Random Thoughts

Yesterday I went to a meeting. The folks who hosted the meeting thoughtfully provided breakfast treats for us to enjoy before we got down to business. The egg casserole and sweet rolls didn't interest me at all, but there was some fresh fruit, so I put a few pieces on my plate. Then I spotted the real treasure. On a separate table there were two toasters, and loaves of homemade bread sliced and ready. After a week without bread, I couldn't have been happier if they had served lobsters (actually, it was a little early in the day for lobsters). That slice of bread almost justified the 2 1/2 hour trip all by itself. Lesson learned: a bit of abstinence can make something ordinary into something extraordinary. Today I broke out a box of ribbon candy I had found lurking in the back of the pantry closet last week when I was looking for rice. I have no idea when I bought it; I hope it was Christmas 2009, but it could well have been 2008. The plastic wrapper over the tin was intact, so I wasn't too worried about it. But in the end I was disappointed. Even through the plastic, the candy had absorbed water and turned soft. Chewy ribbon candy is a little disconcerting, but I was desperate for something sweet, so I ate a piece anyway. I won't throw it away for the same reason; there isn't much sweet in the house except for some jam, and sometimes I just crave sweets. But I don't plan to keep it for Christmas 2011. Lesson learned: sometimes saving something for a special occasion means you end up with nothing, or at least nothing special. The freezer is finally starting to show some empty space. There's room for more ice cube trays. So far I have discovered a bag of raspberries, a lamb chop, and a bag of dinner rolls. There are treats in my future.