Perch Dinner

The phone rang.

“Hi Hon.”

I stepped in front of the sliding glass door and scanned the still lake.  He was out there somewhere, fishing. “Hi.  Catching anything?”

“Yeah, I am! I’m having fried perch, oven fries, and cole slaw for dinner tonight!”

As the chef, my forehead wrinkled with a hint of protest; fortunately he couldn’t see. “I was planning to have the pork loin stuffed with spinach and feta I told you about…”  It was supposed to be my gift, a nice meal at the end of his hard work week.

“Figured I’d better let you know.  You haven’t fixed it yet, have you?”

“Well, I cooked the spinach, but no big deal.” 

“Great!  So I’ll see you in a little while – for fish ‘n chips ‘n slaw! Bye!”

I’m grateful I had cabbage and potatoes on hand. I’m even grateful he changed our dinner plans at the last minute.   Mostly, I’m grateful for a beautiful, sunny afternoon, calm water, and half a dozen nice-sized, hungry fish that provided just the right blend of relaxation and excitement for him.

After dinner, he said, “I’m not sure what it is about catching your own dinner out in the wild, and eating it same-day.  It’s just, well….special.” .

My stuffed pork wouldn’t have come close.