A Typical Saturday Night in April

The mailman delivered good news in the last two days-child #1 was accepted in the National Honor Society, (NHS), and child #2 was awarded a Presidential Academic Excellence award. Top that off with one of my duets being chosen for the 3 year Federation Festival Bulletin and it became apparent that we needed a steak dinner celebration!

One of our family treats is steak on the grill with sauteed mushrooms, and I made a special trip to the store last night to get just that. The weather in Minnesota has been an amazing, unseasonably warm 65 degrees Fahrenheit (19 C), sunny and gorgeous, so off went the cover of the grill, out came the deck furniture, and pop went the cork on a delightful red.

Everyone in the neighborhood seemed to have similar summer thoughts; the smell of charcoal briquettes and garlic wafted through the cul de sac. Children played in the park, training wheels came off a big boy bike. Men with rakes leaned on them, talking to each other, catching up on news big and small. One found a job, one lost a job, one was dealing with a new Parkinson's diagnosis, another's Dad died last week. What did you decide about a sprinkler system? When are you going fishing again? The rhythm of voices down the road made the sun seem brighter.

The menu filled out with cantelope and fresh strawberries, green beans and a decadent chocolate cake. I adore intimate family time like this, the "nothing special which makes it so special" time. I gaze around the table and know that this moment is precious, real, and fleeting. We talk comfortably about trivial things, pass the fruit, and jointly load the dishwasher. The kids went on a bike ride and Wolfy and I took a walk.

It was the dusky time of day when ducks settle on the pond, squirrel nests become quieter, and many fire pits get poked into emitting a primitive glow. This is "Thy Kingdom Come" right now, right here, like a golden brown marshmallow on a stick. Savor it immediately, in all its messy, gooey glory, before it cools or falls to the ground.