Comfort Food for Renee
I met Renee about 25 years ago when we were both working as librarians in the Bronx – she at New York Public Library, and I at Jane Addams High School.
Renee had been trained as a book discussion leader, and as part of NYPL’s outreach to schools program she came to the neighboring Lehman High School to run an after-school faculty book club.
Luckily for me I knew Paula. the Lehman HS librarian, and she invited me to join the club.
Renee was a superb, well prepared facilitator. She chose great books to discuss and she opened each meeting with evocative questions. Then she’d share her insights and the most wonderful discussions inevitably followed.
One afternoon when the meeting ended, Renee, Paula and I went out for a bite together and that was the start of our beautiful friendship.
The book club met for many years at Lehman, then after our staggered retirements we decided to continue meeting in each others’ homes, and Renee offered to continue as our discussion leader. We asked other friends to join and I’m happy to say after all these years our book club is still going strong.
- Our book club on City Island, I took the photo. Back row: Raina, Karlan, Judy, Marlene. Front row: Renee, Paula
Renee and I were also part of a group of good friends who took turns hosting each other at dinner every few months. One July when it happened to be Renee’s turn she invited the whole dinner group to her country house in Monterey, MA in the Berkshires.
Over the years that Monterey weekend at Renee’s became a cherished summer tradition. The men would carry Renee’s two picnic tables to a spot under the trees, with the rest of us at their heels carrying the food and the (many) bottles of wine.
And when we weren’t feasting, some of us would head to Garfield Lake with beach chairs and towels, or drive to town for antiquing or shopping, some of the men would usually be watching sports on TV, someone was always napping on the couch, and I remember one very rainy weekend a few of us intrepid souls drove to Lenox for a fabulous Roz Chast art exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum. And inevitably some of us were always raiding the fridge, or talking books or politics at Renee’s kitchen table.
And we’d usually spend an evening picnicking under the stars and enjoying the music at Tanglewood. Many summers we saw Garrison Keillor airing his radio show Prairie Home Companion live from the Koussevitzky Shed. What his radio listeners didn’t know is that after the show Keillor would come out on the lawn as the band played on, and hundreds of us would dance on the grass and sing along. I remember dancing the Lindy with Renee on that great Tanglewood lawn.
Then one day Renee called with the devastating news that she’d been diagnosed with cancer. Her family and friends rallied to her support, she travelled abroad with her daughters, and as long as she was able she continued to pursue all her Berkshire passions – tending her beautiful garden, volunteering at Shakespeare & Co, cooking and baking, attending Tanglewood concerts, modern dance at Jacob’s Pillow, and lectures and readings at The Mount.
And when she became housebound under the care of a compassionate hospice team, she continued to welcome friends’ visits. Then five years after her diagnosis, Renee died in the Monterey house she always called her Happy Place.
Renee had been an excellent cook and I, on the other hand, was never a confident one, and so I was especially pleased once when she praised a dish of mine. It was a stuffed pepper recipe I’d gotten from my Hungarian mother-in-law Hermine, and I’d worked hard to master it. Renee called it comfort food.
Rest in peace Renee, your memory is a comfort.
– Dana Susan Lehrman
Dana Susan LehrmanThis retired librarian loves big city bustle and cozy country weekends, friends and family, good books and theatre, movies and jazz, travel, tennis, Yankee baseball, and writing about life as she sees it on her blog World Thru Brown Eyes!
www.WorldThruBrownEyes.com
What a lovely tribute to Renee, Dana. It was very moving to learn about this nurturing person. The stuffed peppers look delicious and make a nice memory for your friend.
Thanx Marian.
Renee was a special person, I treasured her friendship. At our age we’re losing too many good souls.
Your memories of the many good times that your group of friends had are warm and wonderful, Dana. As is the stuffed pepper recipe that you served up to nourish your friend when she most needed you. Be well, friend.
Thanx Betsy, losing such a good friend was hard. I’m so glad we spent a day with her 2 weeks before she died.
Ah, Dee…those Monterey weekends sound like the stuff of dreams…how fortunate you were to have had them. And such wonderful friends, especially Renee. Aren’t we lucky to have our memories…and to be able to share them here?!
Yes BB. Renee died this past December and I’m still mourning her.
Our group of friends talked about spending a Berkshires weekend together again this summer – not at Renee’s of course, her daughters and their families now have the house – but at a hotel. In fact we booked several rooms, and got Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow dance tix, but now of course thanx to Covid our weekend is not to be.
Who knows if and when we’ll be together again?
Stay safe our there, California girl!
Thanks, Dee — and let’s stay positive in looking forward to getting back on track when this too has passed. I like to think it will all be that much sweeter.
Will try, thanx BB!
❤️
Dana, I’m so sorry about the loss of your friend Renee, her memory truly is for a blessing. I love Tanglewood and the whole Berkshires area, and have many fond memories of time spent there. You are lucky to have had that wonderful summer tradition for many years. And when you make these stuffed peppers you can think of how much she liked them, and be comforted by that.
Thanx Suzy. Losing Renee was hard, but we had so many wonderful and funny times together, that at her funeral service there were laughs as well as tears!
So sorry for the loss of your friend, Dana. What a lovely picture of her you used for your featured photo. The story you told was filled with beautiful memories of the wonderful summers you shared, of your book club, and of great recipes for delicious food. May these memories be for a blessing.
Thanx Laurie.
I’ve lost my sister and other family and friends and at this age of course it’s expected, but Renee was a very special friend, irreplaceable.