Bits of life

A-24 Words-1425

that this year it is going to be an enjoyable event shared by so many of my friends and members of my family. I should thank you for making a beginning when you expressed your wish to join us at Emerald Farm for the event,” said John with a wide grin.
With that merry acknowledgement of thanks to Cathy, the guests, each of them with their own winsome nature, moved to the dining table where a warm and mouth watering dinner waited for them. There were about five courses besides big bowls of salad and fruit produced at the farm.
Everything was spic and span with a white frothy table cloth and napery. Cutlery was arranged in a pretty and eye catching style with the floral glass ware for dinner plates.
After the guests seated themselves Betty and Tom, her husband, brought in the soup course. Cream of chicken with lentils and corn was served in fetching soup bowls. There were appreciative remarks for the well cooked soup. Guests enjoyed it more like an appetizer. Soon after that, Tom brought in the second course. It was poached salmon with Tabasco sauce.

“The fish is our own cultivation. We have clean ponds in which we cultivate edible fish like salmon and prawns and tuna,” informed uncle John. I remember going to the ponds on days required either with Tom or one of the field boys to fetch some fish for home consumption.
“I eat more fish than any other nonvegetarian delicacy,” confessed Elvira much to the joy of John.
“You will have no dearth of it my dear, at the Emerald farm,” responded uncle Rod.
They were all acquainted with Elvira’s dad. They too remember the dinner or lunch parties their father used to throw in honor of the senator, Bradley, her dad.

The third course set the guests to satisfy their hunger born out of a day long activities in the open air under the sky and in the company of nature.
As Betty brought in minced mutton balls cooked with green peas and tiny pieces of cabbage and cauliflower and served with mushroom sauce, the guests couldn’t contain their cheers of pleasure. Food never failed to merit applause and admiration. No wonder the saying goes, “the best way to win a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Food has always been given the first priority among the basic needs of a human being, or for that matter any living creature.
“Oh my God, they are so tasty that I would like to call them a divine dish. Say John, my friend, how about lending Betty to be our guest for just a week” asked Anderson with a smile.
“Feel free to ask her Ryan,” replied John. He knew Betty would never agree to any proposition like that.
The next course looked exotic with various colors displayed on the serving bow.
“What is it Betty?” I asked.
“Master Jim you will love it I can assure you,” she replied. She called it the most attractive and healthy food. It is Roasted duck breast, grapefruit, turnip and pistachio puree.
“This definitely looks like an example of balanced food because it has a fruit, nuts and a lot of proteins,” said, Ashley.
“Bless you dear, you are so right. That was what the instructor at the school of home science was telling me about that combination,” said Betty quite proudly.
We attacked the duck with enthusiasm and it was so soft and juicy that I congratulated Betty on preparing a tremendous dinner. She just blushed looked at someone calling her for some need.

The last course was cheese, or cake, white or dark chocolate. Thank God ice cream didn’t figure on the menu.

Ashley had advised me not to hesitate to eat well on days like this. We should plan to include dinners and lunches containing plenty of carbohydrates and fats when it became inevitable. We had a talk on this sometime back. She advised to include quinoa and maize or corn instead of white bread and potatoes. She said she always went in for a large bowl of salad of mixed vegetables, nuts and greens. It assuaged her hunger to a great extent. Fish should be eaten as often as possible for it was good for the brain and heart too. River fish was advised by some doctors for medical reasons. Sea food they say gave you allergy and some people cannot withstand the foods like barracuda or shark or even lobster.
Lean meat and not red meat was better suited to all because fat content was less in it and protein was more. Every seasonal fruit should be consumed. People look down on water melon and muskmelon saying they did not have much nutritional value. Wrong! They have not less than ten to twenty uses if you look up any food related journal informs us.
So on a day like this we have better chance to eat as much as we want because on other days we control our diet to keep fit.
Twenty to forty minutes of exercise is compulsory for people of any age group. Running and jogging are good but only to a certain extent. Not all can indulge in it. It tires more and takes away energy. Whereas yoga or other western exercises like bending or stretching would prove more in favor of conserving energy and builds up our resistance.
I know I have always been a health buff and the family knew about. But they also knew the value attached to it and follow my way whenever they could.

I didn’t realize that everybody almost finished their deserts and were about to retire saying good night to one another. Considering the busy tomorrow and the tired day out, all of us preferred to go to sleep. It was already ten pm and I could see they were ready for bed.

Jonathan and I were given a room to share. We went up together to our room.
“We had a lovely day today, didn’t we Jim?” asked Johnny.
“That’s right Jonny. I could see you playing and having a lot of fun on the stud farm,” I commented.
“Jim, I wanted to tell you I am going back to school this June. I will request the principal for a test to examine my fitness to join the eleventh grade,” he said.
I was astounded. What a wonderful idea!
“Did you talk to Ashley about it?”
“Yes, we had already talked about it. She had agreed to go with me to the principal of the high school to consult the proposal I am going to put forward,” he said.
Marvelous! He had turned out to be independent, fearless and free in expression. Aunt Sarah’s prayers were answered.
“What about your tuition in the subjects that need to be tested in?” I posed this question rather hesitatingly.
“ I still have four months to prepare. I am going to request our teacher Mr. Latimore to give me some tuition in Math and science. I can read English and social studies by my self.”
Once again I spotted a lot of self confidence in the boy. I was overjoyed.
“ I will come with you Johnny, to Mr. Latimore’s house to talk to him.”
Johnny’s eyes shone with pleasure.
“Oh that will be of great help Jim. But you are so busy always that I hesitated in asking you>”
“not busy to help you Johnny. It is wonderful to know of all the ground work you had already done to help yourself. What I am going to do is just a drop in the ocean.” I admitted.
Jonathan smiled and changed into his night clothes. Then he said “goodnight Jim” and crawled into his bed and fell fast asleep within five minutes of his head touching the pillow.

Then I too changed into pajamas and checked my mail. There were a number of messages regarding my new project and the soft ware I wanted the company to sell at subsidized rates for the women buyers. So there was once again a big rush at the firm seeking for cds containing information on “career choices for women.”
After the success of this project I started planning my next venture. Already I was working on the outline of the project I have been thinking of. Once the project gets completed on the paper I can talk about it to my boss.
My eyes started drooping and so I too hit the bed to sleep like a