Witches’ Brew Cocktail

Happy Halloween!

As is my tradition, I love to make a fun Halloween or fall themed cocktail to enjoy while the trick or treaters visit.  Many of these types of cocktails use cider, which is hard to find in Florida, so this one intrigued me with both its simplicity and the readily available ingredients.  It can also be made non alcoholic for the kiddos by using sparkling water instead of wine.

In a clear glass, add 1 cup orange soda and 3/4 cup white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc).  Add 1 scoop vanilla ice cream.  The carbonation in the soda will cause the addition of the ice cream to foam like a witches’ brew.

Simple, but delicious and perfectly themed for Halloween night.

Busy Days

Our sleepy, quiet summer is over and the Florida season of snow birds returning and visitors planning trips has begun.  It’s a fun time of the year, but there will be busy days ahead.  We are still waiting for the weather to cool off a bit, but my pool should be done shortly and there will be lots of swimming and sunning in my immediate future, so warmer temperatures are just fine for a bit longer.

My social, as well as volunteer calendar is filling up my weeks, but if I didn’t like it like that, I wouldn’t let it happen. That’s the beauty of retirement.

Just this past week, I went to happy hour on the beach (wine and sushi) one night and had some returning snowbirds (all neighbors) over for cosmos another night.  In between, I worked with my volunteer landscaping group one morning and also tried to keep on top of some HOA involvement I have signed up for.

Finally, I did something many of you fellow bloggers have done, but I have not.  I met one of my readers who was visiting Venice in hopes of building a home here.  Kathleen is from the Chicago area and noticed we had a lot in common with our Midwestern roots.  In a coincidence, she is looking at using the same builder.  I feel like more of this could happen in the future, since Florida is a travel destination for many.

Happy Monday!

Fall Reading List

It’s still fall, right?  Once again a little behind on things, but these book posts are my favorite to write and I think you like them too, so we will just pretend that it’s not approaching the end of October.

Currently, I am reading all of the Vera Stanhope mysteries by Ann Cleeves, also the author of the Shetland series.  I read the first one some time ago and didn’t really like it or the main character.  But, I decided to give the series another try and my mind was changed.  Should I give the television series a try as well and is Vera portrayed as written?

I’m also going to finally read Where The Crawdads Sing for my book club and am looking forward to seeing if it lives up to the hype.  I’ve heard it’s either the best book ever or unreadable, so I’ll report back.

My fall list has both new to me authors and some old favorites.  There is a legal thriller which is a genre that was popular for awhile, but you don’t come across as often these days.  The Nevada Barr and JoJo Moyes novels both seem to be a departure from their usual style and setting, so I hope they do not disappoint.  The Kristin Hannah novel is an older one, but I recently read a glowing review and realized I had not previously read it.

Happy Reading!

Downton Abbey and Poldark

I’m a little behind, but I finally went to see the Downton Abbey movie and caught up with the final season of Poldark as well.  Both British historical dramas and both dear to my heart and I was not disappointed with either one.

The Downton Abbey movie was two hours of sweeping English countryside views, familiar characters and just enough drama to turn a television show into a movie.  The main plot point is a royal visit to Downton by the King and Queen, but there is a lot more that happens around this event. Though set two years after the series ended, almost everyone is back and storylines effortlessly continue with a few new surprises, both happy and sad.  It is written by the series creator and it is obvious he knows the characters very well.  If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you will love it.

Poldark started on PBS Masterpiece a few weeks ago, but Sunday morning I watched the first two episodes of Season 5 and can’t wait for the rest.  The espionage sub plot is really interesting and Ross is the perfect reluctant spy.  Ross and Demelza are happy at the moment, but I fear (because it’s Poldark) that storms are coming.  There is a sweet new romance blossoming for Geoffrey Charles and some new dastardly characters up to no good with the help of George Warleggan.  This is a series I will be sad to see end.

Happy Monday!

Life Lately

The past few weeks have been a roller coaster, with a sudden trip to Michigan, my Dad’s passing and the preparation for his memorial service.  It’s a weird spot this week, where life goes on, yet everything is different.

I have tried to balance normal life such as yoga on the beach with a beautiful view of the sun shining through the clouds, spending time with friends, golf with a returning snow bird friend, book group and my volunteer work, with taking time to reflect on my Dad’s life.  My sister and brother send me old photos from time to time and it helps to remember him healthy and in his prime.

In other news, it’s fall in a lot of places, but not here in Florida yet.  It made me really happy to be able to stop by one of my favorite cider mills when I was in Michigan and enjoy fresh, cold cider and a warm doughnut, sitting next to the stream on a sunny fall day.

And, finally, our pool construction is in the final stages.  The tile and pavers were completed last week, the pump and heater went in this week and the pool cage should go up in the next few days.  It’s finally starting to look like a pool and dare I say, we might be swimming by Halloween!

Happy Thursday!