Mary Kay Shanley

This is a story about two neighbors who develop a lasting friendship through numerous occasions including the fourth of July, their daughter's graduation, one of their son's accidents and time in the hospital, dinner parties, caroling and more. These women grew close together through good times and bad. Meanwhile there was a lasting satire about the meaning of an artichoke. How you prepare one, how people pick them up at the grocery store with all of their unwelcoming thorns, and what people even do to eat them. One neighbor always bought tomotoes, greenbeans, and lettuce every time she went to the store, to prepare fast and easy meals she already knew of, for her fast paced life busy with her kids' events. One day she actually picked up an eggplant after exploring some recipes, but was never daring enough to try an artichoke. At a formal dinner party held by her neighbor, she served artichokes. They were cooked and ready to eat by dipping them in butter and pulling the meat off the leaves with your teeth. And once all of the leaves are gone, the heart of the artichoke-the treasure inside the unexpected odd vegetable, lies. Just like friendship, the outside layers need to be opened to find the true treasure inside.… (meer)