Seven Things

When I asked her to lunch I had a list of seven things I wanted to bring to her attention. It was our first business meeting – a tentative exploration of whether or not we would become partners in a new venture.

We never got past item one on my agenda. We ended up talking about ourselves for almost two hours. When she hugged me goodbye, I wasn’t sure about the business idea, but I was pretty sure I was in love.

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Childhood Reading

My town’s little library had a children’s section where I devoured books like The Bobbsey Twins and biographies of famous people like Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley. Somehow I moved from there to the adult section where I started reading completely inappropriate books I seldom understood. I skipped all the great children’s stories like “The Secret Garden” and “Little Women” until I was an adult reading to children.

A self-made education is a spotty thing.

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The train

My love for the commuter train from my small burg into the city depends on only one thing. Who sits next to me. I can have a beautiful ride into work if I’m not assailed with strange smells or someone who takes up more than their share of the seating. People who fall asleep and lean on me are the worst. People who are polite and quiet are the best.

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The Policy

What’s your policy on leftovers? Do you try to farm it all out to your guests? Do you stash it away and eat the same thing over and over again for a week? Do you have clever ways to make leftovers look like something new? Ahh, it’s turkey enchiladas tonight! Surprise! Or maybe you stick in the freezer and then toss it out a few months later. What happens to all the leftover food we think we need to have a holiday feast?

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The Holidays

My plan for Christmas Day is to go see the newest version of “Little Women” at the local multiplex. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate a holiday, in my opinion. Whether you love the holiday season or dread it I hope you find a way to enjoy it and wish you the very best in the coming new year. Let’s write!

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Baby, Baby

Isn’t it funny how sweethearts diminish each other by calling their loved one “Babe”? One the other hand, small children are give names that make them seem bigger like “little man.” Teenagers are told to act grown up. No wonder we’re all so confused, Babe.

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What’s the plan?

“What’s the plan?” I asked.

“Nothing is set in stone yet, but it looks like we’ll leave around noon. That should put us in Colorado before dark.”

“Have you checked the weather?”

“No. Have you?”

“Yeah, a blizzard is forecast.”

“Oh. We should discuss plan B.”

“What’s plan B?”

“Staying home.”

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The First Song

I heard someone singing “The Teddy Bears Picnic” today, which is a really old song I loved as a kid. It set me to wondering what the first song I ever learned was. Probably some nursery rhyme. I have a particular fondness for the one that goes “4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie.” Perhaps that was the first song I heard or learned form my mother. Is it even possible to recall the first song you ever learned?

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The Nicest Idea

Having lunch with friends is the nicest idea. A visit in the middle of the day, something good to eat, a glass of iced tea as a pick-me-up. It makes the morning brighter in anticipation. It makes the afternoon brighter in the reflected glow of friendship. All in all, lunch with friends is just about the best thing you can do with yourself. Call a friend today.

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My favorite family recipe

It’s about that time when we’ll all start cooking traditional family favorites. One of mine is what I call Grandma’s apples. She boiled them down in a sugar syrup laced with red hots and a bit of red food coloring to make cinnamon apples that were sweet and tart and soft enough to run a fork through. Plump and juicy and bright on a plate, they always mean holiday time to me. They remind me of long ago meals with family.

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