even wore coordinating sweatsuits on most occasions!! They were married for 60 years when my Nana died and were as sick in love as the were the day they met. We didn't think my Poppop, that's what we call him, would be able to live without her, but he has proved us all VERY wrong. He stayed in his house for a little while before the decision was made to move him to an Senior/Assisted Living type of environment. It was the best thing for him as he was surrounded by many people, some old friends, some new. He enjoyed all the activities and special celebrations, but he always told my Mom, that their food was never as good as hers.....especially her homemade spaghetti sauce with meatballs.

Whenever my parents had the chance to bring Poppop home for a meal, he always had a special request.....it was for my Mom's Spaghetti with meatballs or sausage. On most days my poppop ate very little, but he always amazed us with how much he would eat when you put a plate of my Mom's spaghetti in front of him.

This weekend, I would do anything to watch my Poppop eat a big plate of my Mom's spaghetti.......

He has started slipping away, and about 10 days ago, hospice was called in. I have been over to see him a couple times this week.....he still looked like my Poppop and although very thin and weak, he recognized me and was still verbal.

Yesterday my Mom called and said that as they were walking out the door to go see him, they got a call to get there quickly......it wouldn't be long. I quickly jumped in the car and headed over myself......

I walked into his room and was not prepared for what I saw........in a few short days he has withered away.....He is sitting at the pearly gates of heaven, just waiting for entry.

My Poppop has been a fighter his entire life and this is no different....he is holding on and fighting to the bitter end. My parents have been at his side day and night, and my sister and I went over for a good part of the day on Saturday. As we sat with him, we all told him it was okay and he needed to let go and finally be at peace. Eventually, my parents told my sister and I that we should head home as this could go on for awhile.

I got home and realized I need to do all the typical weekend things like grocery shop. So I started going through the pantry to see what we needed and what I could make for dinner. {I know you are thinking, how can you eat at a time like this?.....well, I can eat anytime, especially when nervous or anxious} It took me about 2 minutes and I instantly knew what I was going to cook.....

Spaghetti and Meatballs......


I know I promised this recipe to a couple of you and I will post it later this week.

Poppop, this one is for you.....I wish you were sitting at our table and enjoying this the way you always did. Unfortunately, that is not possible....but I promise, yours will be waiting on the other side of those pearly gates.

It is rare that I ask for prayers, but this is one time I am going to......

Please keep my grandfather and my family in your prayers......it has been so difficult to just sit there helplessly and watch him go but there is nothing that we can do but pray that God welcomes him with open arms. In our hearts, we all know he will be in a much better place.