Friday nights were always date night in this house.
When the kids were young that meant family dinners out. Nothing fancy. Chili's. TGIFriday's. Cheeseburger In Paradise. Pizza.
As the littles grew Friday nights changed. They were going to football games. Or had to work. Or met friends for a movie.
Friday nights became TBHITW and my date night. Better restaurants. Fancier fare.
And always, around 9:00 pm TBHITW would ask me, "What's our toddy?". We always shared a cocktail and relaxed into the weekend on Friday night. Not big drinkers, it was our one evening a week to unwind with a libation. I would go through the list: wine, or a cosmopolitan or an appletini.
Friday nights are hard, lonely nights now.
I eat alone.
Or sometimes don't eat at all.
I read. I cry. I go to bed.
Last night around 8:30 pm someone knocked on my door. When I answered it, I found my friend Anne standing on my front porch and she asked, "What's our toddy?"
She made me laugh.
I made cosmopolitans. We sat on the patio in my backyard and burned a healing candle that her oh so wise daughter gave to me.
My neighbor has lights strung all across his backyard and their glow, along with the candle were just enough to soften the darkness of the night.
Sometime around 11:00 pm my neighbor came out and leaning over the fence, handed us canoli from Carlo's Bakery (you know Carlo's, he's the Cake Boss).
The sixteen year old came out and joined us for canoli.
And we sipped cosmopolitans and ate our canoli under the glow of a thousand stars and a healing candle.
Angels walk among us and we call them our friends and neighbors.
Cosmopolitans: makes 2
1 cup vodka of choice (I LOVE Tito's. A small distillery out of Texas. If you can find it, try it!)
1/2 cup Cointreau
Juice of 1/2 lime or splash Rose's lime juice
1/4 cup cranberry juice
Crushed ice
Fill a shaker with crushed ice. Add the vodka, Cointreau, lime and cranberry juice. Shake vigorously for 30 shakes. It HAS to be 30 shakes. Really hard. The perfect martini has tiny slivers of ice crystals floating on top. That keeps it cold from the first sip to the last.
Sip with a friend on a starry night.
I could just hug Anne!!!! Thinking of you!!! Love you much!! Janine XO
ReplyDeleteFriends are wonderful. Yours, especially.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the Cosmo recipe. I recently discovered that they are addictive.
What would we do without our friends? Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI would not be here today without the angels that have walked in my life. I am so thankful that your angels came to you on a Friday night.
ReplyDeleteYour friend Anne was tuned in to you right then. The candle and the string of lights added to the calming atmosphere. Keep on keeping on.
ReplyDeleteThat warmed my heart knowing you have a friend that is that close to you and your needs. A truly beautiful post my friend.
ReplyDeleteWe all need an Anne in our life. This post made me smile and cry...both good things for the soul. Thinking of you today.
ReplyDeleteLove it - what's our toddy? What a great tradition. So happy you have such loving friends and neighbors.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Good friends, a couple of Cosmos, some good food, a beautiful candle and some lights in the darkness, and perfect timing..... Be well.
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful. Friends can help hold the loneliness at bay sometimes.
ReplyDeleteSo glad your friend was in tune.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful! Anne and you and the healing candle..That drinks sounds good..anything with lime and vodka wins me over...Here is too good friends Like Anne! xoxo Marlene
ReplyDeleteThank God for wonderful friends. I don't know what I'd do without mine. I'm so glad you have Ann. Thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteGood to know you are surrounded by such supportive friends.
ReplyDeleteAnne sounds like a wonderful friend and I'm so happy that you have her! And those cosmos sound fab! Love and prayers, Marguerite
ReplyDeleteEverybody should have beautiful people like that in their life.
ReplyDelete