Letter to My Children: Paddidles, Grilled Cheese, and Reading in the Bath

“Padiddle!”

“Where?”

“The blue truck behind us.”

“Bean, you have padiddle glasses on.”

And she does.

We play the padiddle game while driving - a lot.

At home, it is a total joy to your mother that you are of the age I can share with you two of my most favorite carnal pleasures: Uncle J’s Grilled Cheese and Reading in the Bath. (Clearly, they both deserve capitalization.)

As we dive into summer, I am encouraging the two of you to be in charge of more of your meals - introducing Uncle J’s Grilled Cheese feels like a good motivation.

Take two pieces of bread, melt too much butter on a cast iron pan, dip the bread on both sides onto the butter, place pieces of good cheddar/swiss/gouda (or a mix) in between the two pieces, place another smaller pan on top to press down the bread/cheese, add more butter, flip when brown… one day you two will add oregano and the symphony will be complete.

Crispy warm bread, unctuous butter, warm gooey cheese - sigh. What a treat.

As for Reading in the Bath - honestly, summer heat is not always conducive for such - but there are rainy days when it is amazing. The only issue is paying enough attention so the pages don’t get wet.

Once in my twenties I took a glass of wine, a pint of ice cream, AND a book to the bath with me. Feeding the body in all good ways is important.

These touchstones of physical ballast and love are important for your mother to emphasize as you two are learning/asking about (nowhere near a complete list): pornography/violent video games/school arson/patriarchy/misogyny/microplastics in our groundwater/racial equity/carcinogenic ingredients.

Woof. This world right now.

BOTH AND.