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.

Enjoyed: Sunday, December 31, 2023

Listed on the menu: No, no drink menu here, but undoubtedly the bartenders can create any classic cocktail to accompany the classic dishes on the menu.

Ingredients: Well bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, muddled cherry, muddled orange slice. And lots of ice. Had it not been a super-busy evening, I would have asked our waiter for more specifics about the ingredients.

The occasion: This was New Year’s Eve! We suggested a “classic Charlottesville” evening out to our dear friends, and we discovered that most of us hadn’t been to the Aberdeen Barn (self-proclaimed as a “big-time steakhouse”) in many years. One of our group remembers eating here when he came for his job interview at UVA. My husband remembers taking me out to a celebratory dinner here when we learned that baby number one was on the way. It was high time to re-visit this local institution (family owned and operated since 1965!), and we all had a lovely meal to ring out the old year.

My rating: *** out of 5. Although the glass was overloaded with ice, I could tell that the bartender was not skimpy with the bourbon. The drink was also less sweet than I expected. This was a “man’s drink” for certain, one that would have met with approval from my parents’ generation. No frou-frou drinks for wimps here, no sir! If that steak won’t put hair on your chest, this cocktail will–especially if you drink most of it before the ice starts to melt. (I did.)

Final thoughts: Even though every table was occupied when we arrived for the last seating of the evening, the quality of the food and of the service was great. And our dinner companions made the evening even more memorable. Happy New Year to all!

1. The Kroger-brand flour, versus a name brand.
2. The low-pressure weather system hovering over the East Coast.
3. The dryness in the house, despite the drizzle outside.
4. The traditional Polish Christmas carols playing in the background reminded me of my late father singing in the church choir, so I was too sad to focus.
5. After I switched to more modern Polish Christmas songs from a Spotify playlist, I was distracted by trying to understand the lyrics.
6. My daughter, with the gifted hands of someone who actually completed a college major in sculpture, was not there to help. (She’s way better at this than I am–does pierogi talent skip a generation?)
7. This is the first Christmas since my mom passed away, so I was too sad to focus. Or maybe, since I wasn’t using Mama’s recipe per se, she was haunting me by putting a curse on the dough.
8. I failed to have a shot of vodka before starting this whole damn thing.

Enjoyed: Friday, December 8, 2023

Listed on the menu: No, the menu had mostly “beach” type drinks, but bartender had a decent selection of bourbon and was happy to make me happy.

Ingredients: Woodford Reserve bourbon, simple syrup, angostura bitters, cherry, orange piece.

The occasion: Every December for the past several years, I plan a long weekend trip to put Husband and me in the mood for the upcoming holidays. This year I chose the Northern Neck of Virginia, and specifically the Kilmarnock area. We booked a festive yet cozy bed-and-breakfast for two nights. I found lovely activities for us, too: seafood restaurants; two wineries; an “illuminated” parade of boats and nautical-themed floats; a walk along the sandy shores of the Chesapeake Bay; a fishing museum; and a concert of Cajun holiday music by Beausoleil. Oh, and I finished my Christmas shopping.

My rating: *** out of 5. The Woodford is always tasty, but I would have preferred a touch more of simple syrup, which I could barely discern. Our affable bartender/part-time fisherman told me several times over that he would be tending bar in the main dining area later that night, where he had a few special simple syrups, and he suggested we return. I think he wanted to impress me, but the choices were limited since it was lunchtime. By dinnertime, however, the sun would already have been down, so depriving us of all the gorgeous views of the coves.

Final thoughts: Kilmarnock is a cute little town but full of retirees, we discovered. There are plenty of places to fish, golf, walk on a beach, sip wine, and eat seafood. We liked the quiet pace, but we won’t be moving there since so many businesses close for the winter, real estate prices are now through the roof, and the nearest big hospital is over an hour’s drive away. These are valid concerns for us! Happily, these Rappahannock River communities ship their amazing oysters all over the state, so we can easily re-live our memories.

Our daughter is the brave, bold woman that I once thought I was. She turned thirty a few weeks ago, and after much introspection, she quit her job in the hard cider industry–a career she had not foreseen but that flourished over the past eight years or so. That career took her across the country, to Washington State. But she told her dad and me that she felt she had not much more room for growth in the current job, and she wanted to try something new, something she felt passionate about, while she still had minimal personal and financial responsibilities. Of course, as her near-to-retirement parents, we are thinking pragmatically. “Will she be able to continue to fund her IRA? Will she have health insurance? Will she ever have enough money for a down payment on a house?” And then I hear her grandmother’s voice, “Will she ever move back to Virginia so that she can take care of you in your old age?”

