As Dad’s memory has gone, his sense of humor has grown.  What a surprisingly wonderful blessing this has been for our family.  And it is as though he is completely with it when he comes up with his funnies…actually, I do believe he is completely with it at that moment…he knows exactly what he is saying. 

As my hospice sister has told us,  he lives in the moment…the moment a moment ago is gone and the moment to come isn’t here yet.  With her last visit, he was sharing his sadness that he can’t remember anything anymore.  She said to him that he is with us in this moment, and we’re all grateful for that.  He then, with much understanding, responded, “but even that is going.”  There can be great comprehension and great connection ‘in the moment’. 

And so we move from depths of sadness to fits of laughter with our precious father who ‘lives in the moment’.   My sister and her husband returned home from a trip to Texas recently.  They went to Dad’s to let them know they had returned.  Upon sitting down, Sharon said to them,  “Let me tell you about our trip to Texas.”   And dad immediately and without missing a beat said,  “And let me tell you about our trip to Montana.”   My sister and her husband’s eyes opened wide and mother’s jaw dropped off her face!   In unison they all three exclaimed, “When did you go to Montana?”  
“I didn’t.  That’s what I wanted to tell you.”

We had them for lunch yesterday and served them a delicious, what turned out to be almost gourmet meal…and I’m not a gourmet cook.  But my sister is and this was her recipe.  I want to share it because of it’s simplicity and deliciousness.  I’m calling it My Sister’s Gornish Came Hen.  I have something that has all the appearances of  dyslexia  only everyonceinawhile.  And Gornish Came seemed to be much easier for me to say than Cornish Game. 

MY SISTER’S  ROCK GORNISH CAME HEN    4 servings

2 Cornish Hens
2 slices bacon
1 T lemon juice
1 cup hot water
1 tsp chicken seasoning or 1 chicken bouillon cube
3 Tbsp whole cranberry sauce
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 lb fresh sliced mushrooms or 1  4 oz can drained
Cut hens in half
Season each half  with salt and pepper…I added more seasonings that I like, lemon pepper, turmeric etc.
Sprinkle lemon juice on each half
Put 1/2 bacon slice on each half
Mix chicken seasoning with 1 cup water and pour into the baking dish
Bake in 375 oven  1 1/4 hrs
Remove from baking pan.  Blend flour with a little water and add to the liquid to make a gravy.  Add 1 cup cold water if more liquid is necessary.  Simmer 10 minutes, stirring well.  Stir in the cranberries and mushrooms, stirring well. 
We cooked short grain brown rice which turned out to be a wonderfully tasty rice.

Serve over the rice and cover with the gravy….ohhh so tasty,   so nicely presented at the table and our parents loved it.