We should have been in church
We would have been in church this Sunday
Except for the Corona Virus
Sunday morning started off well but seemed rather strange since usually we would be in church where Marian taught her two-year olds in Sunday School.
But today was different. Since the spread of the Corona Virus, our church had begun live-streaming its service.
After I freshened up, I shaved, got dressed and ambled into our kitchen. Since Marian is usually thirty minutes or more ahead of me, she was her usual, busy self. On the black glass stovetop sat five large white eggs happily agitating in the two-quart stainless steel pot.
I sidled toward her, starting to prepare my own breakfast of cereal and fruit.
Efficiently, she lifted out the just boiled eggs and set them in the sink to cool. They would eventually go into a glass jar filled with a pickled solution, for future breakfasts.
Marian smiled, “Here, how about I make you a soft-boiled egg?”
“Well,” I hesitated. “OK. That would be nice.”
“It’ll be done in three minutes. Watch the clock. It’ll be 8:42,” she projected.
I noticed the water was still plenty hot but not boiling, so I thought it possibly needed a little extra time.
Pleased to help, she carefully dropped a fresh egg into the water. ”In three minutes, it’ll be perfect,” she resonated in her efficient, Mennonite way.
“OK,” I replied.
While waiting, I popped in a slice of fresh sourdough bread into the shiny toaster, slid out a large saucer plate from the cupboard and watched the time.
At 8:42, I spooned out the hot egg, skittering around on the plate, near the toast. I added a napkin, fork and a butter knife to crack the egg. After putting my steaming coffee on the bamboo tray I quietly shuffled away into my Art & Music Studio to eat my breakfast.
The bright, welcoming sun shone in from my left as I set the tray down. Looking through the south windows I could see a lovely setting of woods and lake. The brilliant sunlight illuminated a painting I created years ago of five swans swimming in a lake under a big rainbow, an image at odds with the blow-up in the kitchen that was about to happen.
Sitting on my cushy chair, it was time to eat my breakfast. The egg was still very hot, but I was finally able to hold it long enough to give it a good wack.
The orange-yellow yolk dripped down over the toast, but the white of the egg was still in its puberty. I twirled the knife around the inside of the shell, releasing the mostly clear, gelatinous egg white.
“Oh, well,” I mused, “at least it’s not hard boiled.” The soft-boiled egg was still tasty in spite of my hesitation.
After breakfast, I brought my dirty dishes back into the kitchen to rinse in the sink.
Marian appeared in the kitchen at the same time wearing a broad smile, knowing she had done a little something to surprise me. “What did you think about the egg?”
“Thank you for making it, but it should have stayed in a little longer. The egg white wasn’t quite done. The water should have been a little hotter and stayed in the pot until 8:43,” I commented.
Wow! Fireworks then erupted.
My wife glared at me menacingly and yelled, “You always (!?!) criticize me.” With that, Gestapo-like she stomped off into the bedroom, closing the door.
“I guess I lit a firecracker,” I mused. The temperature in the house had suddenly dropped to near freezing.
I then too was irritated at her for suddenly yelling at me. After all, I had thanked her for her efforts, and I thought I was just sharing a fact about the egg white with her.
“What shall I do now,” I thought. Perhaps go to the Waffle House (still open) and sip coffee for a while: A lot of effort to do that though. Maybe I’ll just hide in another room for a while until the house warms up a bit.
When conflicts in our marriage arise from either side, I feel better if we talk out our problem to get back as soon as possible to be the loving people we normally are.
After several minutes, I got inspired to try a different tack to restore harmony. “We need to have a way to fix this,” I decided.
So, I took out the non-stick pan from the oven, grabbed two steak knives, facing them in opposing directions. Then I went into the makeup counter in our bathroom and picked out a tube of lipstick, popped off the lid and placed the bright lipstick into the middle of the pan.
Soon afterwards, Marian walked by the kitchen, and I said, “Here, if we’re going to have a duel, you pick the weapon!” She stared uncomprehendingly at this odd display, two knives—and lipstick?
