The sweet fragrance of roses and baby's breath filled our den on the morning of my birthday. They were a gift from our friend Myong, delivered the previous evening. She and several of her students were planning to come for brunch the following morning, and she brought over all kinds of goodies for George to use for the meal, then put this beautiful bouquet into my arms. I was so touched by the kindness of this gesture.

George did all the cooking, making scrambled eggs with broccoli, parmesan, and mushrooms mixed in. This turned out exceptionally good, but his French Toast (which he baked in the oven) came out so crisp that I had to cut the edges off, so nobody would crack a tooth trying to chew it. (However, if one could imagine camping-out, this is exactly the kind of fare that everyone raves about.) As a compensation, he also served grilled English muffins with a slice of Swiss cheese on top and some turkey saussages. Myong brought a huge tray of sliced canteloupe, watermelon, grapes, and peaches.

Because George was doing the cooking, I was able to relax and enjoy our guests. It was a chance to visit with Myong and her students, Bianco and Raymond, before they scatter for the summer. We invited our Baha'i friend, Debbie, and Taraz, Megan, and Rahmat were able to visit for awhile. Taraz showed a number of videos he made recently, and we also listened to some classical music. Myong was a piano teacher for 14 years in Korea.

George and I have always enjoyed having people over, even when our children were very young. It is a favorite pastime for George, and I feel quite fortunate that he will do the cooking. Over the years, he has really taken over in the kitchen, not afraid to experiment. And, of course with four hungry kids, there was always someone to consume his experiments.

I've cooked for kids so long, I hardly know how to cook anything other than spaghetti, meatloaf, or fried chicken. I need a recipe, or I am lost. He, on the other hand, will look in the pantry and figure out something with whatever is there.

However, he is not as skilled as I am cooking over a campfire. I do all our cooking when we camp, so that the food is not charred or just thrown together because someone is hungry. (I've learned to start preparations well before people feel hungry, and we double the portion-sizes.)

Everyone in our family has very ideosyncratic eating habits, so they are not especially easy to cook for anymore. Ruhiyyih prefers the 'all raw' food choices; Laurel and Mehran are 'all organic' and Persian; Taraz and Megan eat 'healthy', with careful 'lite' food choices and little meat; George eats mostly fruits and vegetables, not too many starches; and I think Annie and Rue have an 'all-American' diet, balanced and yummy. Rahmat will eat anything, and be hungry an hour later. I'm a grazer, eating frequent small meals every several hours.

It is horrendous trying to plan a family reunion with all these different food preferences! I've finally decided that every family can bring their own food, cooking it as they wish, and we'll all pitch in and help out as best we can. I plan to make 36 cinnamon rolls this year, slice them thin, butter them, and then grill them over the fire. Not healthy, not organic, not raw, not a diabetic option...but the fastest, easiest, tastiest of breakfasts. And, it is one of my favorite things to enjoy with that first cup of coffee in the morning.