Tuna Toast

"Life is Good"



I generally think that I have a good life. Except when I forget my camera and must use my awful camera-phone to snap photos.....but I digress. Actually, I know I have a great life. I have a family who I not only love but I also like, the best husband (ok, he's family but I need to mention him separately!) on earth, my dear cat Cory (also family) who meows every time I sneeze as if to say "bless you" in kitty-speak, a job I adore and, of course, lots of great things to eat. Heaven only knows that there are too many people that aren't lucky enough to even have a fraction of those things, and I think I am acutely aware of all that I have.

Aside from that ever-present realization, there are what I like to call "Life Is Good" moments. I'm not talking about those BIG moments like when you get a promotion at work or win a flat-screen TV at your office holiday party (yes, that actually happened!). I'm talking about those little moments when everything lines up in just the right way - maybe you're sitting on the sofa eating a bowl of ice cream, flipping through the channels and you find that Rushmore just started on the American Movie Channel. Or it could be the time that you had a pot of beef stew braising in the oven and your entire house smelled like wine, garlic and meat....and then it started to sprinkle outside and you just thought, "Life is good." Not to wax sentimental, but you know what I'm talking about.

Last night, as I sat in the courtyard at the beautiful Chateau Marmont, sipping a lovely glass of pinot grigio, I thought, "This is nice." The sun was just starting to set and the last rays were softly peeking through the trees onto our table and the surrounding greenery. When the waiter brought over a large, white plate containing three perfectly round, golden brown risotto balls resting on a layer of paper thin prosciutto de parma, I thought, "Life is good."