You ever have one of those days, which start out with nothing in
particular in mind to do?
Well, yesterday was just that.
I collect stationary. Mostly blank, but with lovely pictures on the front.
A treasure trove of future messages kept in my head
like eggs in an ovary
never to be used up in one's lifetime.
A picture of an orange and rusted ecru female Northern Cardinal
caught my eye. As it was sitting on my kitchen table
along with other cards to be put away,
the pile of which, had been taken out
for selecting the 'right bird' to escort
a check owed to my sister for purchasing a tree.
This puffed up, cute Cardinal, I thought,
might make a nice Thank You
to send to a manager of a dining establishment
operating at the local Hunt Club
where I had been for a delightful lunch
a few days earlier
with a group of friends.
Fountain pen in hand
my thoughts filled the entire two sides of the
card's blank interior commenting on the food, presentation and staff.
So, done.
I decided to make the 5 minute drive
south of our home
to deliver it in person.
Greeting me at the entrance area
inside the building
was a pair of spring arrangements
on a chocolate brown carved mahogany sideboard.
from local blooms
found everywhere.
The manager,
a woman, I've known for years
who is married to a former
history teacher at the High School
and lives on Stissing Lake
complete with beautiful boathouse,
thanked me for the note
which remained sealed during our visit.
She asked me what I thought of the arrangements
made with flowers from her garden
of lilac and apple blossoms.
We agreed that a little more height
for line and balance was needed.
I told her I had something home
to add.
Back home, in a flash
I picked red-orange tulips, spirea, forsythia branches,
Aluminum greens, monkshood leaves, and hosta
'just for fun' to add to the paired display
as well as the tables, containing pastel green
napkin 'fans' balanced in stemmed wine glasses
and pairs of daffodils in small vases at the center.
The greens would act as a filler ( two per table).
Restaurant manager was delighted.
One of the waitresses, a lifeguard in the summer
was looking forward to our 'time at the lake'
where she watches the children swimming
and I do crafts with them
and tend the town garden there.
So, it was homeward bound.
Still too overcast and cold.
I decided to break with habit and
go to the local market earlier than usual.
Once there..I dawdled and shopped
Mainly for vegetables
the 'positive' part of my diet,
of which unlimited quantities
could be consumed.
Once back in the parking lot
I dawdled some more
bringing in all the shopping carts
patrons had strewn all over
as they do particularly on Fridays as part of the 'weekend rush'.
When out of the corner of my eye
I saw the back of a man with a RED PONY TAIL
Could that be?
Molto Mario Bataglia! (of the Food Network: Freshness and simplicity are the keys to Mario Batali's spectacular Italian cuisine. Molto Mario brings these principles home – it's a culinary tour of Italy with tips and secrets from one of New York's premier chefs.
Slipping back into the store
I spied this culinary king around the corner at the rear of the store
in front of the dairy case for cheeses.
His hand held basket was filled
to the brim with vegetables.
Are you Molto Mario?
'No. I'm Mario Bataglia'
Heh, heh, heh.
Kvelling like an idiot,
I blurted out that I was a big fan of his.
Noting, he had lost a lot of weight,
I told him so
as a question,
'You've lost a lot of weight'
He half smiled and nodded yes, in agreement.
No more 'Molto' to the Mario
As, we were both on the same quest
where lettuce is best.
