Recent high school graduations made me think about yearbooks and the angst they sometimes produced. Do schools still publish them? Are they saved year to year by those who have them? And seeing the obituaries for Tom Meehan and Ken Slattery so close together took me back to the days when my children were students at Turners Falls High School. I remember when each of those men were the “new young teachers.”
My daughter had classes with Mr. Meehan and many of her stories about him we heard at the dinner table each day. He was an interesting teacher. Moving along a few years when my sons were in high school, Mr. Slattery was a teacher we heard about with enthusiasm. Teachers live on in the memories of their many students.
And I have in my bookcase another “yearbook” of sorts. Battered and spattered, well used for many years, it’s a recipe book filled with favorite recipes of teachers and friends, compiled (in the days before computers) by the Montague Teachers Association. When I open this book, I see those familiar names again; teachers my three children had, friends of mine from PTA and Band Boosters and other school activities. Many are gone now, but seeing the names on the pages, I recall memories I had with each person.
Like Rosemary Maddern, and all the cups of coffee we shared at her table. Charlotte Potter and Charlotte Robinson not only taught my children (English and physical education, respectively), but were fellow writers in my Montague Writing Group. Florence Argy, a longtime music teacher; Mary O’Brien, for Art; Rita Kersavage a lovely person and favorite English teacher of many; Sylvia Hassett, my youngest son’s kindergarten teacher; and some terrific elementary school teachers, like Doris Bednarz, Trudy Pollard, Bette Kabaniec and more.
So many friends and good memories, so many recipes not used these days. But, Carol Abel’s banana bread was a family favorite. And, I just may go to the kitchen now and make one for tomorrow’s lunch. Although, I have owned many glossy recipe books, some beautifully put together, I’ve sent most of those on their way. However, I’ll never part with “What’s Cooking in the Kitchens of Montague.”