MATT ADAMS
  • About
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Ruby Tuesday

A Fake Menu, a Green Cooler, and a Freezer Full of Food

11/24/2020

 
Like so many moms, mine was always concerned that I wasn't eating properly or eating enough, even as an adult. I lived in New York City for about a decade between my early 20s and early 30s. Of course, my parents would drive down from Syracuse a few times a year and when they did, they used to bring me an incredible amount of food.

As soon as they parked the car, their first order of business was to bring the giant green metal cooler upstairs that was filled to the brim with all of my favorite foods.  Not only did she make sure my refrigerator was full but also my freezer.
In the days before coming to the city she would cook up several complete meals that she would store and freeze in containers so I would have individual meals that I could take out and heat up. It was a full-on "meals on wheels" service, complete with a sort of fake room service menu card that she made for me, which listed all the food she had brought.

As you can read on the example below, the menu contained everything from West Indian Stewed Chicken Legs to Lamb Chops in Sauce, a Pot Roast with Potatoes & Carrots, and staples like her famous Macaroni & Cheese and Hamburgers. The menu was a work-in-progress that she completed once she came to my apartment, so it eventually came with instructions as to where things were (e.g. "top shelf freezer") and sometimes what things were packed in ("bacon in plastic bag"). She also made sure I had an assortment of fresh fruits in the house and even brought me some cookies.

Picture
The other details on the note are really great too: On the right side of the card she wrote the name of the fake establishment "Lady Luck Las Vegas" with a phone number as well. There is a reminder to drink water, and look at all those pink hearts that she drew with magic marker. And lastly, she calls me by my nickname, "Holden," which is was a name that I sort of gave myself in my late teens and which stayed with me for a good decade.

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I was thinking a lot about food and thought this would be the perfect thing to share this story. At the time, I didn't think about it so much, and maybe even took it for granted a little bit. I always knew my mom as the lady in the neighborhood who was feeding everyone - and for her driving 4+ hours to bring a cooler full of food to her son in the Big Apple just was the most normal thing to do.

Picture

Family Portrait, Toad Edition

11/17/2020

0 Comments

 
A few years ago, my Dad found a toad in the skimmer box when he was cleaning the pool. He called my mom and me outside to see it and we started laughing because instead of hopping away, it just sat there and looked at us. We thought it would be fun to take some pictures with it and it turned into a fully-fledged photo shoot.
Picture
Even our cat Stir got in on the action. Although they are not smiling for the camera, they posed like two professionals and we'd like to think that they enjoyed working with each other.
Picture
My mom was having such a blast that we decided to even take a "family photo" with our bumpy buddy. I don't think that this pic ever made it onto the fridge, but we talked about it for years to come and the smile on my mom's face shows you that she is toadally up for anything!
Picture
0 Comments

Birthday Cakes and Big Bright Smiles

11/10/2020

0 Comments

 
It's my birthday today and I think we can all agree that one of the best things about birthdays is the cake. My mom used to put so much heart into the cakes that she would make and this Smurf cake is no exception. Just look at that frosting!
Picture
This evening, I was able to share a few smiles with her over video chat and I think its safe to say that her smile still lights up any room that she is in. Thanks for all the cakes throughout the years, mom. I hope you know how much they've meant to me.
Picture
0 Comments

Get Out the Vote!

11/3/2020

0 Comments

 
This week's Ruby Tuesday is interrupted by a public service announcement: If you haven't done so already, grab your American flag top hat and head out to the polls and VOTE!

Disclaimer: American flag top hats may make voting more fun, but they are by no means mandatory. If you don't have one, but are registered to vote, your vote will still be counted without any issues.

On a more serious note, four years ago, many people believed that Hillary Clinton would have a landslide victory and didn't think their individual vote mattered. That's why I urge you to do your part and vote like your life depends on it -  because for many people, it does. 

Picture
0 Comments

    "Ruby Tuesday" is a place for friends and family to share stories about my mother and show how she has  impacted their lives. 

    Blog updates every Tuesday for the full year to celebrate my mom turning 80.


    If you'd like to share something, whether it be a story, a photo, a recipe or even a drawing of hers that you kept, please e-mail me or use the contact form. The goal is to get as many voices on here as possible!

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed