The World
Hiya, I'm Monica. I just moved from Maine to New York to go to culinary school, but the best part is that I get to move in with my brother "Captain" Charlie (he's a pilot!) and help take care of my nephew and nieces, Colby, Pepper, and Cherry, in my family’s Brooklyn brownstone. (Wanna hear Monica's story in song form? Click here!)
Gran's Kitchen &
Pop Pop's Garden
You see, for many years my Gran baked out of our brownstone’s kitchen as Pop-Pop did magic shows for the neighborhood kids. I remember visiting them as a girl watching him practice his magic while she baked. “There’s magic in the mixing”, Gran would say, when presto! Pop Pop would pull chocolate chips out of thin air for me to munch on. Every time I use her utensils and recipes I find that maybe Pop-Pop’s magic was more than sleight of hand… and that Gran and Pop Pop really were magic together. Their love was something magical!
Adjusting to life in the city hasn’t been easy, but something that helps me get through is my garden that once belonged to Pop Pop. He was known for his green thumb and would insist, “It’s my little bit of country in the big city,”– now it’s mine too. I can’t help but wonder if a little bit of Gran and Pop Pop’s magic managed to seep into the garden. Even in the dead of winter I’ll find fresh blueberries peeking out of the snow, apples hanging between icicles, and fresh basil and mint everywhere!