Teapots and Flowers

Yesterday I stopped at one garage sale on the way home from food shopping. Look what I found! A pink teapot, just perfect for my green with pink kitchen. There was even a pink creamer and sugar in a slightly different shade, but still very lovely. It made me feel like I was charity shopping again back in Scotland.

Michael and I went out to dinner with old friends last night. There are many connections we have with Dr. and Mrs. B, the first being that I was Dr. B's secretary for a number of years before we were married. Dr. B is newly retired and it was fun to hear him beginning to learn to enjoy slowing down and doing fun things.

Just before we sat down to dinner Dr. B excused himself and went out to his car. He came back with a little plastic box with two corsages inside -- one for Mrs. B and one for me. How sweet! There was no occassion in mind, he must have just thought it would be a nice idea. I tell you what, retirement must be having a good effect!

So we spent the evening talking about current events in our circles, reminiscing about the B's growing up years, watching Dr. B mix salt and pepper into his pat(s) of butter and spreading it on his corn.

Dr. B used to be a fanatic about sweet corn. In the summer he would take off in the car around lunchtime, stopping by the office to first ask, "How many ears?" He'd come back from a farm stand laden with a dozen ears of corn, a huge Decker melon (cantaloupe), a few tomatoes and cucumbers.

A pot of water would be put on to boil and the corn husked. Cucumbers were sliced and set in a bit of vinegar and salt and pepper. The tomatoes sliced and arranged on a plate and the melon cut in huge wedges. This was all Dr. B's doing -- no one else came into the kitchen while he was working.

Then we'd all sit down to a meal of real simplicity, but terrific flavor and abundance. I think my record one day was 5 ears of corn (mind you the kernels were tiny, tender things, not like the huge grocery-store variety). These meals took Dr. B back to the farm and his growing up years. And the meals became memories for me in my growing up years.

Last night Dr. B was eating over-cooked corn from the cafeteria line, but I'm sure to him it was finally better than nothing. He was also eating steamed broccoli, something in former years you couldn't pay him to touch. How time changes things. For me it was another night to add to my collection of memories. Maybe someday I'll stop by that farm stand and cook a meal like I remember.