"Surgical Operation"

People who know me know that I love to use pretty things.

If I set out a plate with a bunch of grapes cascading over the rim, I am the person who will have a pretty pair of silver grape shears to accompany those grapes, so you can cut off a bunch for yourself.

If I serve soft cheeses, I’ll have a pretty spreader to use for the crackers.

Hey—I have them, so I use them.

My brother Eddie always made fun of me because I used nice things, and he knew I like things to look attractive. He’d come into my kitchen and ask if I had any tea: “Do you have any tea? I don’t mean some artsy-fartsy tea, I mean… like Lipton’s?” Eddie’s a no-nonsense kind of guy.

Eddie and his wife Jenn, who live in VA, have an adorable little boy named Graham, (or, as I like to call him, “the Graham Cracker.”)

When Graham was little, he had a game he loved to play with Eddie and Jenn. He’d be visiting here in North Carolina, and he’d lie down on the bed. Then, he’d call his mom and dad, and say, “Can we play ‘Surgical Operation?’”

Surgical Operation was a much-played game which involved his lying down on his back, lifting his pajama top up so his stomach was exposed, and once it was, Jenn or Ed would use their hands to pretend they were making big incisions in his stomach. Then, the other one would bring forth a shoe, hat, glove or cell phone, and say, “Oh, My! Look what was in there!? No wonder you haven’t been feeling very well!” Never failed: it resulted in peals of laughter and smiles.

Hmmmm...wonder if there were any grape shears in there?

(It could happen!)