zucchini

i ate a zucchini today. it was an overwhelming moment...for just a moment.

it was a moment when a smell triggered a flood of memories and feelings.

sometimes it's a cologne that harkens me back to high school and former friends that found it necessary to bathe in a fragrance.

sometimes it's flowers, or a fall rain, or a freshly mowed lawn that instantly transport me back to another time and place.

today...it was a small piece of zucchini. it was a leftover from some shish-kabobs we ate a few nights ago. it was seasoned and grilled. then stored in some foil until today, when i decided to eat it. and something about the way it was grilled and stored, and re-heated via microwave....this smell that was nothing like a zucchini came to me. for just a moment.

it was my grandfather and his pipe. i breathed deeply to savor it for as long as could, but had to chew, where that aroma was replaced with the flavor of the zucchini.

i glanced out the window at my bird feeders. i filled them all this weekend and the pesky squirrels already emptied my biggest one. and it was labor day weekend. a weekend that used to be reserved for celebrating grandfath's birthday. and eating blts with tomatoes fresh from his (and my aunt babs' garden). and cucumber salad (which i never ate, because i hated cucumbers...but babs always made it for grandfath cause he loved it, and she had more home-grown cucs than she knew what to do with). this year, aunt babs had her hip replaced...having a hard time getting to that garden these days. but by next year, it will be easier than it's been in awhile, i'm sure.

it's amazing that one little bite of zucchini could bring about all those thoughts. happy 84th birthday, grandfath. i miss you.