The Words Of My Mother

Spin Cycle at Second Blooming

The first time I talked to my husband-to-be on the phone, he talked for an hour. You could say that he was very wordy. He will deny it, but he did most of the talking. After we hung up, I realized that all my nervousness about what to say had evaporated, and we’ve been talking together ever since that first phone call. When we were dating, we had our favorite bar we would hang out at to have a beer and talk for hours. As newlyweds, we loved to sit on the balcony at our condo and chat all evening. Now we talk at the kitchen table when the kids are asleep.

You could also say my father is very wordy. We always let him know when he preaches a sermon that is perhaps too long–too wordy! In preparation for his sermons I have seen him with piles on books on his desk. Bibles in English, Greek, Hebrew, German…and dictionaries for each of those languages. Now that’s a lot of words! Sometimes he would talk through his ideas for sermons at the dinner table; I believe listening to him is how I learned to write a decent post or two.

I love talking with my husband and my father. There are times, however, when the only words I want to hear are from my mother. There are so many questions I still have to ask her; so much advice I still want to receive. Even though when she was still alive, there were times when I didn’t want to listen to my mother.

As I was talking to my dad the other day, he started off by saying “Your mother would tell you…”

If there is anyone who knows exactly what my mom would say, it is my dad. Just those five words–“Your mother would tell you…”

I am without words to tell you how comforting those five words are to me.

This post is double-dipped for Spin Cycle…with last week’s prompt of “Words” and this week’s prompt of “Mother”! Stop by Gretchen’s Second Blooming for more great words.

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Cocktails

Spin Cycle at Second Blooming

Sometimes a place, an occasion, a certain setting is tied inexplicably to a drink. A cocktail, if you will. I remember the very first place I had a margarita on the rocks; a margarita made with real liquor  and salt on the rim; not made from a neon-green, sickly-sweet mix. I don’t remember exactly who I was with (although I can guess) but I know the name of the bar was Molly’s, and I can picture exactly where it is.

Another memory; Ed and I were gazing out a wall of windows; we were almost alone in the lounge. We gazed out at the stars; we were up high above the rest of cruise ship in one of the highest places on the ship. It was our honeymoon, and we were having late night drinks; I was sipping a cosmopolitan with a lemon twist, and Ed had a chocolate martini. My drink was perfect, and Ed said his drink was delicious, too…but almost too chocolaty, if there is such a thing.

Lemon Meringue Margarita

Going out for cocktails is a little more difficult than it used to be, with two small children at home. But every once in a while, Ed and I will splurge, get a baby sitter, and go out for dinner. After dinner, to make our date last a little longer, we will stop somewhere for a drink. We call our favorite place The Piano Bar, even though that not the real name of this place. We can never seem to remember the correct name. To get to it, you walk down a set of stairs into a basement (it almost feels like you’re walking into a speakeasy, although there’s no guard at the door). Ed and I usually sit at a high table, a cozy spot for two, close to the piano. We order cocktails, chat, and listen to the piano player sing Billy Joel and Elton John tunes. Ed will sip slowly on his Manhattan. I usually order a cosmo…but now, my order has changed. Last time we went there, I had the most heavenly drink on earth…a Lemon Drop Martini. This drink has to become my signature drink!

I’ve never made it at home, but if I ever do, here is a recipe I found that sounds delicious. But first, I need to invest in a shaker. And martini glasses.

  • white sugar
  • 1 long strip of lemon zest
  • 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger citron vodka
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice
  • 1 ounce sweet and sour mix
  • 1 cup crushed ice
  1. Moisten the edges of a martini glass with a little lime juice, and then dip moistened edges into sugar. Place lemon zest strip in glass.
  2. Combine vodka, lime juice, sweet and sour mix, and ice in a shaker. Shake vigorously, and strain into a martini glass.

Gretchen at Second Blooming is our lovely hostess for Spin Cycle. This week, she’s mixing up cocktails!

What’s your favorite alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink?

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