Perfect Combinations

Each year at this precise time I am ready.  Ready with a capital "R" and a slew of exclamation points. Oh yeah, I'm over-the-top, chomping-at-the-bit, don't-try-and-hold-me-back kinda ready.  I'm ready to submit my heart, soul and all of my senses to what is referred to in our household as the "delicate dynamic duo."   That's right, we're talking lilacs and morels.

That perfect combination of smell, taste, touch and tender ephemeralness. A match made in heaven that arrives each year at this time for only the shortest number of days. Each appears briefly in its full glory, only to then disappear like a whisper shared between lifelong lovers.  Here ... gone.  Savor them, I remind myself.  Savor them.

I don't have to search far to find the roots of my life-long lilac-morel love affair. The spring season was in my blood from the very beginning as I was born on Mother's Day over half a century ago. Then, when my mom and I came home from the hospital we were greeted with a houseful of lilac bouquets and a heaping platter of freshly cooked morels. My dad made sure I came into this world wrapped in the scents and tastes of the long-standing family obsession for these spring delicacies.

My family's obsession has become my own.  That's why right now I'm drowning in delight as I start my days by arranging armfuls of the heavenly scented lavender clusters in vases of every size and shape. I'm not satisfied until there are bouquets in every room and our little cottage is awash in the sweet smell of lilac loveliness.  

The obsession continues as I head out to hike the nearby south-facing slopes of Idaho's forested mountains to gather those mouthwatering emperors of the mushroom kingdom. The ever elusive morels.  Find none?  Find one?  Find twenty? You just never know.  You have to be willing to look, to search, to seek. To savor what is and accept what isn't.   It's all part of the hunt, the quest, the experience. It's all good. Exquisitely good. 
 
As the last wisps of savoring depart, I bid a heartfelt adieu to the lilacs and morels and remind myself to keep looking forward.  Forward to the next gifts of a new season and yet another once-a-year-happening to celebrate and enjoy.  This event is food for the mind and soul.  A rare and marvelous gift to us all.  And it starts with a thank you to the Friends of Neill Public Library who make it all possible.  Just like the lilac and morel combination that can't be beat, the Friends and Summer Reading are an irresistible combination. There's no time to waste - it's just around the corner!

All of us at Neill Library join the Friends in inviting you and yours to sign up for a summer of fun and lifetime memories.  Summer Reading is for all ages - from babies to centenarians and every one in between.  Be sure to visit our website www.neill-lib.org for all the details. Then, head down to Grand Avenue to be a part of this wonderful annual community program. Treat yourself, encourage your friends, make it a family tradition.  We're ready with a capital "R" and a slew of exclamation points.  We hope you are too!  See you soon and happy reading!

Kathleen Ahern, 

Youth Service Librarian

published in Moscow Pullman Daily News, May 25, 2013.