Even as I write this, I am watching her flight progress across America on the airline’s website. Tonight, she arrives in Indianapolis to hang out with her aunt and uncle, and tomorrow she begins her new job, which initially will involve several weeks of travel throughout the USA and Canada. The details about this new job are her story to tell, so I won’t be saying more, for now. At her age, I was a wife of four years, a stay-at-home mom to a toddler, and a co-signer on a mortgage. I think the thirty-year-old me would be baffled at Daughter’s decisions, but also secretly jealous of her adventures-to-come. The sixty-plus-year-old me is somewhat envious of her adventures-to-come, but not at all baffled that the strong woman we know and love is making a life change.

Above all else, we are proud of Baby Girl, and we always keep her oh-so-close in our hearts.

Today’s cocktail is a combination I tried for the first time, and I liked it. This was also a great way to use the soft kiwis I found in the back of the refrigerator. In a blender, puree 2 peeled kiwis with 1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice, 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup, and 1 1/2 ounces gin. Strain, if desired. (I like the crunchy texture of kiwi seeds so I didn’t strain it.) Pour into a glass and top with 4 to 6 ounces of chilled watermelon-flavored sparkling water. Stir gently, so some bubbles remain.

Today would have been my mother’s 98th birthday. We lost her–well, we lost her physical presence with us here on Earth but I still hear her voice in my head every day–in April of this year. My sister and I were convinced that Mama was stubborn enough to hold on until her 100th birthday, but Mama was tired.

I’ve been thinking about her longevity, and wondering if I could be happy with thirty-plus years of being retired. If my health and my money last, maybe I could be. And I should probably re-evaluate some of my current life-style choices, like eating too much ice cream and having too many cocktails.

Mama rarely drank alcohol, but when she did, she liked sweet cordials and fruity wines. She also enjoyed meads made in Poland (known as miód pitny, “honey drinkable” in direct translation) which would come in glazed brown ceramic karafes that she would save to decorate the kitchen.

Today’s cocktail, therefore, uses spiced mead made locally (Black Heath Meadery in Richmond), since I wouldn’t know where to find the Polish product. In the prettiest glass you have, combine 1 teaspoon honey with 1 ounce rye whiskey. Stir until honey is mostly dissolved. Add 2 1/2 ounces of spiced mead, stir gently, and garnish with a lemon slice and maybe a chunk of candied ginger. No ice is needed, because it’s almost winter and cold drinks will give you a chill that may get you sick, as Mama would say.

I asked my children to write a few words about my mom, and this is part of what my daughter wrote: “Between our connection of art and your influence on our Polish culture, you helped shape me into the woman I am today, and I am forever grateful for that. Your presence will never be forgotten, and I’m proud to have called you my grandmother. May you live in eternal peace! Love you so much!” Perfect. Happy Birthday, Mama.

Today is our 35th wedding anniversary. We celebrated last night with these drinks, and then today with an elegant (and delicious) brunch at The Farmhouse at Veritas, one of our favorite wineries, in the beautiful mountains of Nelson County, Virginia. I lost track of how many flutes of sparkling wine I drank, and happily, Dear Husband knows my weakness and agreed to be Designated Driver. The sun was shining and the fall colors were glorious! We made wonderful memories to add to our ever-growing list.

I am sentimental, so I pay attention to special anniversaries. Twenty-five is silver, thirty is pearl, and thirty-five is coral. (I had to look up that one, admittedly.) I searched for a coral-colored cocktail for this weekend, and voila! The strawberries provided the color I wanted.

I added our “bride and groom bears” to the photo, since they were the decoration on top of our wedding cake. Our running joke is that our moms bonded over their mutual dissatisfaction about our decision to use these cuties. We thought the bears were unique and would add our own personal touch to at least one aspect of our big ol’ Polish wedding. Going forward, I should probably keep these bears in a prominent spot, to remind me to not interfere (too much) with the decisions our son and his fiancee will make for their celebration.

