"It's The Little Things…”
Updated: Oct 2, 2020
“Enjoy the little things because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” – Kurt Vonnegut
Emma has finally closed her eyes (for now). Jax has been down for a good couple hours and my wife for almost as long. We are definitely starting to get used to this two child family and the routines are working. So, it’s time to sit in (relative and most certainly fleeting) silence, partake of an incredible pour and do a little thinking. I did a little grocery shopping today – innocuous enough and not anything to write about on face value, but the location of said shopping sparked this topic for tonight. By the way, if you have yet to try High West Whiskey, run out and grab a bottle, awesome juice. I am a fan of Campfire, but Son of Bourye is definitely growing on me. Anyhoo, tonight I made Italian, a goto for Jodes and I when we can’t decide on something else and for no other reason than we love it. So, when I think making Italian, I think of picking up a bag of pasta at Alesci’s near me. I have been going to Alesci’s since before I can remember, in fact, I grew up a couple of doors down from Sarafina, I think that was how you spell her name. She was a beautiful Italian woman who was incredibly sweet and always had some delicious treats for me. She and her family owned Alesci’s I believe. As I was walking through the aisles today, my mind started to wander to my childhood. Maybe it was the rows of deli meats and cheeses behind the glass, like finely preserved artwork. It could have been the smell of the bread, freshly baked, with that unbelievable crunchy crust. Or maybe it was the rows and rows of products from all over the globe and the variety of shoppers walking the aisles in search of their bounty. All of these things most likely made me think back to the countless times I navigated every inch of that store with my father, picking up this or that for a home cooked meal or supplies for our catering business back in the day. It’s incredible how certain smells can bring you right back to a moment, even if it was 30 years ago or more. The store looks pretty much the same as when I was a boy – the walls covered in old advertisement posters for any number of deli meat or cheese products. That one aisle that had every authentic Italian cooking device I could imagine – including the apron I bought a few years ago that says, “You don’t like’a my cookin’, I break’a you head!” – priceless. My father has been gone for 11 years now and sometimes I get a knot in my stomach because I have to try and remember certain things. But not us and Alesci’s, it’s almost as if going back there, is like going to walk through the aisles of my memories and reconnect with him. I will go there for something I can get at the corner store sometimes, just to have an excuse to visit. In fact, when I was traveling in California and would come home to visit, that was the only store I was make a point to visit. Jax has been with me to Alesci’s a few times already, but he is too young to really appreciate the atmosphere and what it represents. I look forward to the days when I can bring him there and give him the old, “Back in the day when I was your age and Papa brought me here,” stories. I can’t believe Emma is still asleep, maybe she is down for the count and maybe that is my cue to finish my Son of Bourye and try and get some sleep before she lets me know she’s hungry again in a few hours. I think I may have time for some Italian bread and cheese before I close my eyes…