Day 76: A Beeautiful Dinner

The day was long and hot in the valley. Summer is coming to an end by the looks of the calendar, but the blazing sun was sending the message that she was resisting the change with everything she had.  I admire determination and because of this, I decided to head up to the lake where the air temps are cooler and indulge in a French cuisine I had yet to try… Fondue.

Since the temps were warm, I wore my favorite white dress, a pair of summer sandals; Siri was my guide and off I went up the winding and twisting road to “La Fondue” in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe.  As I drove, I had this gnawing feeling of doubt.  I wondered what it was that Fondue could teach me.  Considering the cost of the meal I was about to indulge in, would it even be worth my time and money?  After having had the experience at Yosemite, it was hard to find the relevance to my Quest that Fondue could possibly provide.  In true fashion, I decided to tuck my worries away, don a smile and just try to enjoy a delightful dinner–even if the mission was simply to indulge.

Siri declared I had arrived and I had to drive around a bit to find a parking spot, but I was eventually successful!  I had a 6pm dinner reservation and I was hungry, curious and a bit nervous as this wasn’t anything I was familiar with.  I had these nagging thoughts about the “complexity” I had created with this experience.  What if I do something wrong?  What if I have not a clue how to fondue?  Yes, those were indeed the thoughts that this shy girl was battling as she exited the car and made her way to the restaurant.

As I approached, I immediately sighed with delight.  There in front of me was the cutest outdoor eating area with white lights strung on a fence that was surrounded by pine trees. The tables were perfectly placed and I entered through a small wooden trellis that led me to another new adventure.  I checked in with the hostess and was immediately seated.

 

As I sat down there I noticed a pine cone next to my foot…a reminder of the beauty of Tahoe.  I ordered a glass of cabernet and felt relaxed as I perused through the menu.  I was indeed hungry as I had saved my appetite for what I hoped would be a most delicious food odyssey.  It only took a moment to look at the menu when I declared in my mind, “There it is!”, and as quickly as that, I had made my selection… “Surf and turf”… Prawns and beef tenderloin with bacon wrapped dates to start.  As I sat and sipped my wine, my salad had arrived and the presentation was perfect and the salad with the light vinaigrette dressing was fresh, sweet and delish.  I began to eat my salad, and I noticed there was a woman setting up an area where it appeared she would perform.  Yes, she pulled out a guitar and readied the microphone and she began to sing.

I finished my salad, held my wine glass and with my back to her as that is the way I was seated, I could hear the melodious sound emanate from my left-hand side.  I immediately was drawn to the sound and reached for my iPhone to record the music being sung.  It was one of my favorite songs and as if scripted by the powers that be, reminded me of why it was I was on this Quest.  I sat ever-so-still and found myself a little overwhelmed at the words I was hearing…

 

May the good Lord be with you, down every road you roam

And may sunshine and happiness surround you when you’re far from home

And may you grow to be proud, dignified and true

And do unto others as you’d have done to you

Be courageous and be brave and in my heart you’ll always stay Forever young    Forever young

May good fortune be with you

May your guiding light be strong

Build a stairway to heaven with a prince or a vagabond

And may you never love in vain and in my heart you will always remain

Forever young   Forever young

-Rod Stewart performed by Ayline

(Below is a rough trimmed audio clip of her rendition of this song.)

ff17

I could only describe her voice as similar to Toni Braxton… it was smooth, and with amazing control, depth and clarity… it was a song I needed to hear.  It reminded me that life is a journey.   We need to enjoy every minute, give what we can, do what is right and be the best we can be.  If we leave a footprint behind of the improvements that we have contributed to this wonderful world, then our spirits have truly been enlightened and perhaps their rays felt by those around us.  Yes, this song reminded me why I am on this Quest…

I wiped away a tear that had formed at this very real awakening I had just experienced and very much needed and…dinner arrived!

There it was, the platter of raw food with the fondue pot to cook the dinner in… The waitress stepped away to get a lighter and I had this moment of concern and hesitation… “Ummm… I have never done this, what exactly am I doing?” I quickly thought.  I was surrounded by others at tables close by and so I took the time to observe exactly what they were doing and hoping I could get it right.  Alas, my waitress arrived and gave me detailed instructions on how to cook the items in front of me.  I had tempura batter for the prawns and multiple dipping sauces.  I expressed my gratitude for her instructions and the moment of truth had arrived.  I dipped the first prawn in the oil and made sure that I cooked it for the allotted time.  I took it out and dipped it in the first sauce and it was indeed delish!  I thought, “I’ve got this!”

As I continued along, I had a visitor that I had not anticipated… a yellow jacket!  He wanted to land on the raw meat.  I was constantly fending him off with my skewer.  I noticed that I was in a sword war with a bee and thought, “How silly is this?”  The waitress came by and noticed my challenge and apologized and ran as soon as the wasp began to buzz her!  I thought, “Great, if the waitress can’t handle this, can I manage an entire meal like this?”  He wasn’t trying to harm me; he just wanted to land on my food.  So, I just continued on savoring every bite of the bacon-wrapped dates and beef tenderloin.  Soon enough, I started to get a little annoyed as there were now 3 wasps and they all felt that my dish was the BEST out of all the diners present for the evening.  The frustration started to overtake my sense of calm and I did not like how I was beginning to feel… and then… as if a special request had been made, Ayline began to sing,

I see trees of green, red roses, too, 

 I see them bloom, for me and you

And I think to myself…  What a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white, The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself… What a wonderful world.

-Louis Armstrong performed by Ayline

 

Perspective…provided by Ayline and “What a wonderful world!” The wasps eventually relented as I had devoured the tasty food I had labored over. And then the music stopped. The singer approached my table and I couldn’t help but extend my appreciation for her sharing her amazing gift with me on this most delightful evening. She appreciated the compliment and I had asked how long she had been singing. She went on to say that she has been singing for 10 years. She said it has always been a passion of hers but that she has a set of twin girls that she puts first in her life. She went on to say that although the road was long and she often wondered whether to continue, she persisted by the inspiration given to her by her children. She said that she once played at flea markets, and today, because of her determination, she has an agent, a CD, and is planning on playing at a large venue in LA. In my mind, I thought “That doesn’t surprise me!” I asked for her card and she gladly shared. I then wished her well, tipped her for sharing her talent, but told her she didn’t need the well wishes, as she is quite talented and I can’t wait to see where the road takes her. She smiled and said how much she appreciated that…

The dinner check came, and with a hefty dollar amount, I couldn’t blink when I filled out the payment receipt because the new perspective alone was priceless. The food was fantastic, the setting was quaint, the wine was superb, the entertainment was one of a kind, the bees…they were just reminders that everything has a pro and a con. We can’t let those pesky critters interfere with our journey, because it is a wonderful world and there is still so much to explore and experience and revel in!!!

Feeling satiated, with a sense of greater understanding, a better perspective and a new appreciation for the bees in the world… Wondering what tomorrow will bring.