And then she laughed, I laughed too. Smiling and holding the pan with one hand I pulled her toward me, and we hugged.
“Clever idea, Clever,” she said, still smiling.
Point of View
It must have been obvious by line 2 in the story that husband Cliff, not me, wrote this narrative. Mine would have been slightly different. 😉
Point of view matters. Just ask a journalist. One’s viewpoint matters whether it’s witnessing an accident; evaluating local, state, and national news; or, living in close contact with family members. Author Calvin Trillin can give some brilliant examples of such contact as he does in The New Yorker “Daily Shouts & Murmurs” article (April 14, 2020).
Flash in the Pan
Our Sunday morning clash was sharp, contentious, but over quickly, a flash in the pan. According to Wiktionary this expression is idiomatic, “a transient occurrence with no long-term effect.”
Our flash-in-the-pan was likely a consequence of the onset of the Corona virus, a global ghost haunting our daily lives since mid-March. Cliff’s story reflected back to Sunday, March 15, 2020, just two days after the announcement of a pandemic.
Grief and Covid-19
On April 1, author friend, Melodie Davis published a post titled “Stress in relationships stalking us all during quarantine.” In it, she refers to an article in Harvard Business Review about the invasion of the virus into our lives, possibly triggering the stages of grief, at least for some of us. “The discomfort you’re feeling is grief,” claims the author.
It has occurred to me that I had probably hit Stage 2, anger, quickly–just two days after the grief and loss registered in my psyche. Out of the blue, I had become a harridan, but quickly recovered.
Hence, the story!

Happy, frying bacon in the kitchen weeks later
What is your story?
Your comments about mine?
I am glad you overcame your little tiff so quickly, Marian, and I loved the imaginative and artistic solution Cliff came up with. These are trying times indeed for all of us as we are not used to being locked up with anyone for so long, even our loved ones.
Our homes have become prisons and our families our inmates. Let’s just hope this nasty plague will be over soon.
It’s just occurred to me that it might be a good idea for couples who are thinking about marriage to be submitted to this lockdown for a few weeks and, if they survive that, then the marriage is bound to succeed! 😉
I agree, Fatima. I posted a few weeks ago that anyone considering marriage should be sure it is to someone they could live with through a lockdown!
Darlene, I remember reading that comment on your blog. Now, I see several here agree with you. I believe you and Paul could survive the test – ha!
Amen to that!
Like Jill, I’d thought Cliff had gone above and beyond in actually eating the undercooked egg. I was a bit too much “there” in the writing (well done Cliff). My sympathies there. But then, I like hard boiled too.
You are (or were?) solidly in that anger stage and good for you, Marian. We all deserve to get angry. We’ve been wronged. Inept politicians (at best) have made this a much larger scourge than it had to be. We’ve all lost something.
I’m also still chewing on Cliff’s inclusion of your lipstick in his collection of weapons.
Nicely done, both of you.
Janet, I’m well past the anger stage. Remember, this incident happened just two (2) days after my brain registered that we were in a serious global crisis back in March. As a psychotherapist, you understand transference. I believe that I was transferring the anger about an abrupt change in lifestyle to a nearby target, my dear husband. The lipstick, he says, was to symbolize romance, not conflict. 🙂
Spouses make such handy targets, don’t they? I like how Cliff inserted a bit of humor in his approach. No wonder you two have fared so well. Transference, projection, deflection. All good possibilities here. Or, just a short fuse under difficult circumstances. I just like knowing it’s to be expected. (So does Woody).
You know, Joan (Rough) said nearly the same thing: “I can’t imagine any home without such a display during the past month or so.” Thanks for weighing in here again, Janet.
Fatima, you are the first of several to mention a version of lockdown as pre-marital testing. Living in close quarters for an extended period helps the “infatuation” wear off fast and tests the durability of the relationship, for sure.
