Ordering in a restaurant

When I was young, single, foot loose and fancy free, if out on a date I remember ordering carefully in a restaurant, so that I would remain poised and not have to struggle with something on my plate. Spaghetti being a dish I would avoid like the plague, for there is nothing less appealing than having ragout sauce on your chin. The same went for anything containing finely chopped spinach  or tiny poppy seeds that would get stuck in-between my teeth; a most unattractive look! Now all these years later, I find myself once again ordering very carefully in a restaurant but for very different reasons: Parkinson’s! Any meat on a bone or fish that requires careful and precise dissection, or peas that roll off your fork, are immediately dismissed when looking at a menu. Spaghetti is still off my list, but ravioli or gnocchi are easy and I can maintain my dignity at the table. At a function recently, sitting next to my husband, we were served steak with all the trimmings. My husband being in tune with my thoughts immediately cut his steak up into bite size pieces and then without a word or any fuss, we simply swopped plates. Voila, problem solved!