Never Assume

Buon giorno, Good Day,

 

Hello to all my new found friends I have met at book signings, events, from my website, and any other places we may have crossed paths.

 

. Just the other day I was going into the Dr.'s office, and someone called out 'cookbook lady',  "I saw you on Show Me St. Louis, and the pasta dish you made looked great". Assuming she made it, I said, "How did you like it"?  She replied, "Oh, I don't cook, I just like to watch the shows". What a gratifying answer!   Just what I wanted to hear.

 

But, I will say, I did indeed find some real cooks at one of my recent book signings.  It was at Left Bank Books.  The very prestigious, old, and quaint bookstore in downtown St. Louis on the corner of McPherson and Euclid. Just to walk into the store gives one a sense of historic pride. Anyway, it was an evening event, and I decided to make some Red Sauce over Penne Pasta, Spiedinis with Peppermint Sauce, and my old favorite, Italian Cream Cake. 

 

 People were gathering in when we got there, and when they saw I had samples, they quickly gathered at the table.  I immediately started filling bowls with my handouts.  When I noticed most of them were women, I again assumed these would be my biggest fans.  However, two stately gentlemen appeared and right off started talking cookbook lingo.  I said, "Do you guys cook?"  "Oh yes, we love to cook, and we want a couple of your cookbooks".  They not only wanted the books, but wanted to know what city or province my grandparents came from, what kind of dishes we cooked during the holidays,was I going to Italy soon, and so on.  Quite interesting, they kept me on my toes the entire evening.

 

It was a lot of fun, being down with the stately ones, the beautiful lamplights outside the windows, and people browsing  round the bookstore eating my Italian food and telling others, the 'cookbook lady'.is here.  I assumed it would be just another book signing, but looking back, it was probably one of the most memorial. 

 

So, never assume; things usually turn out different than you think.  There are a lot of men who do the cooking out there, and thank God for it.

 

This reminds me of the father who taught his three sons how to run the family business.  They all became very rich and famous. But when it came time for the father to die, he gathered his sons and said "I've been generous with you all of my life, but when I die, I want to take all of my money with me. Make sure it is in cash bills, and lay it across my body in the casket.  Soon, the father died, but when he was laid out there was no cash in the casket.  The funeral director, also aware of the father's wishes, asked the boys why they did not honor their father. "Oh, we certaintly did keep his wish, said one of the sons, "Why, just under his pillow there, we wrote a check".

 

So ends the story of assumption.  Never take anything for granted, appreciate every day for what it is and follow the leading of the Good Lord.  You'll never have to assume, He will be a faithful friend.

 

Arrivederci, and Goodbye for now

Rosalie Fiorino Harpole  rosalie.@rosalieservingitalian.