You mentioned the length of the plague. In the USA, mayors, governors – even the President – mentioned easing of the lockdown as unwinding in stages. Right now, most shops are closed, but the mayor has opened Jacksonville beach for restricted hours, and for exercise, not swimming. But I’m sure some have tested the waters. 🙂
I am not surprised that several people have mentioned the lockdown as a pre-marital test, although children also come into play, adding extra strain to the relationship.
As for the lockdown, I think erring on the side of caution is a better prospect for now. I’d rather wait until we know there in no more danger. We are allowed out once a day for exercise in ones or twos, but not in groups. Only food outlets, car and bike repair shops are open at the moment, but some big supermarkets sell clothes and homeware, so it isn’t too bad.
Fatima, I think mayors and governors around the world are being cautious. Our mayor spoke of opening restaurants in future with 1/4 capacity, with the option to pull back if risk increases. I see most people wearing masks, and doing generous things. Right now we are staying home – high risk, you know because of our age. 🙂
It was great to see Cliff’s story here. It’s humour that gets us through everything, even a lockdown. It seems like you two have got this! We are doing fine here, having a few laughs and playing with the dog. Stay safe!!
Thanks for returning with a comment, making this feel like a real conversation, Darlene. I agree, humour is high on the list of must-haves in marriage. After choosing a mate with good character, laughter is indispensable in keeping the gears turning smoothly.
I’m glad you are doing fine and staying safe!
Aw…you know I love you Marian, but reading this, I felt sorry for poor Cliff standing there with his gelatinous egg white. Talk about pulling off the truly sympathetic POV! Well done, Cliff! I’m glad you two made up because you know I love a happy ending. <3
Jill, as an inspired romance writer, I know you love a happy ending. The whole tiff lasted less than ten minutes, though I didn’t time it! Thanks for registering your POV here too!
Are you sure about that timer? 😉
Not entirely sure. I thing I do know: Boiling hard-boiled eggs with one soft one is a risky business!
As usual, your stories do entertain us and this one is no exception. We too, have been house bound since March 13, and have had our moments but do our best to come up with an apology that usually has one of us laughing our heads off. On occasion, I tend to drop to one knee and ask if she will do me the honor of marrying me – believe it or not – even with all the turmoil that is going on in the world today and our not so often but sometimes happening tiffs, after almost 57 years (May 18 and coming up soon) she always says: “In a heartbeat!” So, I guess I am doing something right. Take care and stay safe and keep your posts coming.
Irwin, you guys are the proof of the pudding. Congratulations after almost 57 years. May you and your wife make it to 60 and beyond.
Cliff and I both enjoyed your story, attesting to the value of humor in preserving steadfast love over time.
Thanks Marilyn and all our best to you and Cliff. Stay safe.
🙂
Good morning, Marian. Clever, very clever post today! ❤️
I’m glad you enjoyed the story, Merril. Now I think I’ll write it from my point of view, which wouldn’t be much different.
Fatima above suggests couples planning marriage should be in lockdown a few weeks to see if they survive that as a couple. I always feel couples should take a long trip together (yes, you can do that and still be chaste), and if you can survive that and still be in love, you have a chance to make it in marriage.
Cliff, you’re a good writer as well as a creative conflict solver. And thanks both of you for sharing a bit of your marriage with us: we all benefit. Blessings and health!
Thanks for the blessings and health, Melodie.
Cliff and I drove from Pennsylvania to Toronto to visit his brother’s family before we got married. (Yes, chaste!) Honestly, I don’t remember any tiffs, but I think we had just gotten engaged, so we viewed each other through a rosy glaze.
Well done Cliff for finding a solution! I love the two knives facing either way and lipstick slap bang in the middle. Lipstick cures everything. A sure fire way I’ve found for eggs being perfectly boiled is to put them into a pot, bring water to boil, switch off, lid on, and when you’re ready after bread being buttered, napkins out etc, they’re ready! (take 3 mins to do tasks). So far (33 days into lockdown) I haven’t taken the frying pan to my husband’s head.
