For a few years, Kyle's family lived next door to an English family. They had one son, and many English relatives that subsequently came to spend holidays with my in-laws. When I met Kyle, the English family had already settled back in England, but they were the first of Kyle's 'family' that I was introduced to. (A very big deal at the time. I think I passed...)
They travelled to our wedding, and were a welcome addition to the big American family that I had married into. One of their sisters, who I had heard stories of (mainly that she was a kick-ass business women, that she had a cottage in Ireland that Kyle stayed at when he travelled the UK, and that she was a force to be reckoned with. Oh and that she let Kyle drive a stick shift in England...something he has never done since. And we never want him to do again), sent us two Royal Worcester cake knives. They had white china handles with dainty hand painted red cherries and I remember being touched that someone I had never met sent us something so beautiful and so English.
So, the Royal Worcester knives came out for birthdays to cut cakes that either I lovingly made or came in a box. They also came out when we have friends or family over for those rare times when we make dinner for our loved ones. Jamie Oliver's lemon and lime tart, Ina Garten's apple pie, and for my dear friend's bridal shower, the Cooks Illustrated Strawberry Cream Cake (a stupendous 4 layer sponge cake sandwiched with cream whipped with vanilla and cream cheese, and a oozy layer of strawberries cooked down with sugar and kirsch). All of these deserved being cut with something special...something English.
Two weeks ago we heard that our friend had incurable cancer and she passed away yesterday morning. Being 4,000 miles away is odd for so many reasons, but in this circumstance, it just clouds any ability to grasp reality. When we last saw our friend, we were in Norway for my brother-in-law's wedding. While being delayed at the Bergen airport for 4 hours, our friend entertained our then two young boys. She was amazing with them, despite never having had her own children.
So yesterday I honoured her in the only way I could think of, alone in the house with my three boys, and a homemade Julia Child quiche. I cut the quiche with the cherry painted Royal Worcester knives.