in which we fiddle while Rome burns

Periodically Himself frets about what might happen if we outlive our resources, physical, financial, mental...  The older work colleagues who mentored him at his First Real Job have been "dropping off the branch" one by one. It's a rare joy to be invited to someone's Great Birthday Celebration and to be in a crowd of lively intrepid people who are Aged and Intact. Not so lovely to pick up the phone and recognize the caller's voice as he stumbles to recall who he was calling and what he wanted to tell you.

I of course deal with Creeping Post-40 Paranoia and its scary relative, Creeping Post-50 Paranoia, by focussing on a lady named Ninon de Lenclos, whom I consider a role model - and if you didn't read the earlier post I just linked to, take a look now and store it away for dreary days.


But it's not easy to avoid glum social and financial predictions as tax time approaches and papers are being shuffled.

So we went out to lunch at Le Bernardin. What else!

I took a few little snaps of some of the lovely things that came to the table:
glamorous table setting
my first course:
beautifully barbered thin slice of tuna
over thinner slice of toast
spread with foie gras
his main course:
(delicious - but description copied off the menu,
I couldn't make this up)

my main:
baked filet of snapper
Baja-style shrimp sauce
roasted green tomatoes
my dessert - per the menu:
and as we left, we observed this Extremely Large Rabbit right next door.

I'm sure he was there when we arrived, but as I said to a guy named Barry a little while ago, you don't want to get between me and food.

10 comments:

  1. What a beautiful lunch to enjoy while having a bit of a fret.

    Eighty five years is indeed over the life expectancy at the time! ( Women had a LE of about 50 at the turn of the 20th century). Yes, we need these inspiring forewomen. Next weekend in CT celebrating Mum's 90th-- we are giving her a new computer.

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    1. I admit, thoughts of taxes and the like vanished with the first sip of wine.

      Congratulations to your Mum! She is hereby added to the list of The Intrepid.

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  2. Okay this is seriously funny! Wait till I tell Barry. Since I do no fish or nuts, I can admire from afar! I feel the need for a good meal soon enough.

    I can't help but wonder about a rabbit on a bell? What does it mean? Where is he going? Things are the things that make me fret.

    My worry about resources are completely related to the environment these days. So a little frivolity is definitely in order!

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    Replies
    1. A recurrent scary thought around here is having to tell grandchildren that just because Himself and I did something in Olden Times doesn't mean it's safe for you to try. And no, there were no cell phones when I was little, but there were a lot of very large trees.

      The artist does this rabbit in many poses, they (artist and rabbit) first came to out attention at an exhibit on the DC Mall. There it was safe to assume he was running from Congress.

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  3. We've been retired for 12 years and we're still going strong, physically, mentally and financially, it can be done.

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  4. Have no fears WFF. My tea date of the other morning thought you were possessed both of fierce magical power and youthful spirit.
    It is a disquieting time. March is stressful to me. So much to do before spring arrives, with no excuses about the weather! And, taxes, tuition, testing. Grand scale planning would send me over the edge now. We have had a terrible spate of early deaths in our neighborhood recently, and a family member by marriage is suffering from dementia. SO sobering.
    Le Bernardin sounds lovely.
    Sorry the dessert was a disappointment. I always steer clear of creamy desserts for that reason. And, I prefer nuts in a crunchy state.
    Thank you for the glimpse into Ninon De Lenclos.
    And from Dorothy, another thought:
    Years are only garments, and you wear them with style all of your life,or else you go dowdy to the grave..
    I so enjoy her.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oooh, goody, a boy toy! give him a hug from me!

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  5. How nice to see a meal presented on something other than boring plain white dinner plates. Even our top restaurants are fond of the platter sized white plate with the tiny, artistically arranged food presented in the middle. Yawn.
    I was out to a dinner on Tuesday night with a dining room full of retired people (it was a talk on antiques - my sister and I were the youngest there by at least 20 years). We scurried off at 10.15 having passed on dessert which was just being served, and they were all kicking up their heels, safe in the knowledge that they would be sleeping in past 6.30 the next morning with a leisurely day ahead. Plus a couple had asked the speaker what would be considered quite rude and forthright questions about where the subject of the talk (an independently wealthy elderly collector who died a couple of years ago and has created a foundation to display his antiquities) got his money from… which didn't seem to perturb anyone due to their advanced age (therefore it could be put down to eccentricity). So I think there are some advantages.

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    1. Oh, as a child I longed to be the elderly (ancient) woman who spoke her mind, answered back, burped at will.... and people would say "Oh, isn't she marvelous! What a strong mind!" instead of "go to your room."

      Come to think of it, I still think it sounds great!

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