Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

I had such a delicious grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. It flat out made my whole life better.

If I didn't fear being bludgeoned with a stale baguette by a Frenchman I would say, "But it is just bread & cheese- how could it taste so good?"

Though, actually, I ordered mine with a cupla slices of tomato too, but the tomato wasn't even that good -not ripe.
*side question: What makes it so hard to get a goddamn ripe tomato anywhere?!!! Tomatoes are not difficult to grow. In fact they grow like weeds with very little attention. Why is it that I have such f#%$^@* difficulty obtaining a ripe tomato? Anyhoooo...

When I was little the neighbor three doors down, Mrs Davis, used to take care of me when my mom and dad were at work. Mrs. Davis made the best grilled cheese sandwiches- I would suspect in the entire world. Plus, she cut her sandwiches at an angle. A sandwich cut at an angle sort of makes me swoon. I swear they taste better that way in their sassy triangular shapes. My mother always cuts sandwiches straight in half- in rectangles. It shows in the flavor. Rectangles are just not enticing shapes, they're kind of "square," if you will.

Also, Mrs Davis made the best iced tea. Oh, it was so good. And I don't know how this could be, what it means, or if you'll think I'm nuts, but the sound of the ice clinking in the glass made a different sound there. Was it her magical iced tea that inspired the ice cubes to clink more harmoniously? Or, did she also enchant the ice & the glassware? I don't know. She may have taken this secret to her grave, but I will ask her youngest daughter, Nancy, just in case she knows. Nancy does have the cheesecake recipe. Imagine what a woman who made good ice cubes could do to a cheesecake.

When I first moved to the town I live in many years ago I was out walking looking for a place to have lunch, as all the places were new to me I was just working my way through them figuring out my favorites. I went into a simple cafe- about one bump up from a diner, but really quite clean I noticed which totally separates it out from being in the diner category- no grease in the spoon, etc. In honor of Mrs Davis that day I ordered grilled cheese & iced tea, and to my absolute delight & surprise the grilled cheese was not exact, but plenty close enough to really enjoy & induce the nostalgia. And- cut in triangles!!! I liked the iced tea, but her iced tea had a super mythic quality, paired with that clinking ice- untouchable.

So, it was that old super clean cafe where I lunched today. It's probably been there since 1810 serving some of the same old regulars & random passerbys. Although, I'll have to google- there is a good chance that my town did not yet exist in 1810. A sandwich anywhere near that of Mrs Davis' spellbinding caliber though- it could be a Brigadoon type of affair where the cafe with its magically delicious grilled cheeses only appears every so often.

Perfect Life Moment

Recently, my Neighbor's oldest daughter was married. (The word 'Neighbor' is capitalized on purpose as he is the neighbor.) Upon his return I inquired as to how it all went. Below is my favorite part of the story.

I have to walk her down an aisle that is only from here to there. Well, I start crying so much that I can't see through my glasses. When I finally am able to see again I look around & everyone else is staring at us, balling & blubbering too. Then as we're walking my daughter says to me, "Dad, what do we do with our gum?"

That is a perfect life moment.