The Very Best Trifle
November 5, 2004
My grandmother made the very best trifle. I suppose everyone says that about something their grandmother or mother made, but this time, it’s true. My grandmother didn’t have a large repertoire in the kitchen. She repeated things often, and since we all know that with practice comes perfect, it is only logical that with all the repetition, my grandmother’s trifle was perfect.
I have a photo of my grandmother on my bookshelf. In the photo she is 91 years old and is sitting in a wheelchair outside the church at my brother’s wedding. She didn’t need a wheelchair, except for a day like that when she would be on her feet for a long time. She was all dressed up, wearing a new hat bought especially for the occasion. I hadn’t seen Nana for some time when this photo was taken, and we were both very happy to see each other. That day was the last time I ever saw Nana – she had in fact told me it would be – so the photo means a lot to me. When a young friend saw the photo he said “Wow. She looks like a real old English grandmother.” Indeed, she was a real old English grandmother, and she made the best trifle I’ve ever tasted.
I’m not alone in my opinion –