Cheesecake

Once a month the library staff gets together and celebrates either birthdays of staff or a holiday that fall in the month. We take turns providing the eats and the activities, but mostly it affords us an opportunity to chat, catch up on changes, discuss the campus politics, etc. What with an early Easter this year and no birthdays in May, the staff person determining the social activity settled on National Blueberry Cheesecake Day.

Can't say I have ever heard of such a thing, and I would have put it August when the blueberries are ripe. Nonetheless, we were happy to gather in the staff lounge, ooohhing and aaahhhing over the delicious looking confection setting on the table in front of us. It took awhile to get everyone in the room. Some had a tutorial session with a vendor representative, investigating the new interface coming in July. Others had meetings in the Administrative building or were helping patrons find materials. Still others were making rounds, counting warm bodies in the building, noting any facility issues, bringing reshelving materials to the circ desk.

At last we were all together, and the cheesecake was divied up amongst us. I took the first bite. Rich and creamy and smooth, just the right blend of cheese and sour cream with the perfect counterpoint of juicy succulent blueberry. Wow! An oral delight! I savored it slowly, chasing it around in my mouth, swirling it with my tongue, sucking every last ounce of flavor from the velvety substance before allowing myself to swallow. Unbelievable.

As we chatted, I measured time between bites, allowing the last essence to fade from my taste buds before reloading. I have seldom enjoyed a treat more - between the extraordinary quality of the homemade cheesecake and the pleasant conversation, it was an afternoon delight in every sense.

We sat for a long time after every crumb had disappeared, reticent to depart, bathed in the warm afternoon sun, chatting, resting from our labors of the semester, nothing immanent dragging us back to work. At long last, there was simply nothing more to say and we each were called away, tucking the memory safely into the appropriate space in our brains to provide sustenance at some necessary time in the future.

Cheesecake indeed!