"Off to Ma-mere's. Chaos of cousins, aunts, uncles all talking at once. As my dad had 11 brothers and sisters, there was no end of possible combinations and new stories to hear at the dinner table. And Ma-mere, fierce in "sa cuisine", wooden spoon, heavy pot, hunk of venison or some other meat (hunting and backyard gardening the norm at her house) always in her capable, strong hands. No amount of sidelong glances could get her to release, ahead of dinner, one of those sour, delicious pickles she kept in giant mason jars under the sink..."