A Melting Pot

Thursday the 22nd, I was the recipient of a great kindness, which allowed me to finally have the FOUDUE experience. I have taken a dip in fondue fountains at parties, but had never been to a fondue restaurant. At a church service auction this year, I saved up all my "money" to bid on a fondue dinner. Unfortunately, it was one of the last items auctioned, so by the time I was outbid, there was not much left to bid on, and I was left empty-handed at the end of the night, which was only slightly disappointing. The giver of the dinner, however, is a friend of mine and she took notice; she was not willing to allow me to give a great service (wich she had been the recipient of the year before), only to have me not join in on the fun. So, to my surprise and ultimate pleasure, she treated to an evening of fondue at The Melting Pot with a handful of others (whom she was not treating). It was not until I saw the menu that I realized what a pricey gift it was--Fondue is expensive! The group was a true "Melting Pot" in-and-of itself, and with all the ruckus we were making, the owner of the restaurant came to sit in at our table. A small, charming and dramatic woman, Helen entertained us for an hour with stories of her family and religion. She was so animated; she would often get up, look all around to make sure no one else was watching, and act out someone's manerisims or other feature of the story she was animating. It was completely hilarious. I was laughing the whole time, though I can see why she was a bit self-conscious--any customers passing by might think her downright crazy! She remind me of some of the river guides I know...here is Helen, as dramatic as possible, kicking up a boot for the camera. She is not one to be forgotten!