blank noodles

"in character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity"

---henry wadsworth longfellow

my daughter piper doesn't like red sauce. on anything. she used to, and here is the photographic evidence.

now, having said that, she once got the stomach flu after eating spaghetti, and is convinced that she doesn't like red sauce. moreover, she's convinced it will make her sick.

the actual conversation on the way to school this morning was as follows:

piper: mommy, did you know that when they have spaghetti at school, sometimes you can ask for the red sauce on the side?
me: you can?
piper: yes, and then you can just eat the noodles blank.
me: do you like the blank noodles?
piper: yes, blank noodles are the best.

i am typically a very upbeat and perky person. but there are some days that just going through the motions is exhausting. overwhelming, almost.

there are days that instead of having spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese, blank noodles are best. when the bare minimum is better than extravagance. when we realize that we will muddle through and tomorrow may be the day for sparkles and glitter, but for today, solid colors are better. simplicity rather than complexity.

i enjoy the complex. i enjoy all the patterns in the fabric of life. and i love the flavors of all different sauces on my pasta.

but today is a blank-noodles kind of day.