Plus ca change

As I look back on approaching the 66th anniversary of my marriage, I wonder at how many things have stayed ore or less the same, this is particularly true when it comes to diet. I have avoided red meat from birth, largely for technical reasons, while my wife Sheila has slowly changed to a less carniverous taste. Every now and then one or the other of us has deviated sharply from their standard practise, and surprised their partner. Shortly after we were married we were on a field trip with an international group of graduate students, from:India, Pakistan. Turkey, Iraq, and Nigeria, and a couple of Brits. Sheila who was not working on her thesis at the time was dragooned into the role of chief cook for this multinational bunch. and we were paticularly struck by the Nigerian’s taste for marmalade on his breakfast bacon.

I do not know the real reason for this, but in recent years, my wife whose normal lunch consistts of Han and spinach, has started adding jam or marmalade to her cold midday ham. One of our dietary differences is that I am much more of a cheese fan than my wife. On Saturday the farmers market has one stall with a magnificent selection of cheese. Whenever I feel brave enough on Saturday morning, I go to the market for cheese for me, and date squares for my wife. This morning while waiting to pay I noticed something strange among the vast variety of cheeses. It was “sticky toffee cheddar”. When I said that it seemed weird, they offered us both a sample, which much to my surprise seemed edible, and my wife told me to buy some; as a dutiful husband I did so.

At lunch time today my wife enjoyed a ham, marmalade and sticky toffee cheddar sandwich. Who says life is boring?