Lovely to have a slice of your life portrayed here! Thank you both 🙂
Susan, I love your point of view, and your forbearance in not taking a pan (especially a hot one) to your husband’s head.
Normally, I follow your “recipe” for perfectly hard-cooked eggs – bring to boil and then remove from heat. My problem: To make a soft-boiled one, I mis-calculated the length of time it would take. (I was making hard-boiled eggs but wanted to pull out one less cooked just for Cliff.) Probably another 45+ seconds would have yielded a good result. However, then I wouldn’t have this story! 🙂
Well, the tiff accomplished one thing, at least, Marian. It got Cliff into blog post writing! My guess is that he will try hard to stay in your good graces and also out of the word-smith business.:-) His great sense of humor and visual imagination are balms to soothe any ruffled feelings, I am sure.
Our stress has been manageable most of the time. Usually, trouble shows up in the form of voice tone. When the other person says, “You seem to be in a sour mood” it’s an invitation to either examine an underlying irritation or to decide it’s time for a walk. We can air almost anything out in the fresh air. Often without words.
Shirley, I can visualize you and Stuart (together or separately) roaming the bucolic meadow behind your house. It’s great to have the safety valve of outdoor “escape” to diffuse hard feelings. I believe folks in an apartment setting would have a tougher time of it, unless there is walking space close by to enjoyl
So glad to hear Cliff’s voice on your blog, Marian! I can certainly relate to the tension and yes it is grief we are all feeling. Within 24 hours of my returning home, Wayne and I were fussing at each other. A little time and distance did the trick. 😊
Kathy, you are making a double adjustment: coming back home to life with Wayne + encountering an altered world. Thanks for sharing your own vulnerability. It’s hard to be human sometimes – ha!
What a great post! Love the two points of view! Nice to see Cliff here. So interesting that things like eggs are getting to us now that we’re at home. Yes, this is definitely grief. We manage the best we can by the grace of God!
“By the grace of God” is the key ingredient, Linda Marie.
Your blog post this morning was so heart-warming, listing the many ways your friends expressed their love on your birthday. May you remain safe and content until we can leave our cocoons with less risk. 🙂
Nice story
Thanks for reading and commenting, Fiona!
Good morning, what a cute post. So funny. Yes, we over achievers in the aim to serve our husbands hate when they tell us something negative of our food, especially me.
Early in our marriage I waited two days of serving the table for dinner for my husband to say Wow, honey that meal was so delicious or however he would have worded it. On the third day I stood over him and yelled at him and said, “If your going to eat and not compliment me on the dinner, you’re going to start making your own food for the rest of our lives!” I should have put that in our wedding vows. He was shocked and started laughing. Which made me even madder. He said I’m sorry I thought me eating with great desire and having seconds – you knew I loved it. I said No! you have to tell me with words just like you have to tell me everyday you love me. Then we started laughing.
Now with this lock down we feel like newly weds because we’re by ourselves. When we married I had four children. So we’re loving our time in this old age. Although he still goes out to work. Marriage is such a blessing 32 years later.
Gloria
Your story gave me a chuckle, so clever and honest. Yes, husbands and wives have different expectations – and points of view. Thanks, Gloria!
Marian — Oh, how fun to read Cliff’s point of view (great blog post), and the supporting photos are terrific! Because Len and I live in such tight quarters (500 square feet), our daily walks (many together, just as many apart) help to keep emotions on an even keel. I wouldn’t have been as brave as Cliff to eat the “mostly clear, gelatinous egg white.” Instead, I’d have slipped the works to Willa, and Len would have been none the wiser.
Laurie, you are to be applauded on reaching 6 miles per day, a fact I learned on yesterday’s blog post. I’m sure your daily airings diffuse negativity and replaces it with those feel-good endorphins.
By the way, we don’t have a pet, and Cliff was obviously hungry, so he ingested the not-quite-done egg. I may not have known about the less-than-perfect results if I hadn’t asked.
Andrew and I laughed so hard at your story. We could hear Cliff’s voice as he wrote.
