I love the word "chipper." I don't know another word like it. Certainly not in my mother tongue of Farsi. Its different from happy, cheerful or even joyful. It has another tempo, another sound, another energy... And its not everyday that you come across someone that through and through reminds you of that word chipper.
Once a year, we are invited to the home of two of Mr. Urban's law school friends, Steve and Suzanne. If you were to meet Steve today, within minutes you would say that he owns the word chipper.
Steve is a lawyer and he is great at what he does. Which means he must be a very busy guy at work. Furthermore, Steve is married to a successful lawyer. But somehow these two manage to raise two lovely active boys and run a beautiful home which is always being improved upon: one year its the wine cellar, the next the new patio and fire pit, the next a lovely herb garden and a full-on backyard playground....
UrbanToddler learning to use the BigKid Swing |
And this year was the cold smoker, which thanks to it and Steve, we got invited to a Charcuterie party yesterday, where our host had smoked special cheeses and meats which were to die for...
Did I mention that Steve is also a great chef? He makes the best homemade wines, bakes his own bread, cures the most delicious olives with Meyer lemons, and makes homemade sausage that weakens your knees...
Fun for US |
Fun for Her |
When I asked Steve how he was, in the most matter of fact way, he said "Life is great. Work is great and busy. The boys and Suzanne are great. And I get to cook a lot of good food." He talks, and you just want to be him, even if for a moment. He is so sincere and nice and chipper, his face always shining with contentment.
And I am sure it helps to be married to a sweet and lovely woman who encourages his talents and hobbies. As the saying goes "behind every good man is a fantastic woman"...
My only regret is that we missed the cured tuna and desserts :(
ReplyDeleteWow! It's amazing what people will say when you ply them with smoked duck! Thanks for the kudos, Shab!
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