My brother decided to take his girlfriend Diane and me out to dinner yesterday, as to celebrate Mother’s Day. It was a dual tribute, both to Diane who has two daughters, and to our own mother who died last October. Yes, it was a table for four, with one empty seat. Sort of a ‘missing (wo)man formation’.

But dinner was nice. I had eggplant parmigana with some veggies, plus that dubious yam mash on the left side (which would have been much better without butter and milk; just a bit of olive oil and brown sugar could have made it ‘sing’). My brother ordered a promising bottle of Stag’s Leap merlot, as seen on the right. However, this wine had a dry, gravely, tannic feel to it; not at all like the big, rich, fruit-driven Napa Valley libations that I’ve come to love.

But we drank it (and my brother paid too much for it). The day still went well. There’s still something good about being at a table with people, food and drink, even if all three possess their imperfections.