The funniest story during our quarantine involves our sons. They have turned into our “parents”. I’ve even started calling Brian “Daddy”. I have asthma, so they have given us strict orders to stay home. Andrew had been golfing ( keeping his distance) and fishing. Brian sent a picture of a women in a cage with the caption, “When your parents keep trying to leave the house!”. He said he had ordered two of them from Amazon.
You have the advantage (over other commenters) of knowing Cliff personally. He hates conflict, and will do anything to avoid it; I don’t mind stewing for a few minutes longer – ha!
Our children have a similar reaction to yours. They stay far away and urge us to do the same. Crista offered to go grocery shopping, but that is my get away 2-3 times a week, so I have declined. By the numbers, we know we are in the “elderly” category, but we seem to have good health, though we are into hand-washing big time and wearing masks (me). Your boys wouldn’t fuss so much if they didn’t care. 🙂
Always like to hear from The Rev. What a fun way to solve a conflict. He is clever indeed!
Carolyn, like Bonnie above, you can probably hear Cliff’s “voice” too in the story. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
For the most part my husband has been 800 miles away, working [usually remotely] for his job, and counting down his days to retirement. He had set 9 April as the date but came up here for 3 weeks to self quarantine. Shame on me, I was so glad to see him leave last week. He reset retirement to 7 May [yikes! a week away!], and will return here.
He has the garage as “it’s my space”, and I have the second bedroom for projects. Keeping busy with our own interests is critical. Finding nuggets of our new lifestyle is an adventure.
Ginger, it’s so good to see you here again with a follow-up to your continuing story of marital adjustment. I don’t think it’s shameful to be glad to see your husband leave. You have been used to a different rhythm to your life, so the shift is painful.
You have already carved out different “spaces” to claim as your own, a very good thing. And, you are reckoning with your feelings, not trying to stifle them, which will likely lead to a new “normal” when hubby comes back if you both share your hopes and expectations. Best wishes!
Marian, we were both single for a long time, and lived on our own. We only moved under the same roof 3 months after marrying 2 years ago. For the last eight+ months, we have lived mostly apart, as he continued to work and I moved to our retirement property. Conversations, some painful, many thoughtful, are fortunately a part of our interaction, so I can aim for continued learning!
As long as the conversation continues, even with hiccups, you will land in a good place – and like us, expect “continued learning”!
Your point of view story made me think of times when I was teaching and two students would be angry with one another following recess. I often brought the two children back together (perhaps before they went out before the next recess) to have them listen to each other’s point of view. It was an important learning experience for them, and I often found that both students could have handled the situation better. One of the key elements to making it work was having a break to allow temperatures to cool.
Welcome to the conversation, Pete. So you are a teacher too, and a wise one, based on your using a teachable moment to impart a life lesson. Those children will never forget how you handled the conflict – allowing a cooling off time and making space for them to reckon with an opposing point of view.
Thanks for reading and commenting here, so appreciated!
I enjoyed this story… especially the fact that your tiff erupted over such a small thing. Relationships DO pivot on such tiny moments, and I love hearing that I’m not the only one to let small things bother me.
Luci, it’s generally a small thing – and it’s not really the small thing – that stirs the pot. In my case, the distress over not pleasing my husband was the focus of my ire at first, but I realized later I was grieving the huge changes that I must have known (consciously or unconsciously) were coming down the pike for both of us.
Blessings to you and Ivan as you enjoy each other in your first year, resolving conflicts, big and little, along the way. 🙂
Oh, I love it, Marian. I can’t imagine any home without such a display during the past month or so. Wherever we are we’ll be hit by grief, anger, and finally acceptance. It’s the ability to laugh about it afterwards that helps us stay in love with life and one another.
Joan, I can’t think of a better story summary than the one you just posted here. We have to go with the flow, the flow going in a direction we’ve never been before. Thanks for weighing in with your wise words. 🙂
Marian, that story could have been us! Thanks for being transparent about your relationship! Hardy is a perfectionist, and I’m sensitive. This was difficult to deal with at the beginning of our marriage, but for the most part we’ve worked it out and get along. But at times when there is a crisis we tend to forget about our coping skills!
