going to go fast.”
“You’re right,” Andrea said, reaching for a cookie. As usual, the third Swensen sister was dressed fashionably and oh-so-appropriately for a night helping her siblings at the hospital. Her light blond hair was fashioned in an intricate braid that was formed into a circle very like a chignon, and her makeup was flawless. She wore a soft pink sweater, grey tailored slacks, gray leather shoes that matched them perfectly, and the string of pearls her husband Bill had given her for Christmas two years ago.
“What do you think, Mother?” Michelle asked, noticing that Delores had finished her cookie.
“I think they’re just what I need. And I think I’ll have another. Please hand me one, will you, dear?”
“Ready?” Michelle asked, inserting the key in the lock on Hannah’s condo door, but not opening it.
“I’m ready.” Hannah stood several feet in front of the door, her legs spread out a bit for balance.
“How about Cuddles? Does she do it, too?”
“Not yet. I’m hoping she doesn’t learn it from Moishe. I don’t know if I can handle two cats at once.”
“Here goes.” Michelle opened the door and stood to the side to make room for the orange and white blur that leaped out and hurtled into Hannah’s waiting arms.
“Oof!” Hannah said quite involuntarily. “I think he’s gotten heavier.”
“You could weigh him to see. Just stand on the scale with him in your arms. And then put him down and weigh yourself.”
“Not a good idea.” Hannah walked into her living room and set her cat down in one of his favorite places. Moishe loved to sit on the back of the couch and peer through the living room window.
“Why isn’t it a good idea?”
“Because I don’t want to weigh myself. And if I want to find out how much Moishe weighs, I’ll have to do it.”
“Oh.” Michelle walked over to the arm of the couch where Cuddles, a much smaller grey tabby, was sitting. “Hi, Cuddles,” she said, giving her a scratch under the chin. “When’s Mike coming over? And shall we feed him?”
“I think we’d better. He made a point of telling me he didn’t have time to eat dinner.”
“Good. I’m hungry, too.”
“But you had a cinnamon roll and four cookies,” Hannah reminded her.
“I know, but now I need something substantial, something with meat, something really good. What shall we make?” Michelle hung her coat in the closet, rubbed Moishe’s ears as she walked by, and headed to the kitchen.
“I don’t know.” Hannah followed her.
“Then let’s see what you’ve got, and maybe it’ll give us some ideas.”
“I doubt it. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t been to the Red Owl for at least a week.”
“I can see that,” Michelle said, surveying the nearly empty refrigerator shelves. “Do you have any hamburger?”
“I think there’s some in the freezer.” Hannah opened the door to look. “Here’s a one-pound package of lean ground beef. Will that do?”
“It’s perfect. Let’s thaw it right in the frying pan.”
“Okay. I’ll put it on.” Hannah got out a frying pan, unwrapped the frozen hamburger and plunked it in, covered the pan and turned the burner on medium heat. “What are we making?”
“I don’t have a name for it yet. Do you have any frozen veggies?”
Hannah went back to the freezer and looked. “Broccoli, cauliflower, frozen chopped onions, and a bag of peas and carrots.”
“Is that last one a mix?”
“Yes. It’s the kind with green peas and carrots cut in little cubes.”
“Great! I need a cup.”
Hannah carried the bags to the counter. She opened the peas and carrots, poured out a cup for Michelle, and put a twist tie on the bag. “How many chopped onions do you need?”
“Forty-seven.”
“What?” Hannah paused, the open bag of onions in her hand.
“Just kidding. Take out a quarter cup or so. I don’t think that proportions will be that critical.”
Hannah measured the onions, twist tied the bag
“You’re right,” Andrea said, reaching for a cookie. As usual, the third Swensen sister was dressed fashionably and oh-so-appropriately for a night helping her siblings at the hospital. Her light blond hair was fashioned in an intricate braid that was formed into a circle very like a chignon, and her makeup was flawless. She wore a soft pink sweater, grey tailored slacks, gray leather shoes that matched them perfectly, and the string of pearls her husband Bill had given her for Christmas two years ago.
“What do you think, Mother?” Michelle asked, noticing that Delores had finished her cookie.
“I think they’re just what I need. And I think I’ll have another. Please hand me one, will you, dear?”
“Ready?” Michelle asked, inserting the key in the lock on Hannah’s condo door, but not opening it.
“I’m ready.” Hannah stood several feet in front of the door, her legs spread out a bit for balance.
“How about Cuddles? Does she do it, too?”
“Not yet. I’m hoping she doesn’t learn it from Moishe. I don’t know if I can handle two cats at once.”
“Here goes.” Michelle opened the door and stood to the side to make room for the orange and white blur that leaped out and hurtled into Hannah’s waiting arms.
“Oof!” Hannah said quite involuntarily. “I think he’s gotten heavier.”
“You could weigh him to see. Just stand on the scale with him in your arms. And then put him down and weigh yourself.”
“Not a good idea.” Hannah walked into her living room and set her cat down in one of his favorite places. Moishe loved to sit on the back of the couch and peer through the living room window.
“Why isn’t it a good idea?”
“Because I don’t want to weigh myself. And if I want to find out how much Moishe weighs, I’ll have to do it.”
“Oh.” Michelle walked over to the arm of the couch where Cuddles, a much smaller grey tabby, was sitting. “Hi, Cuddles,” she said, giving her a scratch under the chin. “When’s Mike coming over? And shall we feed him?”
“I think we’d better. He made a point of telling me he didn’t have time to eat dinner.”
“Good. I’m hungry, too.”
“But you had a cinnamon roll and four cookies,” Hannah reminded her.
“I know, but now I need something substantial, something with meat, something really good. What shall we make?” Michelle hung her coat in the closet, rubbed Moishe’s ears as she walked by, and headed to the kitchen.
“I don’t know.” Hannah followed her.
“Then let’s see what you’ve got, and maybe it’ll give us some ideas.”
“I doubt it. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t been to the Red Owl for at least a week.”
“I can see that,” Michelle said, surveying the nearly empty refrigerator shelves. “Do you have any hamburger?”
“I think there’s some in the freezer.” Hannah opened the door to look. “Here’s a one-pound package of lean ground beef. Will that do?”
“It’s perfect. Let’s thaw it right in the frying pan.”
“Okay. I’ll put it on.” Hannah got out a frying pan, unwrapped the frozen hamburger and plunked it in, covered the pan and turned the burner on medium heat. “What are we making?”
“I don’t have a name for it yet. Do you have any frozen veggies?”
Hannah went back to the freezer and looked. “Broccoli, cauliflower, frozen chopped onions, and a bag of peas and carrots.”
“Is that last one a mix?”
“Yes. It’s the kind with green peas and carrots cut in little cubes.”
“Great! I need a cup.”
Hannah carried the bags to the counter. She opened the peas and carrots, poured out a cup for Michelle, and put a twist tie on the bag. “How many chopped onions do you need?”
“Forty-seven.”
“What?” Hannah paused, the open bag of onions in her hand.
“Just kidding. Take out a quarter cup or so. I don’t think that proportions will be that critical.”
Hannah measured the onions, twist tied the bag
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