Today’s cocktail recipe makes drinks for two, of course:

In a blender, combine 3 ounces vodka, 2 ounces Malibu coconut rum, 10 frozen strawberries, and 2 teaspoons simple syrup. Pour into fluted glasses and chill, or else pour over ice.

A toast to all married couples! Cheers!

Enjoyed: Friday, September 29, 2023

Listed on the menu: No, since there was no menu per se, but a small sign did name the “Bride’s Cocktail” (Rum and Pineapple) and the “Groom’s Cocktail” (Whiskey Sour).

Ingredients: House bourbon (made in association with Buffalo Trace, said the bartender), simple syrup, angostura bitters, soda water, maraschino cherry, orange piece.

The occasion: My entire family had gathered to witness the wedding ceremony of our beautiful niece and goddaughter, Camie, to her beloved Adam. The drinks started pouring as the reception began, and we had ample toasts! And ample food and dancing and smiles!

My rating: ** out of 5. The bartender was alone, and making drinks for almost a hundred people. She appeared happy to make my request, but was heavy-handed on the ice and soda water, which diluted the cocktail too much. (Is this common at all open-bar situations? Cocktails don’t need to fill the entire glass for guests to be happy.) I should have tried a shot of the house bourbon, neat.

Final thoughts: Weddings are marvelous occasions. Camie is the first of our family’s next generation (i.e. my late parents’ grandchildren) to get married, and she did it in true style. Best wishes to the happy couple, and we look forward to toasting the next milestones in their life together.

I know, I know, I am late to the party (pun intended), since Jimmy Buffet passed away more than a week ago. But I am still reading posts about him on my friends’ social media accounts, and I have been thinking about him, about the lifestyle he described in many of his songs, and about his empire of retirement-living communities.

Would Husband and I ever move to one of these communities? Apparently the theme is playful, described as a place of “growing older but not up.” We can be playful, I think. We can laugh and sip adult beverages as we watch the sunset. We can sing along to catchy songs and even dance occasionally. I think we would fit in.

Here lies the irony, Jimmy. Only people who acted “grown up”–those who were gainfully employed and saved funds for retirement–can actually afford to buy property in one of these lavish Margaritaville communities. But, Jimmy, you were on to something–retirement should be fun. And I am convinced Husband and I can have fun anywhere we choose to live or travel, provided we always maintain a sense of humor. You know, because if we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.

Today’s cocktail is a variation of a Margarita, of course. Husband and I sipped ours this afternoon in honor of Jimmy’s “island escapism” mantra. It’s always five o’clock somewhere, after all.

Combine 2 ounces fresh-squeezed pink grapefruit juice, 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila, 3/4 ounce orange liqueur, 3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice, and 1/2 tablespoon light agave syrup. Stir, and pour into a glass with a salted rim. Add ice cubes and garnish with fruit.

Cheers, Jimmy.

Enjoyed: Friday, August 11, 2023

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Heffner’s Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Knob Creek Bourbon, Sugar, Bitters, Oranges & Cherries

The occasion: Over four decades ago, when Husband was a rising high school senior, he was selected to participate in the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages, along with about 28 other students in the state. This group spent about seven weeks in Krefeld, Germany–they took classes together, toured the area together, attended celebrations together, and made some mischief together. Although each teen lived with a different German host family, bonds were formed, and young lives were changed. These individuals reunited a few times in their early college years, but then life scattered them around the world–until this spring, when several took on the task of finding all (!!) the participants (even the ones with non-existent social media presences) and then organizing a weekend reunion in Chicago. More than half of the original group (and some partners) were able to attend. I delighted in watching all the emotions and hearing all the laughter.

My rating: *** out of 5. My expectations weren’t high, since this was a hotel bar. The drink had all the classic ingredients, and I was relieved that soda water was not added, since I have seen that happen in Chicago-area bars. Points to the staff for giving all the cocktails Chicago-related names, like “Mag Mile Manhattan” and “Lake Shore Drive Gimlet”. However, ol’ Playboy Hugh spelled his name with one “f” and not two, as printed on the menu. Typo or deliberate effort to not use his actual name? A quick search just told me that his favorite drink was actually Jack Daniels with Pepsi.

Final thoughts: Husband was so happy that he re-connected with this marvelous group of people. (One of them was actually a friend of mine from high school, so I re-connected, too!) We discovered other common threads with these friends as the weekend went on– we all have many decades of life experiences by now, and it is a small world.