Grapes!

Many good things are only good in a specific manner. Example: pudding. Only good cold.

Some are a little more diverse, like milk. It can improve a bowl of cereal or a latte.

But, among good things, there is one that is almost impossible to demean.

I give you, the grape.

Delicious fresh ( as evidenced by the naked stem I now hold). They have a unique texture among fruits, that firm skin that explodes with flavor when you bite down. Yum.

And let us not forget grape juice, nor its prettier cousin, wine. I could write an essay about the symbolic and vibrant complexities of wine, but I'll save that for another day. Suffice it to say, it's a balanced, rich drink that has the added benefit of making one feel a little fancy while they enjoy it.

Now, many things are enjoyable in their youth, but grapes and people are among the few life forms that can grow sweeter when they get dried out and wrinkled. Raisins are the grandmothers of the fruit world and who doesn't love that? They make salads and cookies all the better. Dip them in yogurt, (the raisins, not the grandmas) and it's hard to quit munching.

So, today I am thankful for grapes, for the bottles of wine resting in my wine rack, and for the fruit I'm about to get out of the fridge.