“Dumb as old medallions to the thumb”
“Dumb as old medallions to the thumb”—Archibald MacLeish
I was drinking wine with dinner at the apartment of a friend in Spokane. This was almost thirty years ago. We had before us filet mignon and lobster, served with steamed artichoke petals and drawn butter. The wine was likely some pricey local appellation. I recall we enjoyed Arbor Crest’s Muscat Canelli, so I imagine a bottle of it stood between us on the dinner table. We could not really afford such a feast, and that made the occasion all the better for the recklessness of our expenditure. Marki, my host, was an engaging and charming friend, and she shared the anecdotes of her life with an uncanny ability to paint the pictures in words and take me there as she spoke.
The wine glasses were lar
