1. Tonight at family dinner, I wished I were young again, but for only one reason, really. When my system used to metabolize food more efficiently, if, like tonight, I was served a completely superb meal, I could dive into a second (or third!) helping and feel just fine. If I'd been that younger guy tonight, I would have eaten more than one helping of tonight's dinner. That's for sure!
Carol and Paul picked pears not long ago and gave some to Christy and me. Christy made good use of some of her bounty by making a delicious lime and pear sangria. When it was time to eat, Christy served us a delicious, fresh, and very tasty Autumn Pear Salad.
It was the main course, though, that made me fantasize about sitting in Christy's back yard and eating helpings all night long!
Several weeks ago, Christy served a ham dinner and, if I'm not mistaken, tonight's main course was a continuation of that meal. Christy made one of my very favorite dishes: ham and bean soup. I'm not quite sure what all went into this soup. I got so involved in enjoying it that I missed all that Christy said about it, but I think it included some pork and beans and it seemed to me to include a variety of other beans. I know she included pearl onions.
But, I have to admit, I wasn't thinking much about the fine points of how this most delicious soup was prepared. I tried to work my way through it slowly, savoring every spoonful, wanting to make it last as long as possible. I just think ham and beans combine to make perfect soup and Christy's was superb. It was all I could do not to put Christy's crock pot in front of me and eat whatever was left over right out of it! But, I controlled myself, knowing even a small second helping would make me uncomfortable, and enjoyed the one bowl I ate as it settled inside of me.
Then Christy brought out a cake she'd baked: Apple Cider Doughnut Cake.
I asked for a small slice, knowing I couldn't eat much more, but this cake was so moist and delicious -- it was, indeed, like eating a favorite cake doughnut -- that I very slowly ate my small slice and it was heavenly. I controlled myself, but, again, just because it was so delicious, I dreamed of eating a lot more.
So, in conclusion, I enjoyed tonight's family dinner.
2. All right.
Confession time.
My unruly hair has been irritating me. I don't care much about how it looks, but I don't like it falling over my eyes or even tickling my forehead.
In early September, I got a haircut, my first since February. At that appointment, I failed to convey just how short I wanted it to be and left thinking I'd try next time to communicate better. Sure enough, in a couple of weeks, my hair was in my eyes at times, tickling my forehead, waking me up at night.
Before I left home today, I scrolled through some pictures and found one of Carol, Christy, and me at Manito Park a couple or three years ago. I had just had a haircut in that picture. Aha! I'll show this picture to the woman cutting my hair and the picture will speak louder than a thousand words just what I want.
It worked.
Now I can go back to living day to day hardly aware that I have hair.
3. I figured since I was getting a haircut in Coeur d'Alene, I'd drive a bit farther and go shopping at Barnes and Noble in Spokane Valley.
Billy Collins latest book, Whale Day and Other Poems, arrived in bookstores on Tuesday.
Barnes and Noble offered its own edition of the book that included five poems not found in the non-Barnes and Noble edition.
I could have ordered my copy online, but, I can't remember the last time I was in a bookstore and so I drove to the shop, hoping it would have Billy Collins' new book either on a special table or on the shelf.
Poetry books are not prominently featured at Barnes and Noble --- just as I expected. After about ten minutes of wandering, I found the poetry section, and, to my delight, Whale Day was on the shelf (no special table!) and, upon inspection, I confirmed that the five added poems were in the volume in my hands.
I also purchased a DeLorme Idaho Atlas and Gazetteer and two books for dummies, one to guide me when my Macbook Air arrives on Monday and one on Lightroom Classic in case I decide to plunge into the Adobe world of photo editing.
While I was at Barnes and Noble, Carol sent out a text wondering if either Christy or I had whole nutmegs on hand.
We didn't, but I texted back that I'd be happy to shop for some in CdA on my way home.
I didn't find any whole nutmeg at Fred Meyer (I bought some later at Pilgrims), but I made the most of my stop at Freddy's by visiting the divine Murray's Cheese counter and picking up a quarter pound of creamy, Brie-style, blue cheese veined, moldy, mildly pungent Camboloza Black Label cheese and a box of Effie's Oatcake Biscuits.
Lately, for no good reason (except I like its taste), I've been yearning for Peet's coffee and I purchased a bag of Major Dickason's Blend and one of Ethiopian, both ground, both dark roast.
When I returned home, I still had some time before family dinner.
Ah! I poured myself about half a small glass of Petite Sirah, spooned small globs of Camboloza Black Label cheese on four or five oatcake biscuits and grooved on the creamy moldy cheese's interplay with the crunchy, slightly sweet biscuit which paired nicely with the light, dry red wine.
Holy.
A limerick by Stu:
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