Thanksgiving Month, Day 5: Dishes and Desserts

Nilgiris has a pair in the kitchen right now that has been almost unstoppable: Jocelyn and Tiffany. Put those two together and the kitchen stays sparkling and the desserts look ravishingly beautiful. 


Sort of like the two of them. It is rare these days to find young women like Josie and Tiff. They are smart, funny, beautiful, clever, artistic, kind-hearted, focused, and generous. And on top of all that, they are a ton of fun to be around. Their kind of beauty and grace harks back to a more gracious era, a  gentler time period. They are unweighted by baggage and regrets. They manage to find joy in their work and their cheerful spirits are contagious.

Josie and her Dad. She told me once that if
I would only let her take a piece of leftover
lemon meringue pie to him, maybe he would
love her again ... There was clearly never
any question as to that, wouldn't you say?!

Jocelyn started working here when she was 14 years old; she has had to take some breaks due both to knee surgery and to the call of the stage, where she is proving herself a natural thespian. If I were to liken her to a jewel, I would say that she's a sapphire, sparkling and joyful, but one being polished through injury and adversity and their ramifications such as being sidelined from activities she loves and that she's good at, and seeing friends dropping away as a consequence.


She is outgoing and tenderhearted and compassionate and funny and she can take on Don - something not many people can lay claim to! One evening when Don and Norma came in through the side door just after we had closed, Jocelyn asked Don if he was going to rob us. For once he was left speechless ...

One of the times Tiff came in on an evening off
to help me out. When I think of that verse "God
loves a cheerful giver," I think of Tiff and how
she gives so generously of herself and her time
 to help others wherever she can

Tiffany is the perfect foil to Jocelyn - she is quieter and a little bit more reserved. But she can give as good as she gets; and her photographer's eye and her delicate touch can create beauty in the smallest detail. She sends out the most exquisitely decorated mango mousses and other desserts I have ever seen. She is willing to come in when I need extra help and has cheerfully assumed more of a leadership role in the TH. Her sense of humour catches me at unexpected moments and her gentleness runs deep and wide. She would be my ruby in the TH's jewel case, richly hued and with a centre that glows with unexpected fire.


Both of them have an intrinsic sweetness and are quick to laugh and quick to help. You can't trust them, though: I am constantly having to go to the time sheets to adjust their hours - they always shortchange themselves, recording their scheduled time (e.g., 10:30) rather than the actual time they worked (e.g., 11:00). What kind of employees do that these days?! 

My crazy girls ...

And - best of all! - both of them buy into the silliness and the magic of the little TH. They ooh and aah over my latest child's tea set (I hope they aren't laughing at me behind my back!) and chat to the little ones who wander back to the kitchen; they keep a weather eye out for our treasured oldies who might need a little help with getting on a jacket; and they know exactly how to jolly along all those in the middle who need a little extra time or attention.

I do believe that the two of them together make the best team I have ever had in the kitchen. Everyone derives joy in their presence and the TH is a lovely place to be when they are working their magic!