Slicing Pineapples

It seems like one of those kitchen duties that should slide by without notice, a thing you do and just move on. The thing is, I love slicing a fresh pineapple, and when I am at that task, you will probably catch me standing there, slicing and chopping, making a huge pineapply mess with a dreamy look on my face and a smile on my lips.
It's the power of smell you see. It's the memories that rise up as I smell that fresh pineapple.

As I slice into the fruit and that scent drifts up and hits my nose, I am transported. I am taken all of the way back to a dark summer night in 2004 and I am in a car. It is dark as pitch and I am with Les, the windows are down and we are cruising about in Hawaii, he's driving. There is soft music playing and we are talking and laughing like we do most anytime that we are together.We are driving up the road and then, suddenly the most delicious scent of pineapples wafts into the car. The air was thick with that sweet, sweet smell. We were driving by a pineapple plantation and it was...amazing. That smell in the night air. My husband there next to me.

I don't even remember what we were talking about. I can make a guess that some of it had to do with the little girl we were waiting to meet- alot of it actually. But I know there were other topics, and silly jokes and a fair smattering of sarcastic commentary.

I love that he has been with me for 17 years- that I can always count on him, that he is the perfect fit for me. Our life has changed so much since that dark night when we smelled the pineapples, but many things are the same. The way I feel for him, how I still like to drive around at night with the music low and air rushing in the windows and talk to him -I don't think those things will ever change.

When I slice a pineapple, I remember just how cool it is to be his wife. And that's why I buy fresh pineapples and go through the trouble of slicing them when no one here really likes to eat them.