Tonight we enjoyed our first watermelon of the season with Lynn and her children. In the South, the watermelons are big, sweet, juicy and cheap. Belgian watermelons look more like pregnant peas with stretch marks. The one I picked up at GB cost 5 euros, which is about $6.25. All y'all eating ginormous three dollar watermelons in Virginia count your blessings. 

The good thing about our little round watermelon was that I could carry it easily to the car, and we could eat the whole thing in a sitting. Important since the refrigerator will not accommodate any leftovers.

Mr. A, who is 10 years old, offered to cut the watermelon. After all, he says, he has his Cub Scout whittling chip, earned because he has demonstrated his ability to handle a pocket knife.

I nix that idea, telling him he has not earned his watermelon badge but that if I'm ever serving twigs for dinner, I'll call upon him to slice and serve at the table.  

Mr. A replies, "Fine! Dad can butcher the melon instead."

The melon was slaughtered  sliced at the table and paper plates distributed. The kids were excited, the juice was running down their chins, and soon the laughter was passed around with the napkins.

After two slices of melon,  E-Grrrl announced dramatically. "I can't eat another bite! I filled my dinner hole AND my dessert hole and still I kept on eating."

Her brother, Mr. A, replies "You're not a cow, you know. You dont' have three stomachs."

E-Grrrl starts to laugh and I warn her not to snort or watermelon seeds will come out her nose.

Snorting ensues. The napkin flies up to the face, the eyes turn red and are squeezed shut, but much to our disappointment, watermelon seeds do not come out her nose.

It was almost a perfect evening.

July 27, 2006