| READ & FEED--April 2007 Too Soon To Say Goodbye by Art Buchwald As the baby boomers approach the half-way mark of their existence, dying becomes an all-too-real reality. Early in my own life, I witnessed death too frequently. I grew up in a very large Italian family. With so many aunts, uncles and cousins, late-night or early-morning phone calls too often brought sad news. Art Buchwald's Too Soon To Say Goodbye shows us that mortality doesn't have to be painful. He laughs at dying, but he shows you that you need to respect it first before you throw in a few punch lines. With bad kidneys and two or three weeks to live, he informs his family that he does not want to be put on machines to prolong his life, that he wants to go quietly into the night. The first chapter of the book, "On Standby for Heaven," also began another chapter in Art's life. Two weeks ran into four weeks, four weeks became two months, two months became a world record for the longest hospice stay and then a discharge from it. Art had the leisurely time to say goodbye to family, friends and everyday life topics. Who wouldn't want to do that? Yes I'm dying, come and visit; we'll talk, laugh, cry, and eat, and then we'll say our good-byes; I'll see you next week. He pokes fun at old girl friends, Presidents, sports figures, and himself. He held court at the Washington Hospice center and made it fun. "I have been a poster boy for the Marine Corps, adoption, stroke, depression, kidneys, and now hospice," he says. There was laughter to be heard, and coffeecakes and soups a plenty to pass around to the staff members. He had time to plan his funeral, to arrange for the newspaper announcements and who would speak kindly of him at his memorial service. Talk about control of dying, he had it all. I envy him. When my time comes to pack in the baking sheets and put away the cooking pots and head upstairs, I want to go quietly into the night, like Art Buchwald did--with six months to do it in. Here's a recipe that I know you will enjoy. It's one of Rick's favorites and came from the mom of a grad student he knew in college. Bon Appetit! TO DIE FOR POUND CAKE (makes 2 loaf-sized cakes) 3 cups sugar 1 cup butter (not oleo) 1/2 cup shortening 5 eggs 3 cups flour 1 cup milk 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 Tbs vanilla flavoring 1/2 tsp almond flavoring 1 tsp lemon flavoring Cream butter and shortening. Add sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 or 2 at a time and beat well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add flavorings and beat. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour in greased, floured loaf pans (2). Check at the end of an hour. If not leaving sides of pan, bake another 5 minutes. Wrap in aluminum foil when cool to keep moist. |