Yes, Elfrieda, we sometimes “tend to forget about our coping skills!” And sometimes mild venting in a stable marriage helps clear the air. Or so I say.
Your comment reminds me too that opposites attract. That can be a good thing if you both have similar values. But I’m not telling you anything you haven’t experienced in your own relationship. Thanks for enlightening us with your comment! 🙂
Lovely story, with happy ending. Thank you, Cliff and Marian! Bob, my partner, has the same sense of humor as Cliff. Question: what is the pickling solution you use for hard boiled eggs pls?
Jack, just red beet juice. If you open a can of red beets and drain off the liquid, you’ll have the solution you need to soak the boiled eggs in (undiluted). After a few hours, they should look like this: https://marianbeaman.com/2014/04/30/7-things-i-do-that-remind-me-of-home/
Thanks for asking! 🙂
Lipsticks at dawn! Fun story. You are married to a clever man, and a good writer.
Thanks, I’ll share this with Cliff. He’ll enjoy the compliment, Arlene!
Wow, Cliff is a great writer, too! And what a sense of humor! Wonderful read with a good lesson. Don’t you hate it sometimes when they make us laugh when we are angry?! 🙂
Lorrie, I’ve had time to read your email message including Harry’s super “red-beet egg” story. Sometimes I don’t like a quick reconciliation, but this time I didn’t mind because it was SO creative. After all, who plants steak knives and a lipstick on a pan so early in the morning.
Please let Harry know I enjoyed his story. 🙂
Wow…what an inventive husband you have , Marian..I loved reading this and the comments from beginning to end and what a star there is no way I could have eaten that egg it would have definitely gone into the dog.My prefernce is eggs done your way…Stay well and safe 🙂 xx
Carol, Cook Extraordinaire, thanks for your comment and for reading all the others too. Dogs who eat eggs wear glossy fur coats, so I’ve been told. Ha! 😀
As a woman whose husband died in 2008, I’m amazed by how much I’m in inner conversation with him still (after a 42 year relationship, I can figure out what he’d say) and how much he shows up in my dreams. So my psyche continues creating stories from his point of view after nearly 12 years. (It’s also wonderful if you find your partner’s point of view clever, funny, and/or wise.)
I’ve always believed that learning to argue without doing irreparable damage is an essential skill in a marriage or any long-term relationship. If you can’t argue without drawing blood, the marriage won’t make it because sooner or later someone will get irritated and pop off. Another skill is forgiveness and that sense of humor again. Anger is one way to self-protect from the tension and fear in our country right now. I’ve also written from Vic’s point of view a few times and recently wrote a piece with my grandfather as narrator. You inspire me to share that soon.
My dogs enjoy a hard boiled egg every day, shell included as my vet suggests. They love and digest the whole thing.
Elaine, I found myself nodding “Yes” all the way through your comment here. Vic is your soul mate, so I find it natural that you continue to have conversations with him. A piece with your grandfather as narrator? – I look forward to it.
Actually, Cliff wrote the original draft and I edited it, adding a dab of suspense: ‘”a painting with five swans swimming in a lake under a big rainbow, an image at odds with the blow-up in the kitchen that was about to happen.” I think I will write the story from my POV and submit it to ________?_______. It would round out the exercise, don’t you think?
As to your doggie’s diet: Eating a whole egg would provide both protein AND calcium (in the shell). It’s always good to hear from you! 🙂
I’m sure I’d never be able to fall out with your husband he has such a lovable nature . 😊
I tend to be the firecracker in mine and Colin’s relationships but since lockdown we’ve been fine . It takes a tiny spark to start me off and that spark is usually our son ,and would you believe, he can still do it on FaceTime and then he goes and has a fine and lovely life leaving his dad and myself at one another’s throats . Till we stop realise who started the fire 🙄 . Sometimes we all have to let off steam it’s only natural. This is a surreal situation and I think we all need a slap on the back for doing our bit and if we have to yell occasionally, so be it .
