My friend Barbara J. Smith has just published her first book, A Surprise for Grandmother Rabbit. As you can see, it’s clearly about FOOD. Okay, okay, the food is somewhat incidental, but the story, about Skipper the rabbit’s journey to his grandmother’s house bearing a cherry pie, is adorable, and provides a sweet lesson to little ones about the virtues of sharing.
By the time he arrives at his destination, only one slice of pie remains, and the reason I find all this so amusing is that it reminds me of “the blueberry pie incident” with Barbara and my father of several years ago.
I’d been down to Hammonton to buy pie at the Red Barn Cafe and Farm Market, where Evelyn Penza’s pies are baked and sold. (Those are fabulous pies!) I’d told Barbara I’d bring her back one and she asked for blueberry. I also bought a pie for my father, and dropped them both off at his house, where Barbara was to pick hers up. I carefully marked the blueberry pie and explained to Dad that Barbara would be there to pick it up later.
Well, my father never met a pie he didn’t like, and by the time Barbara picked up her pie, a chunk of it was missing. “I forgot,” was my father’s excuse. Sure, Dad, sure you did. We’re still laughing about it, years later, and I was quite amused to find a similar “incident” in Barbara’s book. Congratulations to the new author!
NJ SPICE 