Another Dinner Party

Two more, actually. The heat of summer had me curious over artichokes and after just a bit of research I learned that they are pretty easy to prepare. A nice pot of boiling water salted, a juicy lemon, and a  homemade yogurt dipping sauce was all the work it took to serve them up (for myself) and enjoy them.  The extra lemon inspired a cold shrimp cocktail and the  meal was rounded off with some blue cheese stuffed olives. A white wine and peach spritzer paired nicely with the salty tangy spread, and of course a little decoration with  flowers is ALWAYS necessary. This dinner party was enjoyed on top of a half made bed, a perfect place for cool evening lounging after a day spent under the hot sun. The mood was topped off with a movie, “Stealing Beauty” staring a very young Liv Tyler who travels to Italy in search of truth and connection. I fell deep into girlhood on this evening. I wonder what dinner parties in Italy are like.

The next day had me in a storybook mood, something whimsical, almost fairy tale. The evening lounge continued onto a blanketed patch of grass in the backyard, against the softness of the wildflowers. The blanket belonged to my Mamaw, there’s no way to date it but I know she was born in 1912 and lived up until 2004. Somewhere within those many years she acquired it and covered her lap as she sat in her knee high stockings.  I am so happy to own something that was hers. Any music fans out there might remember these lyrics by Steely Dan… “Well, you wouldn’t even know a diamond if you held it in your hand
The things you think are precious I can’t understand”.     It is a good reminder to consider what we own and how UN-important our possessions have the potential of being. We can buy anything we want on credit or outright, but owning real treasure is special.  Comfort food saved me from making a big to-do for dinner, a perfect tuna melt didn’t hit the spot, it nestled itself down into it. The arugula got a well needed trim and brought balance to the plate. Percy enjoyed this dinner party, he was all the company I could ask for. We watched lightning bugs come out after dark and relaxed together with full bellies and even fuller hearts.

Gladys speaks often of sitting up on summer nights with canine companions, she was a well-known breeder of champion cocker spaniels. I love the way she describes their velvet snouts and feather plume tails. As the summer season comes to an end so does the reach of the vines, everything is slowing down. The BER months are upon us now and all have their own themes. I think of them as a four part celebration towards the end of another fortunate year we have had on this beautiful planet. This series comes to us with temperatures in the 80s but will soon include days that slowly grow darker and colder as the months pass by. For now, I am eating buckets of cherry tomatoes and watching late sunsets. Until next time, thank you for reading and as always..

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justicesarah67@yahoo.com