Cherryx
Cherry, I’ll give you a pat on the back for doing your bit – and more.
Yes, these are hard times and humour goes a long, long way in paving the way for a happy life. I will be sure to let Cliff read your comment. He’ll giggle and coo! 🙂
Actually, as you read between the lines, it really wasn’t about the eggs, but somehow I got tangled up in the emotions of impending gloom that the Corona Virus put upon us, my best guess.
I guess you’ll have to tell your son to ease up a bit – ha! Love and virtual hugs this morning, my dear! ((( )))
Marian, I love what Cliff wrote, and how he defused the situation. You two have a lovely and loving relationship. I was surprised that you lost your temper; it’s difficult to imagine! How wonderful that Cliff quickly came up with a plan. I have a tendency to stew when I get angry; that doesn’t help anything. Best to just get it out there and move forward. You and Cliff are a wonderful couple, and I am happy for you. Loving relationships make the world a better place.
Victoria, thank you for weighing in with your thoughts. I guess I’ve mellowed over time, but I have always been the strong-willed child, the fiery one in the family. Cliff is a great counter-balance, but let me tell you, he is NO push-over. Again, thanks!
By the way, how is that hand doing? 🙂
Cliff is a wonderful storyteller, and no doubt, a good husband. I like the way he handled it. Me, I would just laugh. I have a knack for breaking yolks. I make hub breakfast and ‘broke another one’ and we laugh. Once in awhile there’s a good one on the plate, lol 🙂
Laughter is good for the soul – and, in your case, your marriage.Your comment reminded me of reading your love story “Twenty Years After I Do.” Happy marriages are rare – and, as you well know, take work. Thanks for the chuckle too, Debby!
That’s why I let husby do all the cooking and I rarely say anything other than “Excellent–best ever!”
Ha – ha! Too funny, Jacqui! 😀
Great story, Cliff! You sure are patient and have a great sense of humor! I’d have commented from the get-go that a soft boiled egg needs much more cooking than three minutes! 🙂
I didn’t know you taught two-year-olds at Sunday school, Marian. I remember seeing Waffle House still open in Florida while other restaurants only allowed pick-up and take-out.
I hope you’re both doing well. This Coronavirus is causing long-term effects and testing everyone’s patience. I’m glad this “argument” was settled quickly. I wish my husband had Cliff’s sense of humor.
Since we’re used to being together 24/7 (in small spaces), our relationship remains unchanged during this pandemic. On Sundays, we always cook a nice egg or pancake breakfast and we always eat together.
Cliff is an artist, which means he may be more in touch with his feminine side than most men, especially more so than those with a scientific bent – not disparaging to either sort, just an observation. About the egg to be soft boiled: It was already into the boil before I set a time. But you are right, it takes longer than 3 minutes.
Living in small spaces requires a certain amount of forbearance, and you and Mark have done it for a very long time. After all, you mentioned, ” On Sundays, we always cook a nice egg or pancake breakfast and we always eat together.” Rituals are good for a marriage. Best wishes as you continue to prepare for the re-opening of the “world” as you know it and a new “normal,” whatever that may be! ((( )))
I enjoyed this post Marian, you had a lot to share. The argument immediately brought me to my own dinner table, but in reverse, when my husband has made dinner and I have to be verrrry careful in my assessment haha. It’s usually just fine, but occasionally….:) And your comments about point-of view are spot-on. I definitely want to follow-up on Trillin. And you wrote this just as Covid was beginning. What a horrible time that was, and to feel it ticking backwards again. It has taken a huge emotional toll.
I’m overjoyed to see you here, Melanie. Misunderstandings, especially in marriage, are a universal theme. I too hate to see our planet ticking backward. I guess we have to keep moving forward nonetheless.
Thanks for reading and commenting! 🙂