The Sweetest Thing

One large pizza, $11. Two coffees and a dessert, $6. Movie in the Park, free. Listening to a little boy sing, "Proud To Be An American" ... priceless.

My college buddy and good friend, Betsey, came up to Mount Dora to visit and experience a small town Friday night. We watched a little bit of the movie Happy Feet playing on the hill in Donnelly Park with families and couples all snuggled up on their blankets and camp chairs. Our rumbling tummies steered us over to PizzAmore to split a Vesuvio layered with spinach, feta, garlic and EVOO. After chatting it up with the locals at the pizza place we walked another block to have some coffee and dessert up on the balcony of One Flight Up. There we discussed politics, the current state of the economy, what we're hopeful for in 2009.

And then something delightfully spontaneous and touching happened. A little boy walked into the room and said he'd like to sing us all a song and then in a small innocent voice sang Lee Greenwood's Proud To Be An American. Coming from such a young soul, I thought it was very touching.

My friend Betsey popped outside to get a picture of the future American Idol contestant. (Yeah, yeah, that's me peaking through the window.)

It always seems the moments that are unplanned are the sweetest.

--Rachelle