Gold Star

That's my guess for the English translation of Stella d'Oro.  The little lily that could popped open another flower today.

I woke up this morning determined to eliminate some of those spatulas downstairs.  When I poured them out onto the table I realized that about half of them had something written on them so I made the decision to keep those and let the rest of them go.  It wasn't very painful and I felt like I'd honored Durwood and still got rid of things that I'll never use.

For supper I ate my entire potato harvest.  Even those potatoes had nibbles on them but nothing like the complete coverage of the other four.  I was able to carve off the nibbled parts and have clear potato flesh.  So I tossed them into the microwave, zapped them, sliced them, buttered them, and gobbled them up.  They were delicious.

The sedum flowers are beginning to turn from pale green to pink.  The flowers stay a long time.

I finished the Seaman's Church Institute cowl this afternoon.  I wish I had stopped before the turquoise yarn or kept knitting until it went all the way around.  Oh well, too late now.  But I did drop that should-have-been-knit-instead-of-purl stitch down and hooked it back up so there are no boo boos visible on the outside.  The inside, maybe, but not on the outside.

05 September--Barbara Malcolm, Better Than Mom's. 

In the silence that followed Fay's leaving, the buzzing of the lights over their heads was very loud.  Brady reached across the counter and put one of his hands on top of Naomi’s hand.  “I am glad you stayed, Naomi.”

Naomi looked down at Brady’s work-roughened hand covering her chapped one. 

“Why are you glad I stayed?” she asked, eager but afraid at the same time. 

Brady took a deep breath and his fingers moved on her hand.  “I have been, well, I have been thinking about maybe asking you if you would like to go out for a drink or something to eat some evening.  You know, after the supper rush is over.”  He let out his breath like he had just run around the block. 

To buy time, Naomi said, “You mean you would eat someone else’s cooking?  I thought you only ate at Better Than Mom’s.  Heck, Brady, I thought you lived here.”  She smiled when she spoke so he would know that she was teasing him.

 He smiled too.  “Sometimes I feel like I live here.  Before I was smart enough to hire you, I was here so much I thought about putting a cot in the office and just bedding down back here.”  He scratched the back of his head and stared at the ceiling over her shoulder.  “I was thinking, though, now that I have a real reliable staff.  Taffy, Marcus, and James do a great job with the supper rush and cleaning up for the morning.  I was thinking that maybe you and me could check out the competition so to speak.” 

“Well, a girl does have to eat, and she does not always want diner food every day.  I think I might be interested in going out for supper with you one day, Brady.”  She realized that he had not looked her in the eyes once during the conversation and she said so.  “Are you afraid of me, Brady?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, I think if a man is asking a woman out on a date, he should maybe look her in the eyes, instead of being fascinated with the light fixture over her head.” 

He immediately dropped his gaze and his blue eyes lasered into hers.  “I am sorry, Naomi.  I did not mean to be disrespectful.  It is just that it has been years, decades even, since I asked a lady out.  I was sure if I looked into your beautiful eyes, I would get lost and forget what I was supposed to say.” 

Naomi was charmed by the boyish honesty of his words.  “Well, since you put it like that, I guess I understand.” 

“Are you free on Saturday evening?” he asked.  “It is the slowest supper night and I thought it might be safest to leave Taffy and the boys here alone if it is not too busy.  I can have all the food prepared for the steam table and James is pretty good at grilling burgers and dropping fries, so they should be okay.” 

“I think I might be free on Saturday.  Let me check my calendar to make sure there is nothing going on at school or church.  I will let you know in the morning, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

They sat looking at each other, neither one speaking, their hands warm together on the counter between them for a long time.  Eventually the silence became awkward and they shifted on their stools. 

Brady withdrew his hand and stood.  “Well, um, can I walk you home?” 

Naomi burst out laughing. 

Brady looked offended.  “What is so funny?” 

“For three months I have been walking to the diner all alone before dawn and you never offered to pick me up or escort me; I mean it is only a block so I did not expect it.  And now that we have a date you offer to make sure I get home safe.” 

“So?” 

“So, Brady,” she stood up and walked around the end of the counter and put her hand on his shoulder, “I think it is very considerate and I thank you.  I think I can make it home okay.”  She picked up her purse from the end of the counter, slung it over her shoulder, and leaned over and kissed his cheek.  “I like a chivalrous man.”  She walked out without looking back. 

Today's toss was a box of kitchen gadgets topped off with half of the spatulas.  As I do on almost every day, I wondered why I kept all those gadgets when I have a kitchen full of the stuff already.  Aside from the autographed spatulas, I only kept a meat thermometer and a candy thermometer, just in case.

I took a nice walk around the block this evening.  We've had a string of perfect days--warm and sunny with cool nights--this week.  That makes it easy to motivate myself out for a little stroll.

--Barbara