Today my Max turned 21 !.. That is just so cool and amazing to me. I can remember the day he was born so vividly.. it was about 30 degrees warmer than it is now.. one of the hottest Junes on record. That day transformed our lives.. we were parents !.. I remember how wonderful and strange it felt to be holding our own baby.. I actually hadn’t ever looked at one closely before that.. and now I had to help take care of one…
Luckily.. now he takes care of us sometimes… Tonight he decided to cook us dinner in honor of his birthday. Max is an excellent vegetarian cook. Tonight he showed us how to make seitan kabobs from powdered wheat gluten. They were amazing.. you start witht he gluten.. add a bunch of savory glop, knead it like crazy…
cut into strips… then simmer it in broth for a while…
Taking time out for a now legal wine toast to the legal drinkign age…
thenbarbeque them over charcol. They were so amazing !.. and all it is is wheat protien.
Gabe and Max entertained us during dinner
That ended well .. no ?
Later on we went inside for presents.. I gave Max a ‘Hail Sietan’ hoodie.. very appropriate tonight !
Here’s Max opening a gift from my folks.. it’s max’s great-grandfather’s lighter .. It’s so cool. it has his initials.. Max E? Ettlinger (Mom.. what does the E stand for ?) Max loves having it I can tell !
Diane made another cool gift.. a home garden for max to take back to Brooklyn this weekend.. tomatoes, basil, cilantro, mint, etc.. Max loved it !
Finally time for cake.. Diane had found these cool multi color flame candles…Right after this shot, my camera ran out of batteries.. I got the cake moemnt on the other camera.. You’ll just have to imagine Max blowing these out..
Max and Gabe both got lotterie tickets in liu of a real college savings plan.. Max won $25 and Gabe won $2.. Now I can retire !!!
Then we all retired to the living room..
It was a great evening.. Max is such a good kid.. well.. I guess he’ not a kid anymore.. He’s such a good man.. I’m so proud of him..
OK.. time for bed.. more tomorrow.. nite all. nite Sam !
-me