Quite A Year

A man sits at a cafe table enjoying a leisurely repast. Entering his fifties, he revels in the knowledge that a new venture has been more stimulating than he could have imagined. He gazes about and winks at a lady writing in a notebook at a nearby table. She gives him a look that has more than a hint of a scoff to it. Turning to his lunch guest, a well dressed Tradly man, he raises his glass to toast the success of the venture. As he savors his Calvados, the man sees a charming young woman dressed in Petunia Pink Lily Pulitzer talking excitedly with her extremely bright and well-mannered daughter at another table while just beyond them an artist and baker takes a break from his exhausting day to share a glass of Bordeaux with a large group of friends while they plot creative bedlam.

A barely warm breeze drifts across the table dappled with shade as the man considers a bite of dessert. He can hear the happy tones of a librarian dressed in cashmere as she talks to another young woman, heading for graduate school, who is on holiday from her demanding humanitarian work in Africa. Profiteroles arrive accompanied by strong black coffee. A gentleman in a heavy tweed jacket strolls into the cafe and takes an open spot at the bar, where he is joined in conversation of the merits of Brooks Brothers by a dapper man with an easy and elegant air about him. At the other end of the bar, a friendly debate occurs between a man from Nashville transplanted to New York and a former bachelor from Hawaii about which Miles Davis album was the most significant. Observing all these marvelous people, the fifty-ish man feels humbled and very fortunate to be in their company. Anticipating a lingering and hefty afternoon, he orders a another Calvados and ponders where he might have dinner. His Tradly companion suggests one of a seemingly endless catalog of perfect restaurants, then rises and strolls off in the company of a beautiful and strikingly tall woman. The man sips his brandy and smiles...

One year ago I took a table in this cyber-cafe to see what, if anything, I would find here. What I found was an amazing current of creativity flowing from other writers in the blogosphere. This current refreshes, inspires and stimulates me artistically every day. I found a diversion from, and a stimulant to, my workday life. And, if I may be so bold, I found many wonderful new friends. Thanks for stopping by day by day. Your visits and comments mean a tremendous amount to me.

I cannot wait to see what is on the menu for the next twelve months. I hope that every one of you comes along for the ride...

P.S. I apologize to all of my blogfriends that I could not work into the narrative. I had to stop and get this posted on time! ML