Pink Slip and Peppercorns

When my husband, Wayne, came home on October 2, 2009 and told me he had been laid off from his job as an electrician, my first reactions were fear and anger. He had worked for the same company for fifteen years and was a faithful employee. We thought we were safe from the ravages of the economic downturn. We were wrong.

After taking inventory of our finances, we realized that the situation was not dire. I make a good salary as a math teacher. In addition, Wayne has a part-time job on weekends, and he applied for unemployment. We can still pay the mortgage, utilities, auto expenses, and put food on the table. We eliminated luxuries such as attending performances at the Kennedy Center, traveling, and eating out. Pay-Per-View is far less expensive than movie theater tickets; add to that some microwaved popcorn, a cozy fire, and our comfortable couch, and we can enjoy a movie at home for $4.50.

All of this pales, however, in comparison to Wayne's discovery that he actually enjoys being a house-husband and that he is quite adept at it. He has always liked to cook, but now he has time to pour over our expansive collection of cookbooks and spend hours preparing delicious yet healthy low fat meals. I have come home to turkey chili, butternut squash soup sprinkled with walnuts, Weight Watcher's chicken and noodle casserole, and a very tasty meatloaf made with ground turkey. An added bonus is that my husband always cleans up after himself, so I've never entered the kitchen to find it looking like the aftermath of a tornado. He also straightens up the house, cleans the bathrooms, and empties the trash. I am truly blessed.

Watching my husband discover a new side of himself is as much an adventure for me as it is for him. Each day, as I drive home from a day of teaching, I wonder what culinary delight awaits me, and I look forward to seeing my husband's joy as he serves me a meal seasoned heavily with love, and reveals yet another facet of the Man Behind the Apron.