Every now and then I take a bite of something- a gourmet chocolate truffle or a rich raspberry cheesecake, for example- that tastes so perfectly exquisite that I instinctively let a sigh escape from my lips. “Ahhh,” I say with gratification, “That’s the good stuff.” Desserts, like most everything, come in different degrees of excellence and they are easy to compare. I can have a Hershey’s bar any day I want but it doesn’t taste nearly as good as the giant chocolate dipped strawberries that my husband surprised me with for our wedding anniversary. Naturally, we take special satisfaction in the really good stuff.
Experiences in life are similar. There’s the ordinary stuff that you get to enjoy on a regular basis and then there’s the good stuff that only comes along once in a great while. That’s the stuff, those are the experiences, that cause you to release a deep, long sigh of fulfillment. Ahhhh!
I was letting out one of those deep, long sighs on our drive home from Chesterfield Berry Farm on Saturday afternoon. Our day was one of life’s desserts, and not just any dessert but the finest quality kind.
From the start, everything was perfect. (I shouldn’t say that actually. Jamie got car sick and vomited as soon as he got out of the car and then Josie fell and skinned her knee a little later. But the fun from the rest of the day masked those few less-than-perfect instances.) Everyone was in a great mood and, of course, everyone was looking great.
Smiles were plenty as we bounced from the pony rides to the farm animals to the tractor train to the hay pile.
We ventured into the corn maze with James leading the way, map in hand.
Like a ‘J’ train we all chugged along after him- Josie
then Jamie,
then me and Johnny.
Jamie took a few breaks to admire some fallen corn and broken stalks. Josie pretended to be scared as we turned left and right deeper into the maze and James, playing with her, expounded that we might be lost forever and have to make a house out of the corn stalks. Josie’s biggest worry at this point, of course, was that Pudge and Beast were really going to miss us! But we did find our way out of the maze (and made really good time, I might add, especially considering we did it with three small kids) and a nice couple stopped to take our picture as we exited.
We gobbled down some BBQ for lunch and then caught a ride on a covered wagon to the pumpkin patch. The sun was shining bright, making the moment even brighter. The kids rushed into a field full of brilliant orange and green. Everyone picked a pumpkin.
James makes it a point every year to find the most unusual pumpkin to call his own and this year he picked a real winner.
Just for fun we tried to make the kids carry their own pumpkins back to the wagon. It made for some adorable pictures.
But, of course, James and I ended up hauling the load ourselves and the kids clambered back up into the wagon.
We made another stop at the pony rides and at the barrel train and then picked up a bag of cotton candy before calling it a day.
Josie, Jamie, and Johnny all fell fast asleep in the car. As I sat behind the wheel driving us back home, enjoying the quiet of a sleeping car and reminiscing about the wonderful day we’d all shared, I just couldn’t help myself. I sighed. “Ahhh”, I thought, “This is the good stuff.”
Memories like these are life’s chocolate mousses and tiramisus. They are an exquisite treat. And just like when I got a box of hand-picked crème filled truffles from James for my birthday last year, I savor each and every one. I must conclude, however, that this delicious, dessert rich life is making me a little fat. Maybe I’ve had too much of the good stuff….?
Nah. Impossible.
