You know it’s on the way.  Cool, dry air one day, then high 80’s and humid the next.  Summer is quickly approaching, and it feels like it around my house.

This past Memorial Day we spent a great weekend in the Mountains with friends, truly enjoying the best of food and life.  Old fashioned games were played, kids were entertained for hours by a bucket of water, adults sat around a campfire, dogs played in the field, and everyone enjoyed a great Potluck Dinner at the end of a fun afternoon.  Yes, I love a potluck, and tell me, what’s not to love?  Everyone prepares one dish, and then you come together to share a meal everyone has been a part of.  Recipes are often shared, and there are always classic favorites and new dishes to sample.  Occasionally there are three fruit salads, and that’s not as grand, but sometimes that’s just how the cards fall.

Maybe I enjoy potlucks because they are a fond memory for me, of Sundays growing up.  My mother is the oldest of five brothers, and each Sunday all the families would get together after church at my grandmother’s house.   The gathering was big, and so was the dinner!  My grandmother, Ruby, would prepare fried chicken, fried okra, dumplings, biscuits, sweet tea, and more.  The other sides my aunts brought, and we had one big potluck.  It sounds like a Southern food writers dream, but for us, it was just Sunday Dinner.  I know this had an influence on my beginning passion for food, and I am a better person for these Sunday memories.  At the time I may not have realized it, but when my grandmother died this past year at the age of 99, I realized how much she had been a part of shaping who I am, and how lucky I was to enjoy these Sunday potlucks.  What a gift she gave.

So, now that we are back from the Memorial Day weekend, there is a different feel about being home.  Lazy days of summer are just around the corner, and the slowing down of routine and schedules starts to creep in.  How fortunate I am to feel, really sense, the change of seasons and all it brings.  I hope you enjoy this time, too.

While I look forward to the break the next few weeks will bring from working in the kitchen on a regular schedule, believe me when I say I will be ready to cook again for you within a few weeks!  My summer schedule will be erratic, but I will be doing some “Freezer Pleaser Meals” and an occasional Dinner Pick Up or two, and of course catering.  Luckily, my blog will not be changing and I am thrilled to continue this.  I have received so much positive feedback from many of my subscribers, so thank you for your support.  I truly enjoying writing, and sharing my thoughts about life and food, however random they may be.  Who knows what stories the summer will bring!

Enjoy, the best if food and life, and all the summer season is about to bring your way!