Friday, June 6, 2008

Summer Fun From Moths to Margaritas


I'm half asleep on my 60's style daisy printed lounge chair as I watch Ava flinging her brother's toy rake while she sits in my original seat (which she stole), the Adirondack chair complete with comfy pillow. I wonder what she is thinking about. She's either singing a made up song or muttering something under her breath...I'm to far away to hear exactly but the perfect distance for observation without being noticed. She is clearly in her own world as she bounces the plastic rake up and down on her knees. I find myself drifting off into a memory: I remember the summer Jenny and I spent most evenings on Val's back porch. We were about 14, to old to go to bed early, to young to go "out". One of us sat in the wicker rocker with the flowered cushion and the other in an old director's chair rescued long before from the "Island Queen" ferry boat. We talked forever on those nights. Who knows what the topics were but it was important stuff and it often sent us into fits of laughter until we were reprimanded and told to quiet down. (My father, Dick went to bed very early and the windows were all open.)
That's when it was time for the moths. Once we started to get a little bored, Jenny took my brother Ethan's fishing pole, handily resting against one of the walls of the porch, and pried one of the many moths who made their home around the porch light, loose from the dark chestnut colored wood. It fluttered awake, disoriented and annoyed. The winged thing was usually large with great spots and horny growths and it inevitably would fly into one of our faces and get caught up in some one's hair. Of course, this caused us to shriek, freak out and do it again, choosing another icky looking moth for our next "victim".
"MaaaaaMaaaaa! Aya Top It!" Suddenly, I am ripped from my own day dream as Ava has abandoned her throne and bored herself, has started to harass her little brother. Here we go again. Back to reality. I think Jenny would agree, by 4:00pm after a full day with "The Fighting Irish", it's time for:

Mommy's Favorite Margarita
(Makes 1 16 oz. drink)
Ingredients:
Ice cubes
1 1/2 oz. gold or silver tequila (I like Sauza Tequila)
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. Chambord
3 small lime wedges
1 cup sour or margarita mix
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Directions:
Fill a pint glass to the top with ice. Add tequila, triple sec and Chambord. Squeeze the juice from 2 lime wedges into the mixture. Top off with sour mix or margarita mix leaving 1/4 inch at top of glass. Shake until mixed thoroughly or our back and forth into another glass to mix ingredients well.
Spread salt onto a small plate. Using the last wedge of lime, rim the margarita glass and place glass upside down in salt so it coats the edges of the glass. Pour mixed drink into margarita glass and enjoy!