Archive for March 17th, 2008

Mar 17 2008

Thinking of You

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My father would have turned 77 today.

He might have gone up to town and visited a gallery, maybe the Tate or the National, or done some research at the University library, or edited his journal, or gone for a walk on Wimbledon Common. He would almost certainly have done some gardening, spring being so near and his garden being so near to his heart.

Whenever I visited him, one of the first things we did was take a tour of the garden, with Dad pointing out the new additions and features (the one I liked best was the little table and chairs set above the goldfish pond which looked over the whole garden toward the house). At breakfast, we’d watch the birds in the garden while we had our toast and coffee and planned the pleasures of the day.

He would also have planned a menu meal, even though he never cared much about his birthday, or about fuss of any kind, especially when it came to himself, but an excuse for a menu meal could not be passed up. So here’s my menu meal for my father’s 77th birthday. It’s still his birthday, and it always will be.

17th March, 2008
Happy Birthday, Dad

Sole with Fennel, Watercress & Grapefruit Salad

Local new asparagus

Guenoc Pinot Grigio 2005

Assorted cheeses

I think he’d like the local aspect of the menu, most of it from farmers’ markets, and he was never one for dessert (or “pudding”, as my stepmother calls it), always preferring cheese, and perhaps just one more drop of port…

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