Marriage is Full of Surprises

Last winter, I learned something new about my husband of whazzitnow?--14 years?  Turns out he likes stroganoff.

Hmmm.  Who knew?

I don't make it (or anything, really) all that often.  Being a quasi-terrible, semi-literate cook, I stick to the basics.  Bag of salad, peach cobbler, lowfat turkey meatballs....

Bryan hates all forms of casseroles.  He didn't like them growing up, so we don't have them at home.  Since I never had them growing up, I love them.  If I want one, I make them when he's travelling for business.  When I cook, I cook enough for a mid-sized city soup kitchen.  Last fall, I made about seven gallons of stroganoff and froze 4,592 plasticware pints of it.  When he got back from India, Bryan heated one, ate it and proclaimed it "not hazardous to human health" or some similar accolade.  Sweet victory!

Here in France, the suprises abound.  The most interesting was that he likes the Art Nouveau style of architecture--particularly in furniture.  I would not have guessed that.  Usually I'm pretty good at guessing the design styles, features and elements he'll like and dislike.  I run about 85% on clothes choices for men, 40% for women (we're all blind to our faults, aren't we?).  Note: Bryan has a degree in Industrial Design, so form, style, color, texture and the like are really important to him.  Particularly in day-to-day objects.  Picking out silverware, table linens and furniture is a nightmare.  It's a good thing I have no taste in decor and few strong opinions on the matter.

Back to the Art Nouveau.  I figured the curved fussiness wouldn't appeal to his spare, Scandanavian-style loving, design-minded self.  I was wrong.  It turns out the artistry of those pieces really speaks to him.  It was fun to discover this and walk through Orsay's furniture displays in mutual, "Oh, wow, look at that," bliss.  We both had a similar reaction walking through the Second Empire style Opera Garnier.

I'm grateful to France for giving me that gift.  I love that I'm learning new things about my husband.  Back home, in the daily grind of our U.S. lives, we don't get to do that often.  Time to get out, explore and discuss.  Tomorrow's agenda: buying linens at BHV.  It's reputed to be the Target of France.

Wish me luck!