A man with simple tastes.

This picture was taken on his 31st birthday, by Janet.
This type of breakfast was probably typical of him.

When he visited, and I offered to make him breakfast, he came back with: "Mom, you rest, I'll make you breakfast!" He enjoyed fussing in the kitchen, rustling up some grub, making the most of whatever he found. He was generous with his time, and these little offerings to make me breakfast were most appreciated.

So, we'd sit around, I with strong coffee, he with a latte or a glass of milk, and catch up.
"What do you eat, son?" I would ask.
"I try to cook a good meal."
"What do you make?"
"BBQ chicken, fish. spaghetti."
"Vegetables?"
"Yeah!"
"Really?"
"I've started to grow some greens, arugula, in the front yard, and left it there to seed and now..."
"Yes, it self seeds. You'll have arugula everywhere. Basil and parsley too."
"I put basil in every dish!"
"How do you make your spaghetti?"
"I use the same tomatoes and paste you use. It does make a difference, no?"


And that's how it went. He was conscious of nutritional needs, of staying in shape, of eating well, of avoiding additives.  He was also conscious of how his dog was growing, what nutritional needs he had, and had switched to raw food for Butters to keep her healthy. He spent time exercising her too, taking her to dog parks and to swimming holes.



With time, he would have grown more vegetables in that big yard of his.
He talked about putting in a pool for exercise and a studio/greenhouse, a place where he could grow even more vegetables.

He had purchased a modest house, a small California bungalow that he would soon outgrow. But for now, he was home.

Janet had told him about some family farms nearby, and he began purchasing CSA produce from them, trying new vegetables he was not familiar with. Riding his bike down the LA River under freeways and major streets, he discovered old families with horse ranches training kids to ride horses, keeping livestock and vegetable gardens. He was impressed with their way of life, their self sufficiency.

That last summer, I could see how he and Janet were viewing the world together, growing together, planning and dreaming together.