Ah, my favorite kind of winter-weather event: gently-falling snow, both of us home from work, electricity and heat working, and plenty of bread and milk in the house. Today is Martin Luther King, Jr,. Day, as well, so we are grateful for having a paid day off, too. What a perfect afternoon to concoct a cocktail.

I was hoping, all afternoon, that schools would be closed tomorrow. I did get my wish, and even Husband’s employer has declared a snow day due to the expected dangerous road conditions. I am relieved that my loved ones in Tennessee and northern Virginia can work from home tomorrow. Whew! One less worry for this mom.

Yes, snow days can be a treat. Once we are retired, that treat goes away. Hmm, I suppose I will miss that little thrill of getting THAT phone call which announces that schools are closed. Ha, who am I kidding? Once we are retired, every day in January can be a snow day! We can lounge around in fleece sweatshirts and fuzzy slippers and sip hot chocolate whenever we want, and we can keep the alarm clock off for good.

And yet, I have been known to feel guilty for squandering my snow day on lounging around and sipping and sleeping. We will need to draft weekly schedules in retirement so we don’t squander our days away. We are already talking about it. Mop-Up Mondays and Taco Tuesdays have been penciled in, for starters.

Today’s cocktail fits a frosty theme. Here’s my spin on a rosemary lemon martini.

In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 ounces vodka, 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons simple syrup, and a cut up sprig of rosemary. Add several ice cubes and shake very well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with another rosemary sprig and a curl of lemon peel.